Oahu is golf country, with 5 municipal, 9 military, and 20 private courses to choose from. The courses range from 9-hole public ones, perfect for beginners, to championship links that stump even the pros.

  • Ko Olina Golf Club: Golf Digest named this beautiful 6,867-yard, par-72 course one of "America's Top 75 Resort Courses" when it opened in 1992. The rolling fairways and elevated tees — and a few too many water features (always where you don't want them) — will definitely improve your game or humble your attitude.
  • Turtle Bay Resort: Of the two courses to choose from here, we recommend the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Course (formerly the Links at Kuilima), designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay. They never meant for golfers to get off too easy — this is a challenging course. The front 9 holes, with rolling terrain, only a few trees, and lots of wind, play like a course on the British Isles. The back 9 holes have narrower, tree-lined fairways and water. In addition to ocean views, the course circles Punahoolapa Marsh, a protected wetland for endangered Hawaiian waterfowl.
  • Pearl Country Club: This deceptively straightforward-looking public course not only offers up splendid views of Pearl Harbor, but it will start messing with your confidence—in a good way—after hole 5. It's wildly popular with locals, so book well-ahead or during the week (not the weekend) to get a tee time.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.