Featured Golf Trip: Hualalai

We’re going to stay in Hawaii this week and get into a paradise awaiting on the big island.

That’s where you’ll find ​Four Seasons: Hualalai​, an oceanfront resort that is sort of the platonic ideal of a feet-up Hawaiian getaway.

The golf is resort-style, but from all reports, a quite good version of it. It’s a Jack Nicklaus design that ​weaves through​ the lava fields, creating a stunning contrast of lush green against the jagged black rock. The water is prevalent and features nicely, particularly within the closing stretch. Haulalai is not a grind, to be certain, but there’s enough intrigue to keep you engaged in the golf while you otherwise OD on crashing waves and views way out into the Pacific.

It’s open only to resort guests—prepare your pocketbooks accordingly. But if you can stomach the hefty price tag, you’re in for the pampered existence that comes with a five-star resort—the excellent food and drink, the massive spa, the tailored experiences, the plethora of pools, the service, the serenity.

And if you’d like to lean into the golf a bit more, you’re not far from another stunner. Less than a half-hour away sits ​Mauna Kea​, a higher-ranked golf course that does not require a stay on property.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., Mauna Kea sits 42nd on our ​composite list of the top 100 U.S. public courses​ across Golf Digest, GOLF mag, and Golfweek—whereas Hualalai is currently ranked only by the latter publication. (​Nanea​—the super-exclusive David McLay Kidd design largely considered the state’s best—is also in the area. But don’t hold your breath for a tee time.)

Hualalai, of course, is about more than the golf. There are more architecturally interesting courses in Hawaii. There may not be a more enjoyable place to wake up for a week.