Poipu Bay Golf Course

Wife and I are back in HI for our 50th high school reunion on Oahu. Prefer Kauai so spending several weeks here prior to.

I almost expect higher end courses to exhibit "Bank President for a Day" syndrome among the staff, especially in the clubhouse. Not da kine at Poipu, the staff made all of the difference in an enjoyable round of golf. From check in, to starter, to driving range, to departure, every single person made us feel like we were the only customers on their agenda for the day. Cannot say enough about how engaged, professional, and FRIENDLY everyone was.
Even when walking to our car after the round, the starter caught us in the parking lot again thanking us for the business and other pleasantries. Countless other golf courses could take a lesson from Poipu.

Course was in immaculate shape, some tee boxes a tad sparce and a bit of brown in the fairway, but it is that time of year. Our only wish would be that the greens were not so slow. Great shape but very slow,, difficult to read breaks and distance.

Mostly wide open fairways, well placed bunkers, marvelous scenery on 16 - 18. Bring a camera. Long hitters can score on this course.

The only negative was a snotty groundskeeper on one hole. He was cutting the fringe of the green. Did not stop mowing while we made our approach shots, distraction. My ball ended up about 10 yards from his mower, he left the darn thing sit and run all the while I am making my shot (I duffed it of course), made absolutely no effort to move away from the green, shut down the mower, etc. while we were putting. And, no eye contact.
Paying almost $600 for a round of golf (2 people, plus premium rental clubs, plus odds and ends in the clubhouse), this should never happen. Growing up on Oahu as a Haole kid, I am used to sometimes being disliked by local guys. But, leave it at home and don't bring it to work. Your people were also immigrants.

In spite of one knucklehead, Poipu the course is Primo, Poipu Staff are Super Primo and set this course apart from its peers.

Will be back as often as possible.

Good layout and friendly staff. Greens were recently airated and difficult to putt.

A round at Poipu Bay involves navigating the 15-20 mph trade winds, that gusted to 25 mph today. Choosing the right club (today was a two-club wind, at times three) and correct shot will determine how well you fare on the scorecard.

Most holes play either directly into or downwind. There are not many crosswind shots, so pay attention to how far shots are going compared to normal early in the round, because the course gets tougher and tougher building toward the back nine and closing holes. Leave your ego on the range and get ready to hit a 5-iron 165 yards on the button (normally a 190-195 club for me) into the wind and still come up five yards short.

Pars are good scores, and you will have to work for them.

The collection of par 3s were very good, with only the third hole being a weaker link, although it is the only one that plays into the wind. The other three were varied in length, making for a good variety.

The paspalum greens were very hearty and putted like grainy Bermuda. Bunkers were thinner and composed of tightly-compacted sand.

Practice area was top-notch and pro shop was more than amply stocked.

In summary, Poipu Bay is marked by the closing stretch of holes on the ocean (Nos. 15-17), but scores will tend to be a bit higher here due to the severity of the wind.

Yes it is not cheap to play here but the experience is well worth it. From the curb side service, to the personalized bag tag to practice tee attendant to the guy who cleans your clubs it was outstanding. The course is so beautiful it is almost distracting. If you want to play the same course that the major champions play, book it during your stay on Kauai you won't regret it.

I have played this course several times. It is super fun when the wind is not blowing. (Which is almost never.)
A must golf if you flew to the island. I still think they should lower the prices and fill the course up so the staff would be busy but I am not a business owner. Last 4 holes are legendary.

I won’t be able to comment the greens because they had been spiked and covered with sand two days before our round. The 30$ discount for that was nice, but honestly it should be more than that to play that kind of conditions. A good layout but it doesn’t stand the comparison with many mainland courses that I’ve played. Sure, the scenery is spectacular, but some holes are quite ordinary. Par 3 third and eleventh come to mind. Still a very good course but for that price you expect a five stars course. It’s a four star for me.

We have played about twenty courses in Hawaii, and this was among the best. In terms of play the most enjoyable from the tees suitable to our games. Some holes were unreachable for us in regulation, but very reachable plus one with the not unrealistic hope of a one putt.
We played with another couple in less than four hours.

