Sunrise, sunset, or anytime between, The Garden Isle is pure Hawai’i

Sunrise or sunset. Which do you prefer? On the Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i, each can bring an unforgettable kaleidoscope of colors. So much so that there are even official cart tours to enjoy both during a golf trip to the Garden Island.

CATCHING A SUNRISE

Early risers can head to The Ocean Course at Hōkūala, where a weekly, two-hour Sunrise Tour includes a cart, a stop to walk through a local farm and mango grove, a storytelling guide and plenty of mesmerizing views, especially at daybreak. “It will not only set your trip up for success, but it will make every sunrise that you see from that point on special,” said Tom Freestone, PGA director of operations. Come for the course, too, especially the back nine.

That’s where Nos. 11, 12 and 13 run parallel to the main runway at Lihue Airport; you’ll be close enough to exchange waves with incoming passengers. The 14th is as stunning a par 3 as you will find in Hawai‘i: all carry over water to a green backed by palm trees. The blind tee shot on No. 16 is alluring but risky. You have no choice but to go for the island green on the par-3 17th, and water is back in play on the closing hole. Seafood fan? Try the smoked marlin sandwich at the turn.

SPECTACULAR SUNSETS

If sunsets are on your checklist of things to see in Hawai‘i — and they definitely should be — head to Princeville Makai GC on the island’s North Shore. The facility offers a guided Sunset Golf Cart Tour on weekdays, with multiple stops around the course as a guide shares local insights. The tour culminates on the tee box of the par-3 seventh hole, where you’ll stand atop a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and take in a breathtaking view as the sun sinks below the horizon.

A bunker and irrigation renovation project completed last year on the course elevated playing conditions and eliminated almost 20 bunkers. Not changed, though, were the arguments about the best hole. Is it the par-3 third, which plunges steeply downhill with Hanalei Bay shimmering in the distance? The aforementioned seventh? Or perhaps the 14th, a drivable par 4 with the vast Pacific Ocean to your right? The course debuted in 1971 and remains a must-play more than five decades later. Much newer is the nearby 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, which shed all signs of its previous lives thanks to a transformative $300 million renovation in 2023. It’s a glowing example of comfortable yet decidedly upscale luxury, with sustainability at its forefront.

Towards the opposite end of the glamour spectrum is Wailua GC, a scruffy but beloved municipal course located just north of the main airport. Its architecture bones remain solid, which is no surprise given that it hosted the USGA Public Links Championship in 1975, 1985 and 1996 (half of the total USGA championships ever played in Hawai’i). You’ll start off with the ocean to your left on the first two holes, but it doesn’t reappear until the elevated tee on the 17th, which is right up there with the island’s best par 3s. However, the driving range view — you hit your bucket out toward the sea — supplies a constant ocean view not found on the course.

Another stellar option not far from Lihue Airport: Puakea GC. Here you will find more evidence of why perhaps Kaua’i should be renamed the “Isle of Par 3s.” The sixth hole here is a jaw-dropper, with a downhill tee shot over a ravine filled with tropical undergrowth, all set against towering mountains in the distance. A greenside bunker renovation project earlier this year was a much-needed improvement. Tasty pre- or post-round options await at the Ho’okipa Café in the clubhouse, where the highest praise is that an estimated 90 percent of its customers are locals.

After a greenside bunker renovation completed last year, Poipu Bay GC is better than ever. Located on the South Shore of Kaua’i, it received worldwide attention for hosting the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 through 2006, an event won seven times by Tiger Woods. He deftly handled the trade winds here, which come into play as the course moves up and down over the sprawling property. But it’s the three-hole closing stretch you’ll be talking about in the clubhouse (try the poke bowls there for some delicious local flavors), especially the massive but fortunately downhill and usually downwind par-5 16th.

The Grand Hyatt Poipu Bay is right next door, with an open-air lobby, multiple pools, numerous restaurants and beach access.

MOMENTS OF REFLECTION

There’s more than just golf on Kaua’i, of course. Pictures barely do the Nāpali Coast justice. Better to see it for yourself. One option is Capt Andy’s Dinner Cruise, which launches from Port Allen, a short drive from Poipu Bay. The 4.5-hour journey provides up-close views of soaring mountains, sandy inlets and sometimes dolphins and whales. And sunsets seen while bobbing up and down on the sea are just different.

Speaking of which, have you made up your mind yet? Sunset or sunrise? Tom Freestone has seen plenty of both after working at Princeville Makai and, for the past four years, at The Ocean Course at Hōkūala.

“I think everybody has probably looked at a sunset somewhere in the world and you feel like the day is winding down and you might have a cocktail in hand,” he said. “I don’t think people expect the same thing from a sunrise. I think most of us, when we watch a sunrise, we’re in the car going to work and we’re not really engaged with our surroundings. We’re kind of more in that ‘go’ mode. Instead, our sunrise tour allows people to take a moment to reflect and start a new day.”

There may be no better place to do that, or end your day watching a sunset, than Kaua’i.