Poipu Bay Golf Course
For thirteen years the world's major champions closed their season here. Robert Trent Jones Jr opened Poipu Bay in 1991 on the sunny south shore of Kauai, a par 72 of around 7,123 yards that hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 to 2006, and it still finishes along the ocean cliffs that made it famous on television.
Photograph: Poipu Bay Golf Course, via Google
The verdict
Poipu Bay is the south shore counterpart to the north shore's Princeville, and for many years it was the more famous of the two. Robert Trent Jones Jr opened it in 1991 on rolling former sugar land above the ocean, and from 1994 to 2006 it was the home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, the season ending match between that year's four major winners. Tiger Woods won there year after year, and a generation of golf fans came to know the course from the television coverage.
For the traveling golfer, Poipu Bay is a championship resort course in the sunniest, driest corner of Kauai, which makes it the most reliable golf weather on the island. It is a sterner, more exposed test than its lush north shore cousin, with the wind off the Pacific a constant companion on the holes near the coast. It is open to the public beside the Grand Hyatt Kauai, and pairs naturally with the scenery of Princeville Makai for a trip that plays both ends of the island.
Poipu Bay at a glance
- Opened
- 1991
- Designer
- Robert Trent Jones Jr
- Tournament
- PGA Grand Slam, 1994 to 2006
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 7,123 yds
- Access
- Public resort
Designer, opening year, tournament history, par and yardage verified June 2026 from resort and course sources. Poipu Bay plays as a par 72 of around 7,123 yards from the championship tees, routed over rolling land above the ocean on the south shore, and was the home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 to 2006. It is a public resort course; green fees are seasonal and resort set at the premium Hawaii level, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The stretch everyone remembers is the run home along the ocean. The long par 4 sixteenth plays out toward the cliffs of the south shore and has drawn comparisons to the great seaside holes on the mainland, a demanding two shotter where the Pacific frames the target and the trade wind decides the club. It is the hole the Grand Slam was won and lost on, and the one that still defines a round at Poipu Bay for most visitors.
The rest of the course is a genuine championship test that earns its tournament pedigree. Jones used the rolling former cane land to give the holes movement and the greens definition, with water in play on several holes and a heavy complement of bunkers shaping the strategy. Because the south shore is so open and dry, the wind is rarely absent, and the course plays a couple of clubs longer than the card whenever the trades are up, which is what gave the major champions plenty to think about.
What lingers is the combination of pedigree and climate. Poipu Bay is the round where a holidaymaker can walk the same closing holes the game's best players finished their seasons on, in the most dependable sunshine on Kauai. For a golfer building an island trip, it is the south shore anchor and the course with the championship story to tell.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public resort course; open to all, with preferred rates and tee times for guests of the Grand Hyatt Kauai and the Poipu resort |
| Green fee | Indicative green fees for the 2026 season sit at the premium Hawaii resort level, highest in winter high season with guest and twilight rates; they are seasonal and resort set, so always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking | Direct with Poipu Bay or through your resort; winter and holiday weeks are busy, so book ahead |
| Walking and carts | Cart golf is standard, with GPS yardage; the rolling routing spreads out, so most visitors ride |
| Best months | The south shore is the driest, sunniest part of Kauai and plays well year round; winter brings the biggest crowds and rates |
| Getting there | On the south shore of Kauai near Koloa and Poipu, about twenty five minutes from Lihue airport |
Access verified June 2026 from resort sources; green fees are seasonal, so always confirm directly before booking. Ask about a Kauai golf trip.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is the Grand Hyatt Kauai beside the course, or one of the Poipu resorts and villas a short ride away, all of which earn preferred golf access and sit close to the best beaches and restaurants on the south shore. Staying in Poipu keeps a group in the sunniest part of the island and a few minutes from the first tee.
Because Kauai keeps its great golf at both ends of the island, most visitors build a trip that pairs the south shore with the north. Combine a Poipu stay with the cliffs and scenery of Princeville Makai for a Kauai trip that plays both coasts, or extend it to the Big Island resorts for a wider Hawaii itinerary.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Poipu and Kauai.
Build a Kauai golf trip
Poipu Bay is the championship anchor of south shore Kauai and a perfect base for an island stay. We plan trips through Hawaii, arrange the tee times and the resort access, and handle the hotels and the order of play across Kauai. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Poipu Bay questions
Can visitors play Poipu Bay?
Yes. Poipu Bay is a resort course open to the public, with preferred rates and tee times for guests of the Grand Hyatt Kauai and the Poipu resort. Green fees are seasonal and resort set and sit at the premium Hawaii level, so always confirm directly before booking.
Did Poipu Bay host the PGA Grand Slam of Golf?
Yes. Poipu Bay was the home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 to 2006, the season ending exhibition for the year's four major champions. Tiger Woods won the event there several years in a row, which made the course a familiar sight on television.
What is the par and yardage at Poipu Bay?
Poipu Bay plays as a par 72 of around 7,123 yards from the championship tees. Robert Trent Jones Jr routed it over rolling former sugar land above the ocean, with a famous closing stretch along the cliffs of the south shore.
Where is Poipu Bay Golf Course?
Poipu Bay Golf Course is on the sunny south shore of Kauai, Hawaii, near Koloa and Poipu, beside the Grand Hyatt Kauai, about twenty five minutes from Lihue airport.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, tournament history, par, yardage and access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.