In Hualalai, golf defines one of Hawaii’s premier resort communities

Spread across nearly 1,000 acres at the base of Mount Hualalai on the Big Island, golf is at the heart of a spectacular oceanfront property that connects a luxurious Four Seasons resort, a prestigious private club and one of the most coveted residential enclaves in the Hawaiian Islands.

Hualalai has a setting that is simply unforgettable. After driving from the airport outside Kona through a seemingly inhospitable lava landscape, rugged rock gives way to one of the most dramatic landscapes on the Kohala Coast. Inspired by coastal villages of historic Hawaii, the low-rise architecture of the Four seasons along the Pacific Ocean is surrounded by an intimate community of custom homes, villas and residential locations where prices for oceanfront estates can reach into the eight figures.

The images are striking, a contrast of black lava, lush greenery and deep blue ocean. It’s not hard to see why the senior tour’s top professionals return to Hualalai every January, why the resort is often booked out by guests during peak season, why residents “buy up” the area when they are able to do so, and why some aspiring homeowners will jump on a property sight unseen when the opportunity presents itself.

Hualalai has one of the most picturesque spots on what is perhaps the most beautiful stretch of coastline in all of Hawaii.

With two 18-hole courses – one for resort play and the other for members – Hualalai Golf Course rivals any other on the islands.

The Resort Course

The eponymous Hualālai course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, has been the stage for the PGA Tour Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Championship since 1997.

The route winds through ancient lava fields, with gaps framed by rugged black rocks, pockets of kiawe trees and coconut palms, and offers stunning ocean views. The course benefits from a salt-tolerant grass – Paspalum – which thrives in tropical conditions and allows golf balls to sit neatly upright – providing a consistent ‘perfect lie’ feeling – rather than settling into Bermuda grass.

Game corridors are pinched in places by lava outcroppings, forcing players to think strategically – play more conservatively or take more challenging (and potentially dangerous) lines. The design remains inviting, as a great resort course should be, with contours that can kick or direct slightly errant shots back to safety. And while the jagged lava rocks are unforgiving to wayward golf balls, friendly rebounds on the fairway are more common than you might expect.

Variety and creativity are reflected in the routing. There are risk-rewarding, potentially driveable short par 4s and picturesque par 3s, including the twelfth, which has a bunker in the center of the green along the lines of the famous sixth hole at Riviera Country Club. The final stretch at Hualalai is highlighted by the signature par-3 17th, the only one located directly on the water. The 17^e is one of Hawaii’s most photogenic holes, with a green spot against a wall of lava and the Pacific Ocean just beyond.

Get it from Gol Hop Hall

Part of the resort’s recent renovation included the addition of the Hualalai Golf Hale, a 9,000-square-foot state-of-the-art teaching and fitting center with a 3.5-acre driving range, short-game area and putting green.

Equipped with Trackman technology and indoor-outdoor hitting lanes, the facility supports private lessons, group clinics and family programs, allowing both members and guests to strive to improve and deepen their relationship with the game, whether they are serious players or newcomers.

The entire golf experience is unmistakably Four Seasons: impeccable conditions, first-class service and thoughtful touches, including food and beverage service at the practice facility and on the course.

Ke’olu: the private side

The members-only Ke’olu course in Hualalai is a more remote and perhaps even more serene counterpart.

Designed by the late Tom Weiskopf, Ke’olu sits on higher ground and rolls over undulating terrain with more than 200 feet of elevation gain and long, panoramic views back to the water.

Weiskopf fully embraced the volcanic landscape, cutting holes through corridors of lava, native grasses and sandy waste areas and integrating natural features such as lava tubes, blisters, caves and arches. Although it lacks the postcard oceanfront of its resort course counterpart, Ke’olu is a gem in its own right, a course defined by the movement of the land, the wind and the wide-open ocean views.

Access to Ke’olu, along with the resort, Golf Hale, tennis, spa, Hualalai’s Canoe Club and other amenities, comes through membership in the Hualalai Club, which is available exclusively to property owners and also unlocks full privileges at the adjacent Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

Beyond the fairways

Golf may be the cornerstone of Hualalai, but it’s the broader resort experience that makes for an unparalleled stay.

The Four Seasons Resort Hualālai consistently ranks among the top luxury resorts in the world, with newly updated rooms and suites, an abundance of oceanfront dining options and a constellation of eight pools, including a saltwater lagoon where guests can swim and snorkel alongside tropical fish and an eagle ray.

Restaurants such as ‘Ulu and Beach Tree showcase local seafood and island-inspired dishes, while the newer NOIO sushi lounge adds a more contemporary touch. For club members and residents, the Residents’ Beach House, located next to the eighteenth hole of the Nicklaus Course, offers casual lānai dining, sunset views and a relaxing atmosphere that is signature to the Kohala Coast.

Hualalai Life

An intimate residential community sets Hualalai apart from many luxury properties on the Big Island, with ownership delivering club privileges and a lifestyle focused on resort living, ocean activities and golf.

Inventory can be extremely scarce. When properties do sell, they do so at the top of the Hawaiian luxury spectrum. In recent years, four-bedroom condos have shown prices north of $8 million, smaller two-bedroom townhouses around $3 million, and single-family homes often around $8 million, with prime estates and ocean view lots stretching well above $20 million.

Custom homes of 6,000 square feet or more, especially those overlooking scenic holes, have set sales price records, and new lots—often with elevated sight lines to the ocean—sell out in days, often well above asking price. A notable portion of buyers are repeat owners, choosing to trade within the community rather than look elsewhere – including actor Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) – a powerful backer in the global luxury market.

About a third of the homes participate in the Four Seasons rental program, giving Big Island travelers another way to experience much of what Hualalai has to offer.

And with its contrasting yet complementary courses – not to mention the barefoot luxury – golf is undoubtedly a fundamental part of Hualalai’s ethos and an important part of what a modern lifestyle golf resort community can be.