Nanea Golf Club
High on the lava slopes of Hualalai above Kona, Nanea is one of the most private clubs in golf. David McLay Kidd laid it out in 2003 as a par 73 of around 7,500 yards, an invitation-only sanctuary with no signage at the gate, reserved strictly for members and their guests. For almost everyone, it is a course to admire rather than to play.
Photograph: Nanea Golf Club, via Google
The verdict
Nanea is the quiet legend of Hawaii golf. Set high on the lower slopes of the Hualalai volcano above Kailua-Kona, at around 2,000 feet of elevation, it was built in 2003 as an ultra-private retreat for a small membership and has kept a deliberately low profile ever since, with no sign at its entrance and no public presence to speak of. Among those who know it, it is spoken of as one of the finest and most exclusive clubs in the country.
For the traveling golfer, Nanea is best understood as the rarefied end of the Kona golf scene, a club you cannot simply book. David McLay Kidd, fresh from making his name at Bandon Dunes, designed it with the wide, playable fairways and big horizons that became his signature, set against the black lava and the Pacific far below. Access is reserved for members and their accompanied guests, so for a visitor the realistic path to the great Kona golf runs through the resort courses nearby, above all Hualalai just down the slope.
Nanea at a glance
- Opened
- 2003
- Designer
- David McLay Kidd
- Type
- Private lava upland
- Par
- 73
- Yardage
- Around 7,500 yds
- Access
- Members and guests only
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from course databases; sources record the par as 73 over roughly 7,500 yards. Nanea sits at about 2,000 feet on the slopes of Hualalai, with wide fairways through black lava and sweeping Pacific views. It is an ultra-private, invitation-only club with no public access; there are no green fees to publish, and any play is as the guest of a member.
What makes it special
Nanea is a David McLay Kidd design from the period when his ideas about width and playability were taking shape, and it shows. The fairways are broad and the course is meant to be enjoyable as well as testing, with generous lines off the tee that invite a player to swing freely and then reward thought on the approach. Set against fields of black a'a lava, with the ground falling away toward the ocean far below, it has the scale and the horizons that mark out his best work.
The elevation is part of the appeal. At around 2,000 feet the air is a touch cooler and clearer than on the coast, the views run out across the Kona shoreline and the Pacific, and the upland setting gives the club its sense of seclusion. The membership is small and international, the conditioning is immaculate, and the whole experience is built around privacy and quiet rather than spectacle, which is exactly why it has become so admired among those who get to play it.
What lingers, even for a golfer who only knows it by reputation, is the idea of a great course hidden in plain sight above a busy resort coast. Nanea is the most exclusive name in Big Island golf, and while it sits beyond the reach of a normal trip, knowing it is there is part of understanding the full range of golf on the Kona coast.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Ultra-private and invitation only; no public tee times and no resort access, with play reserved strictly for members and their accompanied guests |
| How to play | The only route for a visitor is to be invited and accompanied by a member; the club keeps a low profile, with no signage at the entrance |
| Green fee | None published; as a private members club Nanea does not offer public green fees |
| Walking and carts | Carts with caddie or forecaddie service are typical of a club of this level |
| Best months | The Kona uplands play well year round; the elevation keeps it a touch cooler than the coast |
| Getting there | On the slopes of Hualalai above Kailua-Kona on Hawaii Island, near the Kona resort coast |
Access verified June 2026 from club and course sources. Nanea is invitation only with no public access; for playable Kona golf, we plan trips around the resort courses nearby. Ask about a Kona golf trip.
Where to stay nearby
Because Nanea is not a course a visitor can book, a Kona golf trip is based on the resort coast below it. The natural choices are the resorts of the Kona and Kohala coasts, a short drive from Nanea's gates, which put a group close to the airport, the beaches and the great public and resort golf of the island.
The realistic golf for a visiting group is the run of resort courses nearby. Combine a Kona stay with the Jack Nicklaus championship test at Hualalai just down the slope, the Rockefeller history of Mauna Kea and the lava drama of the Mauna Lani South Course for a Big Island trip that captures the best golf you can actually play.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts on the Kona and Kohala coasts.
Build a Big Island golf trip
Nanea sits beyond a normal trip, but the Kona coast around it has some of the best resort golf in Hawaii. We plan trips through the islands, arrange the tee times and the resort access, and handle the hotels and the order of play. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Nanea questions
Can visitors play Nanea Golf Club?
No. Nanea is an ultra-private, invitation-only club above Kailua-Kona. There are no public tee times and no resort access; play is reserved strictly for members and their accompanied guests, and the club keeps a deliberately low profile with no signage at its entrance.
Who designed Nanea Golf Club?
Nanea was designed by the Scottish architect David McLay Kidd, with Paul Kimber, and opened in 2003. It was an early signature work for Kidd after Bandon Dunes, laid out across the lava high above the Kona coast.
What is the par and yardage at Nanea?
Nanea plays as a par 73 of around 7,500 yards from the back tees, set at roughly 2,000 feet above the sea on the slopes of Hualalai, with wide fairways through black lava and sweeping views of the Pacific.
Where is Nanea Golf Club?
Nanea Golf Club is above Kailua-Kona on Hawaii Island, on the lower slopes of the Hualalai volcano at about 2,000 feet of elevation, overlooking the Kona coast.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.