Four nights on the Kohala Coast playing Mauna Lani South and Mauna Kea with a full day at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park between rounds.
4 Days
Bucket List Trip
$2500–$4500/person
2
Moderate
The Big Island's Kohala Coast concentrates its golf and resort infrastructure along a 15-mile stretch of dry, sun-drenched shoreline on the island's western side. The two premium courses, Mauna Lani South and Mauna Kea, sit within 20 minutes of each other, and the resort properties that serve them are clustered along the same corridor. This concentration makes the Big Island the more logistically efficient of the two Hawaiian golf islands, and a four-night trip is sufficient to play both courses, visit Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and engage with the cultural offerings of the Kohala Coast without feeling rushed.
Fly into Kona International Airport and drive north along the Kohala Coast to the Fairmont Orchid or the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, a 20- to 30-minute transfer depending on the property. The drive along the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway passes through vast lava fields that extend from the coast to the slopes of Mauna Kea, establishing the volcanic character of the island before the first round.
Morning tee time on the Mauna Lani South Course. The routing through ancient lava fields, with six holes along the ocean, provides the quintessential Kohala Coast golf experience.
No golf. The full day is allocated to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, approximately 2.
Morning round at Mauna Kea Golf Course, 20 minutes north of the Mauna Lani resort area. Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Check out and drive to Kona International Airport, a 20- to 30-minute transfer. Flights from KOA connect to the mainland throughout the day.
The Kohala Coast's compact geography is the logistical advantage that makes a four-night trip work. Both courses and all three accommodation options sit within a 20-minute driving radius, and the daily commute is minimal compared to a Maui trip that covers the Kapalua-to-Wailea corridor. The Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park day trip is the one long drive of the itinerary, and it is worth the commitment for the experience it delivers.
The two-round format may feel light for golfers accustomed to more intensive trip schedules, but the Big Island rewards the time spent away from the course. The volcanic landscape, the cultural sites, and the resort experiences along the Kohala Coast provide a richness that additional rounds would displace rather than enhance. For golfers who want more golf, the Hapuna Golf Course, an Arnold Palmer design 15 minutes from Mauna Kea, provides a third-round option at a lower price point.
$2500–$4500
per person
4 Days
3 nights
2
courses included