Princeville Makai

The verdict

Kauai is the wettest, greenest and most cinematic of the main Hawaiian islands, and Princeville sits at the heart of its dramatic north shore. The Makai Course was Robert Trent Jones Jr's first design under his own name, opened in 1971, and you can see the ambition of a young architect handed a once in a lifetime canvas: holes that tumble down toward the ocean, others that climb back toward the mountains, all of it framed by Hanalei Bay and the cliffs of the Na Pali coast beyond.

A full renovation in 2009 rebuilt the bunkers and greens and lifted the conditioning to match the setting, and the course has stayed near the top of every list of the best resort golf in the country since. It is a par 72 of around 7,223 yards that plays comfortably for the holidaymaker from the forward tees and tests the better player from the back. In winter the humpback whales breach offshore as you play. For sheer scenery, the Makai is as good as golf in America gets.

The holes worth the trip

The Makai is routed to make the most of two landscapes, the ocean cliffs and the lush interior, and the best holes live where the land meets the sea. The oceanfront stretch on the front nine is the headline, a run of holes hard against the Pacific where the wind off the water and the size of the views ask you to commit to the shot and ignore the scenery. The short par 3 played across an ocean inlet is the photograph everyone takes home.

Inland, the course climbs and falls through tropical planting, with doglegs that ask for a shaped tee shot and greens set against the mountains. The 2009 work added definition to the bunkering and firmed up the putting surfaces, so a good round still demands accurate iron play and a steady touch on greens that can run quick in the trade winds.

It is a walkable but rolling layout, usually played with a cart in the Hawaiian style, and it rewards the visitor who slows down. Take the forward tees if your handicap is mid range, keep the ball below the hole, and give yourself time to take in the setting. Few courses anywhere combine playability and scenery as generously as the Makai.

Where to stay nearby

Princeville is a resort community built around the golf, so the easiest plan is to stay within the development, where the cliff top hotels and villas put the first tee minutes from your door and frame the same Hanalei Bay views. Hanalei town just down the hill adds restaurants, surf and one of the loveliest beaches in Hawaii.

For a wider Kauai trip, base on the north shore for scenery or split your stay with the sunnier south around Poipu, an hour away, to balance the island's two very different sides. Lihue airport, around 40 minutes from Princeville, connects Kauai to Honolulu and the mainland.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts at Princeville and on Kauai.