Puakea is located next to Kukui Grove Shopping Center on Kauai. It is a real joy to play, and best summarized as, “Good course. Great value.”
I’ve played it numerous times over the years, and finally got my act together to take photos to post along with a description.
The course was designed by Robin Nelson. The front nine was build pre-Hurricane Iniki, and the back nine was completed in 2003. The front nine winds around the Costco on Kauai, and has a few holes lined by residential. The back nine is much more secluded, winding along heavily forested ridges. A strong defense is the daily 20 mph+ trade winds.
Most of the holes are well laid out with strategic choices on how to play them. The course plays 6471 yds from the blue tees (71.0 / 129). It plays 5225 from the forward tees and plays fairly from that distance. The course plays firm from the fairways.
Puakea is an interesting contrast to the big resort courses of Kauai, primarily designed by RTJ II. Puakea is a wonderful value with a greens fee of $65, which includes cast. Juniors are FREE. And I have never experienced a round over 4.5 hours. (Quite a contrast to typical resort golf.) I love to walk, and, unfortunately, the course does not allow walking, nor is the layout really walkable.
A hole by hole description follows:
As you can see, the money was not spent on the clubhouse and pro shop.
#1, 390 yds (all distances from the blue tees) par 4
Water runs down the right side and crosses the fairway about 20 yds in front of the green. Drive down the right, avoid the stream, and be rewarded with a short approach down the full length of the green. Put your drive safely left, and be forced to fly your approach over the stream to a shallow green from that angle.
#2, 530 yds par 5
A straightaway par 5 with the wind at your back, and a great chance to run over to Costco to grab a $1.50 hot dog and drink. Although out of bounds is on both sides, it is generally set back far enough to be out of play. While the hole plays short being downwind, the green is well defended and slope from front to back, making it a challenge to hold.
#3, 367 yds par 4
A mid iron is all you need off of the tee. Send it out left short of the water to leave a short iron approach along the length of the green.
#4 149 yd par 3
This hole doesn’t look like much from the card or from the tee, until you notice that it plays straight in to the prevailing wind. Today it was a 2 club + wind. Thin is always a very good miss!
#5 342 yd par 4
This hole is similar to #3, wit water in play down the entire left side of the fairway. The typical maintenance practice has fairway or light rough as the surround for the hazard, making it likely that an offline shot can roll into the hazard.
#6 176 yd par 3
The sixth is a 35 ft drop shot, and unfortunately I was too occupied with club selection accounting for the elevation and left to right wind to remember to snap a photo.
Plays about 150 yards.
Finally, photos added of the drop shot par 3 #6
#7 364 yd par 4
The tee shot on #7 is a forced carry of 150 yds over a ravine, again back into the prevailing wind. A generous landing area and a relatively easy par after a good drive.
#8 489 yd par 5
A slight dogleg right, with bunkers set along the inside of the dogleg at about 200 – 220 yds off the tee. Plenty of room on the outside of the dogleg if the driver isn’t working too well. Look closely, and you’ll see a ball in the second photo sitting for a tap in par!
#9 410 yd par 4
A slight dogleg left par 4 and the #1 handicap hole. A cross bunker guards the left side of the fairway at about 220 yds. Fly it and have a mid iron approach to a front to back green. Again, plenty of room right, but you’ll be left with a 200 yd approach. Go left, and you’ve bought a windshield.
#10 363 yd par 4
The back nine is the newer nine, completed in 2003. It is decidedly more isolated, and runs along forested ridgelines. The tenth has water right, but plenty of room straight and left to a punchbowl green.
#11 528 yd par 5
The second shot makes this hole. A straightaway par 5 to green elevated about 20 ft above the fairway. A split fairway starts at about 100 yds out from the green, presenting a choice on the second shot. Go to the left fairway, which is elevated and green height, and be rewarded with a level approach up the fat part of the green. Miss and be caught in a ditch separating the fairways. Stay right, and have a short iron approach to a shallow green that is perched 20 ft above your ball.
#12 356 yd par 4
The second split fairway. The straight line to the hole is down the right fairway, which brings the water into play and leaves a tough angle to the green. Go left to a fairway about 10 ft above the tee box and you are left with a mid iron up the length of the green.
#13 200 yd par 3
A relatively easy hole if you are long and straight!
#14 369 yd par 4
A fun driving hole, with the prevailing wind at your back and a turbo boast at about 250 yds. Catch that and you’re left with a short approach to a green pushed up from the depression that created the turbo boost. The views aren’t bad either.
#15 403 yd par 4
This hole plays long, with a ravine along the entire left edge of the fairway and green. Plenty of room to the right. And, thankfully, for those of us that do go left, the ravine edge is marked with red stakes.
#16 120 yd par 3
A tiny green perched on the edge of the ravine. About a ¾ wedge with the wind at your back.
#17 420 yd par 4
The number 2 handicap hole, this is a 45 degree dogleg left. The inside of the dogleg is guarded by the forested ravine at about 180n – 200 yds, close enough to really dare you to cut the corner. Do so and be rewarded with a short iron to a front to back sloping green. Play it safe off of the tee, and flirt with bunkers and mounds in the right rough, and a long approach.
A strong hole, and where my 12 yr old closed my out!
#18 495 yd par 5
A straightaway par 5 with a large green. If the match hasn’t been closed out before the 18th tee, I doubt it will be settled here. Not much trouble and a large green make the finisher a rather easy par.
For the few that have read this far, I thank you.