Princeville (Prince) - Closed - Hawaii - USA

Princeville at Hanalei,
5520 Ka Haku Road,
Princeville,
Kauai,
Hawaii (HI) 96722-3069,
USA

  • +1 808 826 5000

Hawaii Best In State Golf Courses

The Prince Course forms part of the Princeville Resort and it’s located at Hanalei on Kauai, one of the larger Hawaiian Islands. In 1971, Robert Trent Jones II fashioned his inaugural design at the resort (called the Makai course). The Prince layout opened twenty years later in 1991 (named after Prince Albert, the only son of King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma) and Robert Trent Jones the Younger was again the chosen architect.

With spectacular Pacific Ocean views and the backdrop of majestic mountains, this is not only a beautiful location that will stimulate the senses, but also an exciting, strategic and challenging course designed to test the best. From the tips, the Prince stretches out beyond 7,300 yards and the slope rating of 140 gives an indication as to the level of difficulty.

The 7th hole is a Hawaiian version of the famous 16th at Cypress Point. This long par three is tough; especially into the teeth of the Pacific winds and the long carry – across a deep ravine – will test the mettle of even the best golfer. The 13th is a demanding par four which has literally been cut through a jungle. You’ll immediately need to decide whether or not to take on the stream that splits the fairway at approximately 200 yards from the tee. Whatever happens, your approach shot is one of the prettiest in golf with the green wrapped by a stream with a waterfall cascading behind.

Robert Trent Jones Jnr claimed the 15th “may be the finest par five I’ve ever built”. Often these comments tend to be mere hyperbole, but this hole deserves the acclaim. Stuffed full of risk-and-reward opportunities, surrounded by ravines and set in absolute beauty. This hole is the perfect example as to why the Prince is such a memorable course.

The Prince course closed in 2017 and it's still not clear what the future may hold for the course that once topped the Hawaiian rankings. Let's hope it survives.
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Reviews for Princeville (Prince) - Closed

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Description: The Prince course at Princeville is set on a huge 390-acre parcel of land which is elevated on a tropical basin featuring waterfalls, ravines and streams. It's an exciting and stimulating course, which sadly closed in 2017. Rating: 7.5 out of 10 Reviews: 4
TaylorMade
Larry Berle
The Princeville Resort was luxurious and the golf course was like walking through a painting of a rain forest, with an emerald path cut down the center. It climbs, slopes, and careens up and down hills. The fairways looked generous, until the wind got hold of a stray shot and suddenly they seemed as narrow as bowling alleys. The trade winds blow constantly. The course is named for Prince Albert, son of King Kamehameha IV, former king of Hawaii.

Four holes were particularly memorable. Number 1 is in Golf Digest’s Top 10 starting holes and may be the toughest opening hole I have ever played. Not a very friendly welcome to the course – but it just kept getting better. Number 7 is a par 3 sitting right on a 300-foot cliff over the Pacific Ocean and one of the windiest places I ever have tried to hit a golf ball. Number 12 tees off from a cliff a hundred feet above the fairway. You stand above the treetops, with rain forest on three sides of you and a lush green strip of fairway in front of you. A well-struck tee shot has a hang time that any NFL punter would die for. Number 13 has the opposite effect. At the end of this par 5, you face a green cut into an amphitheatre with a 180-degree, 75-foot-high wall of rain forest surrounding you. At the back is a waterfall pouring into a small creek. Simply breathtaking! Larry Berle.
October 11, 2014
6 / 10
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Keith Baxter
October 11, 2014
The above review is an edited extract from A Golfer’s Dream, which has been reproduced with the author’s kind permission. A Golfer’s Dream, by Larry Berle, tells the story of how a regular guy conquered America’s Top 100 Golf Courses (following Golf Digest’s 2001/2002 list). Larry has exclusively rated for us every course in the hundred, using our golf ball rating system. However, Larry did not rate the 100 courses against every golf course he has played, but instead he rated them in relation to each other within the hundred. Consequently, in some cases, his rating may seem rather low. A Golfer’s Dream is available in Kindle format and also on Kindle Unlimited via Amazon... click the link for more. 
Max Monroe
How much did the resort pay to get on this list? There isn't one hole on the course that is to die for. It's a nice resort course with some scenery and that is it. A lot of average holes compared to other courses on this Top 100 list. Before anyone replies with hate mail there are about three good holes, the par three on the front with an ocean view, the down hill par 4 with the peninsula green on the front and I am sure there is another I forgot as the course is so memorable. Played it twice on two separate occasions and still can't recall the holes, but I can remember all the holes from Kauai Lagoons.
October 27, 2011
6 / 10
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JAS
February 07, 2012
First of all... a) how many balls did you lose b) were the trades blowing c) did the chickens steal food from your cart on 12... Of the course itself, where else have you played with a more varied and dramatic set of par 5's 2,5,10 & 15. Of the par 4's the 1st is a crackingly tough opener, 6 has the views and 12 & 13 are terrific holes. Each to their own I suppose but Trent Jones himself considers it amongst his finest work particularly the 15th. I consider the 10th to be one of the best risk/reward holes I've ever played
John McPheson
An amazing course cut out of the jungle. They say if you break 100 and lose less than 10 balls you did well. Even though its tough is a must play.
May 03, 2007
8 / 10
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JAS964
First of all the site description of this course is incorrect. The Ocean, Lakes & Woods loops of 9 form the Makai Course in Princeville itself. The Prince, to the best of my knowledge has always been an 18 hole layout a couple of miles further East from Princeville itself. To the course, I played it late December 06 off the Blue tees - 2nd back - and as a 12 handicapper I was very proud to only lose 1 ball (a thinned approach into jungle at the 1st). We were very lucky that the trades were not blowing. Quite a few holes live in the memory, some for scenery, some for challenge. There isn't really a weak hole. 1 & 2 are very tough openers, 6 & 7 are very scenic, It has to be said 8 & 9 have been ruined somewhat by the building now going on. The question mark shaped 10 is one of my favourite holes anywhere. If you hit a good drive you have 3 options.. RISK REWARD, risk reward or play safe. 12 thru 15 is an absolutely fantastic, scenic & challenging set of holes. Normally the last 3 holes are extremely tough due to the prevailing winds but to play them when the Kona winds are blowing is much easier. All in all a great experience which only Turnberry Ailsa has surpassed to date.
January 13, 2007
10 / 10
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Keith Baxter
April 25, 2007
Thank you for pointing out the error in the course description, which we have now corrected.