
Beautiful natural views and service excellence combine to make Kauai Lagoons one of the Top 50 golf resorts in Golf World’s Readers’ Choice Awards for the second straight year. Its Nicklaus-designed championship 18-hole layout winds you through mango and guava forests, down to the ocean’s edge, and culminates at the island-green 18th that Nicklaus himself aptly named the “Golden Bear.” All of this is set within a relaxed and inviting atmosphere that epitomizes the Hawaiian resort golf experience.
To accommodate planned future renovation Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, originally a 36-hole golf facility, currently offers 18 holes golf. Included are 12 former Kiele holes, including the front 9 in its entirety, the signature 16th that is lined along the entire left side by the Pacific Ocean (some say the biggest water hazard in the world) and holes 17 and 18 which have greens set within a 40 acre manmade lagoon complex. The green on the par three 17th sits on a peninsula jutting into the lagoon and the par 4 18th features an island green guarded by water on all sides. Six of the best former Mokihana holes round out the 18.
The signature hole at Kauai Lagoons Golf Club is the 16th, a shortish par 4 measuring just 330 yards from the back tees. The Pacific Ocean borders the left side of the fairway, which slopes downhill and usually downwind. The green is protected by a little inlet front left and sits just steps from crashing waves and natural tide pools. Golfers with strong nerves can consider driving the green, but if the ball doesn’t hold the turf, it’s likely to be sitting at the bottom of the Pacific. A small lighthouse perched near the green guides ships into the mouth of the harbor, and the spectacular panoramas from this hole include a view of Kalapaki Bay which fronts the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club and the unspoiled Kalanipuu mountains.
| Tee | Par | Yardage | Slope | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 72 | 7105 | 130 | 74 |
| Red (W) | 72 | 5552 | 119 | 71.1 |
| Blue | 72 | 6707 | 129 | 72.2 |
| White | 72 | 6271 | 124 | 70.1 |
| White (W) | 72 | 6271 | 128 | 75.1 |
| Red | 72 | 5552 | 117 | 66.9 |