I had a great time playing this course. The location is great and the views are incredible. I had an easier time on the front nine than the back but the views on the back nine were stunning. The conditions were great when I played! The staff was great during the check in process and I really enjoyed the pro shop as well!

Staff was great. Although windy, the course was very playable, but challenging. Beautiful ocean holes. One of my favorite of 16 courses played in Hawaii

We played this course twice because the second time it was $145.00 per person. The greens were beautiful and ran about at a nine to ten. The staff, especially Marsha, were fun and helpful!! It has great ocean views as two or three holes are right along the cliff lines. I’d definitely recommend this course to friends.

Exquisitely groomed and friendly. This is designed to fit the bill for a championship course, as well as a resort ,course. They do it about as well as anyone. Coupled with the spectacular scenery, what’s not to like?

One of the most enjoyable rounds of golf. Excellent layout, great service, perfect location. Can’t imagine a nicer place to play a round of golf. A little steep price, however when in Kauai you probably should try to play.

Hands down the most beautiful course I have ever played. I found the course challenging yet fair with almost perfect greens that putted true and at a reasonable speed (not ridiculously fast or public course slow). I have always loved playing RTJ and RTJJr courses because they make you think. This is no exception as they have both mastered the art of illusion drawing your eye to the place where your not suppose to hit the ball to. Well worth the price. I'll return no doubt about it.

It was a very beautiful course. The green is very well maintained, fast and challenging. The strong wind from the sea matter a lot for your record card, and need one to manage smartly. I am happy to have a chance to play here:)

My father and I played this course while on vacation. There happened to be 40-50mph winds that day but we were going to play no matter the weather as we'll probably never get back to Hawaii, and we're very glad we did. There had been tons of rain in the week leading up to us playing and even a downpour as we were arriving but the course was in outstanding shape. The greens were absolutely immaculate. Three of the last four holes are unreal, right along the ocean for that stretch. If you're going to golf while in Hawaii that's what you hope for. The staff was also very friendly and accommodating. We got a nice little swag bag with a towel, ball mark and repair tool as they were celebrating 25 years. I'd recommend this course to anyone looking to play on kauai.

I've played here for years but found on this trip they've decided to close the kitchen and sell out of a refrigerator. No breakfast, no lunch, nothing but ready made sandwiches from the refrigerated display case. No mixed drinks, just canned beer when you finish your round. No Beverage cart either, they cut that out as well I guess to save money. Feels like they removed part of the courses "soul". It's a bit isolated so there aren't other choices. Too bad, now it feels like an upscale muni. People were absolutely great !

Very well maintained from the smooth, nearly blemish-free fairways to true rolling greens and top-notch practice facilities, this course is well worth your time and money. The course is a fairly forgiving resort course with wide fairways, non-punitive rough, some spectacular views, attractive design and appealing landscaping. When we played, the greens were recovering from aeration, but were very smooth and consistent--just a little slow. I would anticipate in a few weeks that they would be mowed shorter and rolled firmer to give them a little more speed and challenge. I would like to try the course again with those green conditions. All of the staff was friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this course to low and high handicaps.

after hearing all the hype I was somewhat disappointed. Course charges a premium for fees, but really isn't the same as some of the other "top-tier courses." Definitely fits in the "resort" category. Fairways are wide, and well maintained. Course is NOT one to eat a dozen balls. Greens are smooth and relatively fast, but not so fast as to not be fun. If you are expecting a layout that is entirely on the coast look elsewhere. Only the final few holes really front the ocean. The staff are very friendly, not the least bit pretentious. Carts come with GPS. One caution-though they bill it as a "restaurant" all they really have is a snack bar. And like so many places on the island, no draft beer. Overall a nice day, nice experience, but not something I would put on my "bucket list."

This course hosted the Grand Slam of Golf for several years, and it is a lot of fun to walk the same fairways as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Greg Norman, Jim Furyk, Mike Weir, and others. It's even more fun to go into the locker room and see their plaques. The course itself is not long, but most holes require some tactical thought to score well. Course maintenance is wonderful. The staff is overly friendly, and the golf shop is probably the best-stocked golf shop I have been in.