More Accolades for Kauai Golf Courses

Apr 12, 2011

Three Kauai golf resorts recently scored a hole-in-one with discriminating magazine readers.

Two of the properties — Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa and Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach — earned best-of distinction in “Conde Nast Traveler’s” new readers’ poll of Top Golf Resorts. The polls are based on the evaluations of thousands of subscribers. They take many factors into consideration, including course design, speed of play, accommodations, service and food.

The pair of Kauai resorts that earned reader praise have recently gone through major improvements. Grand Hyatt Kauai just completed a thorough guestroom refurbishment while its golf course, Poipu Bay, has debuted new greens to rave reviews. Kauai Marriott is fresh from a $50 million resort renovation and, in May 2011, its Kauai Lagoons Golf Club will unveil a newly renovated Kiele Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Meanwhile, the Prince Course at Princeville Resort joined the Kauai Lagoons and Poipu Bay courses on “Golfweek’s” 2011 list of Best Courses You Can Play in Hawaii. Only 15 of the nearly 100 courses in golf-rich Hawaii were cited for this honor. The Prince Course remained second in the state, while Kauai Lagoons landed in sixth place and Poipu Bay was seventh.

The Prince Course, located on Kauai’s north shore, is currently closed for upgrades. The firm of designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. is overseeing the project, which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2010. In addition to a complete bunker renovation, the course will also install eco-friendly seashore paspalum turf on its greens, level the tees, improve drainage and install a state-of-the-art irrigation system.

“Having Kauai’s golf resorts voted among the best in the world is a great honor,” said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau. “We hope these great poll results influence visitors to experience our luxurious resorts.”

In other golf news from Kauai, Puakea Golf Club’s annual Kids Play Free campaign begins on June 1 and runs through Sept. 30. The promotion allows junior golfers ages 7-17 to play the course for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

“This is a way for Puakea to support the growth of the game,” said Puakea general manager Dave Werner. “We offer this program every summer to encourage families to introduce their children to the game and get out and enjoy a healthy activity together.”