Makai Golf Club at Princeville - hole 6
0 of 12
Makai Golf Club at Princeville - hole 6
The Pacific comes into focus on the sixth hole at the Makai Golf Club. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Prince Golf Course at Princeville - hole 6
1 of 12
Prince Golf Course at Princeville - hole 6
The sixth hole on the Prince Golf Course at Princeville heads toward the ocean. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club - Kiele Moana nine - hole 4
2 of 12
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club - Kiele Moana nine - hole 4
It's an idyllic scene near the fourth green of the Kiele Moana nine at Kauai Lagoons Golf Club. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Poipu Bay Golf Course
3 of 12
Poipu Bay Golf Course
Poipu Bay Golf Course hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994-2006. Courtesy of Poipu Bay G.C.
Poipu Bay Golf Course - hole 16
4 of 12
Poipu Bay Golf Course - hole 16
The cliffs come alive on the 16th hole at Poipu Bay Golf Course on Kauai. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club - Kiele Moana nine - hole 7
5 of 12
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club - Kiele Moana nine - hole 7
The seventh green of the Kiele Moana nine at Kauai Lagoons Golf Club is hard to hit but easy on the eyes. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Makai Golf Club at Princeville - 7th hole
6 of 12
Makai Golf Club at Princeville - 7th hole
Captivating views surround the seventh hole at the Makai Golf Club at Princeville. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club - Kiele Moana nine - hole 5
7 of 12
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club - Kiele Moana nine - hole 5
Beauty rules on the exposed fifth hole of the Kiele Moana nine at Kauai Lagoons Golf Club. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Makai Golf Club at Princeville - hole 12
8 of 12
Makai Golf Club at Princeville - hole 12
Kauai's north shore is a place you could never leave. The Makai Golf Club at Princeville features a wonderful routing that goes out to the ocean on both nines, and it's a walkable and pleasant round throughout. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Poipu Bay Golf Course on Kauai
9 of 12
Poipu Bay Golf Course on Kauai
The Pacific Ocean meets the cliffs along the 16th hole at Poipu Bay Golf Course on Kauai. Courtesy of Poipu Bay G.C.
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club - Kiele Mona nine - 5th hole
10 of 12
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club - Kiele Mona nine - 5th hole
Open ocean views accompany the fifth hole of the Kiele Moana nine of Kauai Lagoons Golf Club. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Makai Golf Club at Princeville - hole 14
11 of 12
Makai Golf Club at Princeville - hole 14
The 14th hole at the Makai Golf Club at Princeville is a short, drivable par 4. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
12 Images

From Kauai Lagoons, to Princeville, to Poipu Bay, a handful of ocean holes highlight golf on Kauai

PRINCEVILLE, Kauai, Hawaii -- Golfers seeking the ocean should head to the oldest and northernmost Hawaiian island.

Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, Makai Golf Club at Princeville, the Prince Golf Course at Princeville and Poipu Bay Golf Course on Kauai all offer those postcard views that mainlanders love.

The gorgeous par-4 fourth hole on the Kiele Moana nine at Kauai Lagoons introduces the longest continuous stretch of ocean holes in Hawaii. The par-3 fifth hole soars magnificently over an ocean inlet. The next two par 4s -- a dogleg left over a jungle-filled ravine at No. 6 and the short seventh hole with a tiny green sunken below the fairway -- play as tough as they are scenic.

Poipu Bay G.C., the home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994-2006, ends the round with several cliffhangers. The par-4 15th hole and the par-5 16th hole skirt 150-foot cliffs above the crashing waves.

Makai Golf Club wins the battle of the two Golf Digest top-100 beauties at Princeville. The Prince Golf Course heads toward the ocean at the sixth green and the spectacular par-3 seventh hole, then turns inland.

Makai returns to the shore twice. A horizon of blue -- the ocean meeting the sky -- frames the par-4 sixth hole. Even better, the mesmerizing seventh hole, an epic par 3, requires carrying a coastal chasm. The shoreline stretch on the back nine might be more strategic, anchored by a demanding par 4 (No. 12), a long par 3 (No. 13) and a risk-reward short par 4 (No. 14).

Wind, water and waves add up to wonderful golf on Kauai.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
Now Reading
From Kauai Lagoons, to Princeville, to Poipu Bay, a handful of ocean holes highlight golf on Kauai