The View From Here

Play atop stunning Pacific cliffs at Lanai’s Manele Golf Course.

- FRANCIS X. GALLAGHER

DESIGNED BY JACK NICKLAUS, the Manele Golf Course sits on top of an ancient lava outcropping high above Hulope’e Bay. Considered one of the must-play courses in Hawai’i, it includes three holes on breathtaking cliffs where the Pacific Ocean serves as a backdrop … and often as a water hazard. Every hole offers spectacular views, most overlooking Maui and Kaho’olawe. If you are lucky enough to play during winter months, you can see whales from the fairways and greens.

Opened in December 1993, the course offers 18 holes on a 7,039-yard, par-72 layout. The signature hole, No. 12, features a tee box on a cliff150 feet above the ocean-facing the green on the adjacent cliff202 yards away. The views are so stunning, Bill and Melinda Gates selected this spot for their wedding on Jan. 1, 1994. Manele Golf Course goes hand in hand with the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, which offers convenient transportation between the hotel and the clubhouse.

Besides great golf amenities, including rental clubs and a staff ready to set you up on the driving range, the facility includes a pleasant restaurant called Views — a perfect spot overlooking the fairway of the 18th hole where you can relax and reminisce about your game.