Manele Golf Course

Few golf settings anywhere in the world match what Jack Nicklaus created on the southern cliffs of Lanai when Manele Golf Course opened in 1993. The layout tumbles across lava fields and dramatic coastal bluffs above Hulopoe Bay, with the Pacific Ocean framing virtually every shot on the back nine. Three holes play directly along the cliff's edge, and the par-3 12th — requiring a carry over an inlet of open ocean — ranks among the most photographed tee shots in American golf.

Lanai itself sharpens the experience. The island is small, quiet, and almost entirely owned and managed by a single private entity, which gives the whole place an unhurried, exclusive quality you feel the moment you land. The surrounding waters are some of the clearest in Hawaii, and spinner dolphins regularly work the bay below while you play.

Manele is a destination course in the truest sense — people plan trips around it rather than stumbling upon it. The conditions, the isolation, and the sheer visual drama make it unlike nearly anything else the game offers.