The hardest golf courses in Kohala Coast, Hawaii
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Kohala Coast, Hawaii, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 8 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Kailua-Kona and Waikoloa.
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Kohala Coast, HI, USASlope rating 144, 76.6 course rating, Championship tees, 7,370 yds
PublicRobert Trent Jones Sr.
- 4.1Conditions
- 4.3Layout
- 3.7Value
- 5.0Scenery
- 4.3Facilities
$350 with no food on property and a limited driving range. Had maintenance guys in every fairway bunker of the first 5 holes we played and teed off at 9:20. Besides the chaos and heavy price tag, it was a fun course.
Written by
@Fut’sPicks
- Views
- Driving range
- Must play
Nanea Golf Club
Kailua-Kona, HI, USASlope rating 140, 74.1 course rating, Championship tees, 7,061 yds
PrivateDavid McLay Kidd
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.3Layout
- 5.0Scenery
- 5.0Facilities
Playing Nanea Golf Club was an incredible experience and one of the most unique rounds I’ve ever had.
Written by
@Flopfather
- Challenging
- Must play
- Pristine
North
Mauna Lani Resort Golf
Kohala Coast, HI, USASlope rating 136, 74.2 course rating, Championship tees, 6,913 yds
PublicH. Flint & R. F. Cain
- 3.0Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 3.5Value
- 4.5Scenery
- 3.3Facilities
Compared to the South, Mauna Lani North feels a little wilder and more rugged. Carved through ancient lava fields and framed by kiawe trees, it has a character all its own.
Written by
@moodiebanks
- Views
- Driving range
- Pristine
Hapuna Beach Resort
Kohala Coast, HI, USASlope rating 136, 73.3 course rating, Black tees, 6,875 yds
PublicArnold Palmer & Ed Seay
- 4.0Conditions
- NRLayout
- NRValue
- NRScenery
- NRFacilities
Relatively easy layout, interesting holes, condition is decent, need to play grain on greens
Written by
@acedriver
Kings
Waikoloa Beach Resort Golf
Waikoloa, HI, USASlope rating 135, 73.4 course rating, Kings tees, 7,074 yds
PublicTom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish
- 4.0Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 2.5Value
- 4.0Scenery
- 4.0Facilities
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Must play
Hualalai Golf Club
Kailua-Kona, HI, USA
Slope rating 131, 73.7 course rating, Mahope tees, 7,117 yds
Waikoloa Beach Resort Golf
Waikoloa, HI, USA
Slope rating 130, 72.7 course rating, Championship tees, 6,566 yds
(South) Mauna Lani Resort Golf
Kohala Coast, HI, USA
Slope rating 127, 73.3 course rating, Championship tees, 6,924 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Kohala Coast, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Kohala Coast, Hawaii at Slope 144 (76.6 course rating · Championship tees · 7,370 yds). 8 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Kohala Coast, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of Kohala Coast, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:53 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
