1
DayArrival on Maui and Kapalua
Fly into Kahului Airport and drive northwest to Kapalua, 50 to 60 minutes through the central Maui corridor and along the coast. Check into The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua.
Pin itIsland Hopper: Five Nights Across Maui and the Big Island
Five nights across two islands playing Kapalua Plantation on Maui and Mauna Lani South on the Big Island, connected by a 40-minute inter-island flight.
Duration
5 Days
Type
Bucket List Trip
Estimated Cost
$4000–$7000/person
Rounds
2
Difficulty
Moderate
This trip takes the best course on each island, pairs it with the signature non-golf experience, and connects the two halves with a short inter-island flight. The result covers more ground than either single-island option and delivers the two most distinct golf experiences Hawaii offers: Coore and Crenshaw's volcanic ridgeline architecture at Kapalua and the ancient lava field routing at Mauna Lani. The trade-off is fewer total rounds and the logistics of an inter-island transfer.
Hawaii (Maui / Big Island), Hawaii
Trip at a Glance
- Duration
- 5 days
- Type
- Bucket List Trip
- Cost / person
- $4000–$7000
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Courses· 2
Stay· 2
The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua$500–$1200/night
Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii$350–$700/night
Activities· 3
Sunset Dinner Cruise2-3 hours
Road to Hana TourFull day
2
DayKapalua Plantation Course
Morning tee time on Kapalua Plantation Course, the number-one-ranked course in Hawaii and the home of the PGA Tour's The Sentry. The round across 7,596 yards of volcanic ridgeline, with elevation changes exceeding 300 feet and ocean views from nearly every hole, is the single strongest argument for golf in Hawaii.
3
DayRoad to Hana Tour
No golf. The full day belongs to the Road to Hana Tour, Maui's most celebrated excursion.
4
DayInter-Island Flight to the Big Island and Kohala Coast
Morning departure from the Kapalua area. Return the rental car at Kahului Airport and take the inter-island flight to Kona, roughly 35 to 45 minutes.
5
DayMauna Lani South Course and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
This is the fullest day of the trip, and the early start is worth it. Morning tee time on Mauna Lani South Course, where the routing through ancient lava fields and along six oceanfront holes provides a Big Island golf experience that is fundamentally different from the Kapalua round.
6
DayDeparture
Check out of the Kohala Coast accommodation and drive to Kona International Airport, 20 to 30 minutes. Flights from Kona connect to the mainland throughout the day.
Trip Logistics
Plan the Practicalities
Logistics
The inter-island flight is the logistical hinge of this trip, and it is more straightforward than it may sound. The OGG to KOA route runs multiple daily flights on Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines, the flight takes 35 to 45 minutes, and the airports on both islands are small enough that the total door-to-door transfer, including rental car return and pickup, runs about three hours. Booking the inter-island flight for a midday departure allows a leisurely morning departure from Kapalua and an afternoon arrival on the Big Island.
The open-jaw strategy of flying into OGG and out of KOA eliminates the return to Maui for the outbound flight, saving a half day of travel that you can redirect to the trip. Most mainland airlines offer open-jaw itineraries at no additional cost compared to round-trip fares.
Two rounds across five nights may seem light for a golf trip, but this itinerary is built around the principle that Hawaii's non-golf experiences are too strong to be treated as filler between rounds. The Road to Hana and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park are not consolation activities. They are primary reasons to visit, and giving full days to each produces a trip that captures the full scope of what these two islands offer. The golfer who plays the Plantation Course and Mauna Lani South, drives the Road to Hana, and stands at the rim of Kilauea has experienced a version of Hawaii that no amount of additional golf can improve upon.
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