Volcano Golf Course: One Of The Most Unique Rounds In Hawaii

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.

Just outside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, Volcano Golf Course is a 100-year-old+ layout at 4,000 feet above sea level that offers a fun, pure golf experience in a unique setting. Photo By: Erik Matuszewski

By: Erik Matuszewsk

Dec 17, 2025

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.

A photo from the walking trails and botanical gardens behind the Kilauea Lodge just a few minutes down the road from Volcano Golf Course and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Photo By: Erik Matuszewski

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.

At times, Volcano Golf Course has a feel more akin to a links-style layout in the U.K. than to Hawaii's typical resort courses. Photo: Erik Matuszewski

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.

Nene and golfers share the fairways at Volcano Golf Course. Photo: Erik Matuszewski

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.

Hitting a shot at Volcano Golf Course with steam rising from the active Kilauea Volcano in the background.

Photo: Matty Lee, Volcano Golf Course

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.

Several hours from the resorts on the Big Island's Kohala Coast, Volcano Golf Course has sweeping mountain views and a setting shaped by volcanic terrain and rainforest. Photo: Volcano Golf Course | Troon

View the original article on the Forbes website! 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikmatuszewski/2025/12/17/volcano-golf-course-one-of-the-most-unique-rounds-in-hawaii/

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