One Of The Most Unique Rounds In Hawaii

Steam rises from Kilauea Volcano, just a few miles from Volcano Golf Course on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Matty Lee, Volcano Golf Course

For travelers willing to venture beyond the familiar resort corridors on the Big Island of Hawaii, Volcano Golf Course offers a truly memorable detour and golf experience.

Located about 4,000 feet above sea level in the cool uplands of Volcano Village – several hours from resorts like Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea on the sunny Kohala Coast — the more-than-100-year-old course sits across the street from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and just a few miles from the active Kīlauea volcano. With sweeping mountain views and a setting shaped by volcanic terrain and rainforest, Volcano delivers a side of Hawaiian golf that feels unpolished, far removed from lush resort fare, and deeply connected to its surroundings.

The setting alone makes Volcano Golf Course quite possibly the most unique golf facility in the Hawaiian Islands. Few courses anywhere can claim proximity to one of the planet’s most active volcanoes, and even fewer allow golfers to play a round in the cooler mountain air before getting a chance to witness glowing lava flows after dark.

While Volcano Golf Course isn’t affiliated with a resort, it now offers a special stay-and-play opportunity through a partnership with nearby Kīlauea Lodge & Restaurant, a cozy inn nestled in the heart of Volcano Village less than five miles down the road. The Kīlauea Stay & Play Package combines three nights at the lodge with two rounds of golf, carts, range balls and even a full-size rental car, creating an easy and immersive way to experience this special part of the island.

Tucked into rainforest surrounds, the lodge mirrors the spirit of the course — intimate, warm, historic, and deeply local. There are guest rooms with stained glass windows, fireplaces and local artwork, along with an award-winning restaurant. The property is a perfect jumping-off spot for trips to Volcanoes National Park, which not only has a spectacularly active summit caldera – the Halema’uma’u crater – but more than 150 miles of hiking trails, lava tubes, steam vents and dramatic volcanic rock landscapes.

It’s possible to see steam rising from the volcano on certain parts of the nearby golf course. And with its brisk breezes, cooler temperatures, occasional misty conditions and cloudy skies, and turf that’s more seasonal than always a lush green, Volcano Golf Course at times can feel less like Hawaii and more like a rustic linksland in Ireland.

The conditions even tend toward fast and firm, rewarding creativity on what is an immensely fun layout. There’s no luxurious clubhouse, no greens on the ocean, no overdone landscaping, and really no intent to be anything other than it is — a pure golf experience in a unique setting.

The wide fairways are framed by dense vegetation and native ‘ōhi‘a trees bloom with bright red blossoms. The Nēnē goose, Hawaii’s state bird, is a frequent companion for local and adventurously itinerant golfers alike.

For a time, Volcano’s future was uncertain.

The course was closed in 2020 when the then-operator abruptly ceased operations. Kamehameha Schools, which owns the 156-acre parcel of land the golf course is on, would later step in to regain control of the facility and reopened it in 2022 after two years of dormancy.

Troon’s Indigo Sports arm was brought in to manage day-to-day operations and the course today continues to only get better as it embraces its unique place in not only the Hawaii golf environs but even more broadly. Matty Lee was recently appointed as the property’s head professional and is excited about the opportunity at Volcano, including plans for a new, permanent clubhouse.

Part of the commitment for Volcano, which is a 45-minute drive from Hilo and about two hours from Kona, is a stewardship, and responsibility to care for, the local environment. The unique setting is the biggest reason Volcano Golf Course stands out from the dozens of other Hawaii courses.

In a state known for tourism and escapist luxury, Volcano is authentic and pure – a golf experience set in one of the most dramatic natural environments in the game.