Poipu Bay Golf Course - Review
Poipu Bay is the best golf course on Kauai — a championship Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout with PGA Grand Slam history and a finishing stretch along oceanside cliffs that rivals anything in Hawaii.
Signature hole - 16th - runs along ocean side cliffs
Poipu Bay Golf Course Review: A 9.4 and the Best Round on Kauai
There are courses you play because they're convenient, and there are courses you plan a trip around. Poipu Bay is the latter. This is the best golf course on Kauai, and it's not particularly close.
I've played every public course on this island, most of them multiple times, and Poipu Bay consistently delivers something the others don't: that feeling of playing a course that was built for the biggest stage. This is where the PGA Grand Slam of Golf was held for 13 consecutive years, from 1994 to 2006. Tiger Woods won here seven times. Phil Mickelson shot a course-record 59. And when you stand on the 16th tee, looking down at the cliffs and the Pacific stretching out in front of you, it's easy to understand why the PGA chose this place.
I gave Poipu Bay a 9.4 out of 10. Here's how I got there.
The course: what makes it special
Poipu Bay is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, par 72, stretching 7,123 yards from the tips. It sits on 210 oceanfront acres on Kauai's south shore, right next to the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort. The course was originally built in 1991 and has been well maintained since — the greens were redone with seashore paspalum grass, which plays smooth and consistent year-round in the tropical climate.
The front nine is a solid resort layout. Wide fairways, generous landing areas, a few water hazards, and enough strategic variety to hold your attention. It's not going to blow your mind, and I'll be honest about that — holes 1 through 6 are pleasant but not memorable. You're playing good golf on good turf, but you're waiting for the course to show you something special.
It starts to hint at what's coming around hole 7, a short par 3 over water that's beautifully landscaped and plays trickier than it looks with the wind. Holes 8 and 9 pick up the pace, and by the time you make the turn, you've settled into your round and found a rhythm.
Then the back nine starts, and the course escalates.
Holes 11 through 14 bring in elevation changes, mountain backdrops, and some genuine strategic decisions. The 12th is an uphill grinder that plays into the wind. The 14th is a long par 5 that demands three solid shots.
But the real show starts at the 15th.
The finishing stretch: holes 15 through 18
This is why you come to Poipu Bay. This is why I gave it a 9.4.
The 15th is a straightaway par 4 that plays downhill and downwind along the clifftops. The ocean is on your left, three fairway bunkers guard the right, and the views of the Kauai coastline from the tee box are staggering. It's the kind of hole where you need to remind yourself to actually hit the ball instead of just staring.
The 16th is the signature hole — a 501-yard par 4 that runs along a sea cliff with the Pacific crashing 150 feet below. Robert Trent Jones Jr. called it "the Pebble Beach of the Pacific," and the comparison holds up. The tee is elevated, the wind is usually at your back, and 300-yard drives are possible. The green is the largest on the course, heavily undulated, with a bunker on the right and the ocean on the left. This is one of the finest holes in all of Hawaii, full stop.
The 17th is a long par 3, downhill drop off, over a foliage-covered ravine to a green with ocean views behind it. It's beautiful and difficult — a combination that defines the best holes on this course.
The 18th brings you home with a classic finishing par 5. Somewhat blind landing on the drive, water guards the left side of the green, and there's a risk-reward decision on your second shot that can either cap your round with a birdie or send you into the pond. Either way, the restaurant overlooks the green, so you can replay every shot over a poke bowl and a cold beer.
The experience beyond the golf
Poipu Bay gets points for the total experience, not just the course design.
The service is excellent. Every cart comes equipped with GPS showing hole layouts, pin placements, and yardage. You get complimentary bottled water and chilled citrus towels. The staff greets you with aloha.
The practice facility is top-notch. Full driving range, putting green, and short game area. Show up 30 minutes early and actually warm up. You'll want to be sharp for this course.
The wildlife is part of the experience in a way you don't get at most courses. Hawaiian monk seals lounge on the rocks below the cliffs. Green sea turtles surface offshore. Between December and April, you might catch humpback whales breaching in the distance. And the nene geese — Hawaii's state bird — wander the fairways like they own the place.
There's also a cultural layer that adds depth to the round. The course preserves several ancient Hawaiian heiau (sacred worship sites) and hand-built stone walls estimated to be over 500 years old. They're woven into the layout in a way that feels respectful and intentional. Ask the pro shop or check out the back of your score card on what the local rules are in you hit into one of these areas.
How I got to a 9.4
Here's my scoring breakdown:
Course design and layout: 9 out of 10. The finishing four holes are world-class. The front nine is solid but not spectacular — holes 1 through 6 keep it from being a 10. The back nine more than makes up for it.
Course conditioning: 9.5 out of 10. The paspalum greens are smooth and true. Fairways are the best maintained fairways on Kauai. The 85 bunkers are properly raked and filled with actual sand. This course takes its conditioning seriously.
Scenery and setting: 10 out of 10. Ocean cliffs, mountain backdrops, wildlife, ancient Hawaiian ruins. There is no more beautiful course on Kauai in my opinion.
Service and amenities: 9.5 out of 10. GPS carts, cold towels, friendly staff, great practice facility, excellent food at the turn and after your round. This is what resort golf should feel like.
Value: 8.5 out of 10. $295 before noon, $245 after noon, and the 9-hole front or back is $150, so it’s not cheap. But it includes cart, range balls, and the resort fee. Afternoon and 9-hole rates bring the price down. The Ocean Eleven package (holes 8 through 18 for $175) is a smart play if you're on a budget — you skip the weaker front nine holes and go straight to the best stretch on the course. For what you get, the price is justified. But it's still a lot of money, and that keeps it from a perfect score.
Overall: 9.4 out of 10.
The cons
I want to be honest about what holds Poipu Bay back from a perfect 10.
The front nine is slow to build. If you're expecting ocean views from the first tee, you'll be disappointed. The course saves its best for last, and the early holes — while well designed — don't match the drama of the closing stretch. Some golfers might feel like they're paying $295 to $245 for four incredible holes and fourteen good ones.
The trade winds can be punishing. Kauai's south shore gets steady trades, and on a breezy day, you might add two or three clubs to your approach shots. There's no shelter from it — the course is exposed by design. Bring an extra layer and accept that your score might be higher than usual.
There's no beverage cart on twilight rounds, so pick up drinks at the clubhouse before you head out if you're playing late.
The bottom line
Poipu Bay is the best golf course on Kauai. The combination of PGA history, dramatic oceanside holes, excellent conditioning, and first-class service puts it in a category that no other course on the island can match.
If you only play one course on Kauai, make it this one.
Practical details
Green fees: Around $295 (non-resident rate), or $245 after noon, for 18 holes (cart, range balls, and resort fee included). Afternoon and 9-hole rates are available. The Ocean Eleven package covers holes 8-18 for $175.
Par / Yardage: Par 72, 7,123 yards from the tips. Multiple tee boxes for all skill levels.
Course type: Resort, championship, public.
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr. (1991)
Tee times: Book in advance, especially December through March. Book directly through poipubaygolf.com or call the pro shop.
Club rentals: Available at the pro shop. New Titleist rental sets come with a free sleeve of Pro V1 logo balls.
Getting there: 2250 Ainako Street in Koloa. About 25 minutes from the airport. If you're staying at Pili Mai in Poipu, it's a 5-minute drive.
Planning a Kauai golf trip? Our 2-bedroom condo at Pili Mai sits directly on the Kiahuna Golf Course fairway in Poipu — five minutes from Poipu Bay. After your round, grab a drink on the lanai and watch the golfers come through on the 9th hole. Check availability →
