Princeville Makai Golf Club
Makai Golf Club is an 18-hole championship course on Kauai's north shore, featuring dramatic ocean views and unique experiences like sunrise yoga and sunset cart tours. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., it offers a challenging yet scenic round for avid golfers.
- Ocean-side holes with panoramic views of Hanalei Bay
- Sunrise Yoga classes on the par-3 7th tee box
- Sunset Cart Tour with guided scenic experience
- GPS-equipped golf carts with coolers
Princeville Makai Golf Club is one of Kauaʻi’s signature North Shore golf outings: a polished 18-hole resort course in Princeville, set above dramatic coastal bluffs with mountain and ocean views folded into nearly every hole. It stands out because it is more than a golf round. Makai also works well as a half-day anchor for travelers who want something scenic and structured in Princeville, with enough on-site variety to suit golfers, nongolfers, and mixed-interest groups.
The course and its signature setting
Makai’s reputation rests on its setting. Six oceanfront holes bring constant big-sky views, and the famous par-3 seventh is the kind of hole that makes the round feel distinctly Kauaʻi rather than generically tropical. The layout was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and has the scale and polish expected of a high-end resort course, including cart golf with GPS and a pace that typically runs closer to a full half-day than a quick nine.
The course also has a reputation for strong conditioning and a scenic finish, which matters here: this is as much about the visual rhythm of the round as the scorecard. Even for less competitive players, the dramatic terrain and cliffside holes are a major part of the appeal.
More than golf: yoga, disc golf, and sunset carts
Makai is especially useful if not everyone in the group wants to play 18. The property also offers guided sunset cart tours, sunrise yoga on the seventh tee area, and an 18-hole Mauka Disc Golf Course that uses woodland terrain on the former Woods nine. That makes it a flexible stop for families, couples, and groups balancing different energy levels.
The sunset cart tour is the standout non-golf option: it turns the scenery into the main event and adds local context through the landscape itself. Sunrise yoga is a calmer way to use the setting, while the disc golf course gives the property a more casual, outdoorsy second life beyond traditional golf.
Planning it into a Princeville day
This fits best as a North Shore itinerary block, especially if you are already staying in Princeville or nearby Hanalei. A full round will eat most of the morning or early afternoon, so it works well when paired with a relaxed lunch, beach time, or a low-key dinner later on. The on-site Makai Grill and practice facilities make it easy to keep the day centered here rather than treating the course as a quick stop.
Reservations are important, and golfers should be ready for a premium resort experience rather than a bargain round. The North Shore weather can also be less predictable than the South Shore, so brief showers are part of the equation, and cart-path restrictions can follow heavier rain.
Best fit, and who may want something else
Makai is ideal for golfers who want a memorable, scenic round and don’t mind paying for the setting. It also suits couples and mixed groups thanks to the tour and yoga options. Travelers mainly chasing value, speed, or the driest possible conditions may prefer another Kauaʻi course, especially if the goal is simply to get 18 holes in with minimal fuss.
