Makai Golf Club at Princeville

The Woods course at Makai Golf Club at Princeville occupies the inland portion of the resort property on Kauai's north shore, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. as part of the original Princeville development. The course takes its name from its routing through dense tropical vegetation and forested terrain, contrasting with the oceanfront exposure of Makai's other nines. Jones routed the layout to work with the natural contours and native landscape, creating a more sheltered golf experience than the windswept coastal holes elsewhere at the property. The design incorporates elevation changes and strategic bunkering typical of Jones's work from this period, with fairways carved through stands of ironwood, eucalyptus, and other tropical growth. While the Woods nine lacks the dramatic ocean views that define Princeville's signature holes, it offers a different character—tighter driving corridors, more pronounced doglegs, and an emphasis on accuracy over distance. The routing takes advantage of interior valleys and ridgelines to create variety in hole direction and shot requirements. Makai Golf Club underwent significant renovation in the 2000s, with the Woods nine receiving updates to drainage, turf management, and bunker positioning while maintaining Jones's original routing concept. The course serves primarily resort and member play, functioning as part of Princeville's broader golf offerings on Kauai's north shore. The forested setting provides a contrast to the property's ocean holes and reflects Jones's approach to working with diverse Hawaiian terrain.