Private Golf In Paradise

Forbes

27-07-2025

The golf course at Hokuli'a
If you've ever dreamt of joining an exclusive private golf club, as many golfers have, then you probably imagined some pristine course in an amazing setting. And I think I just found it in real life.
Hokuli'a, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course on the Big Island of Hawaii, seems like a members-only paradise. Situated on a hillside just above the Pacific, it's about a half-hour drive south of the Kona airport. The views are breathtaking as you drive into the property, and the long and winding road meandering down toward the clubhouse offers beautiful panoramas.
The par-3 13th hole
That only sets you up for what's to come on the course itself. The day I played there last weekend, I was greeted with a slice of fresh banana bread as I stepped up to the starter's desk. 'It was baked by one of our members,' says one of the staffers. 'Everyone who owns property here has some type of farming on their lot – it's part of the sustainability and agricultural requirements.' The banana bread was outstanding, by the way.
As I make my way from the secluded driving range to the first tee, the view opens up. I can see that the course is in amazing condition – something that stays vibrant right through to the 18th green. The fairways are generously wide. The rough and bunkers aren't too penal. And as much as the terrain features slopes and elevation changes, the greens are relatively flat and roll true. Many holes here require tee shots that may start on a downhill slope, but go into an uphill slope. So therefore, I felt like my driving distances were slightly shorter than usual on those holes. But then on the flat holes, the ball seemed to really fly. All of the holes had a really nice flow to them, as well as a consistent feel – with the possible exception of No. 18 that's a short dogleg right in which the second shot is severely uphill. But by that time, I was so mesmerized by the beautiful scenery that golf almost seemed secondary. Speaking of, I commonly saw lush greenery to one side and the ocean to the other. At some point, I felt like I was on the set of Jurassic Park because of the beautiful green surroundings with black lava rock accents. Even glimpsed a rainbow over the Pacific. If you ever get to play here, you will fire shots over lava rocks and canyons, and back onto the lush green fairways. And you'll know right away that this is indeed a very special place and golf course. While you'll have views of the Pacific from every hole, the only water you'll encounter on the course are hazards at holes No. 2 and 4. No hole plays right down alongside the ocean either, but 16 gets within about 100 yards of it. I see some similarities between this course and the Nicklaus-designed Manele Bay on Lana'i. There's a definite emphasis here on hitting your short shots well. And while a small detail, this matters a lot for aesthetics: On the par-fours and fives, the cart paths disappear as you get off the tee area and don't pick up again until around the green. Why can't every course adapt this approach? Also a nice touch, every person I encountered – staff or member – was incredibly nice and helpful.
Pristine conditions
Currently there are 260 members of the club, but only 90 golf members. Maybe that sparseness contributed to me playing 18 in about two hours – just the way I like it. As you might imagine, many of the golf members also belong to other high-end courses around the world. Hokuli'a, which opened in 1999 and spans 1,260 acres, has nearly 450 available home lots of the 500 total around it – each with a sweeping panorama and a minimum size of one acre. Real estate company Hawaii Life handles all of the sales and inquiries. Each lot has an agricultural easement, which is why nearly everyone grows some sort of produce or coffee on their lot. No hotels or rentals will ever be built on property.
Representatives say the advantages to living here along the Kona Coast – as opposed to other private clubs on the Big Island – include the views, less wind because of where it's situated, and the sustainable farm-centric aspect. 'What distinguishes Hokuli'a from other private club communities on the Big Island is its rare sense of space, privacy, and unparalleled, unobstructed ocean and coastline views that are coveted,' says Leslie Oxley-Friedrich, Director of Sales & Marketing at Hokuli'a. 'Each home site spans at least one acre within this world-class, low-density residential and private club setting. Hokuli'a is a place to exhale, blending luxury resort-style living with a vibrant, sustainable 'agrihood' lifestyle—and with three miles of Kona's Gold Coast as your playground, it's a haven to celebrate nature and Hawaii's unspoiled splendor.'
And even if you can't afford multi-million-dollar properties or private golf memberships on the Big Island, you may well consider mimicking what we did for this trip. We reserved an upscale, well-appointed villa in resort-area Waikoloa Beach through Hawaii Life. I can definitely see the advantages to doing this over hotels, Vrbo or Airbnb. Hawaii Life's rentals are spacious and private homes that are all locally owned and operated. The company offers more concierge services and more personal contact than the other options. There's always someone available to personally talk with, if you need to. Our three-bedroom place was perfect for a golf buddy trip. The location was central to a handful of nice courses – even walkable to two of them. It had everything I could imagine needing – from kitchen to washer and dryer, air conditioning, nice furniture, extremely comfortable beds, parking, an ocean club just steps from our front door, and plenty of space. And in the event we needed to access hotel restaurants, there was a Hilton just a 10-minute walk away. In Hawaii, where food can be extremely pricey, having the option to make some quiet meals at home with a bottle of wine is really appealing to me after going to restaurants two or three nights in a row. When I'm going on a relaxing trip to a nice place, I don't want to worry about anything. I just want to chill, play golf and enjoy. And I feel that's exactly what Hawaii Life provides. The only thing that frustrated me our entire stay: my putting.