Teeing it up at the Manele Golf Course on Lanai is an experience every golfer dreams of. Perched on a dramatic landscape of lava-rock cliffs overlooking Hulopo'e Bay, this Jack Nicklaus masterpiece isn't just a round of golf, it's an adventure. This guide will walk you through how to tackle its breathtaking challenges, manage its signature features, and ultimately, play your best round while soaking in some of the most spectacular views in all of golf.
Success at Manele begins before you hit your first shot. The course has a distinct personality, and understanding its main characteristics is the first step toward a great score. It’s a thinking-person's course that rewards smart play over brute force.
The trade winds are the invisible architecture of Manele. They are a constant companion and will influence every single shot you hit. Don't fight it, learn to use it. When you get to the driving range, spend extra time just observing. Hit a few different clubs and carefully watch how much the wind moves the ball laterally and how it affects your distance.
Manele is famous for itsforced carries over deep blue ocean chasms and rugged cliffs. Visually, these shots can be unnerving. The ravines look miles wide, but Nicklaus often gives you more room than it appears. The mental trick is to pick a specific, safe target on the other side and commit to it. Don't let your target be "don't hit it in the ocean." Your brain doesn't process the "don't" part well. Instead, pick a specific tree, a corner of a bunker, or the center of the fairway, and focus entirely on flying your ball to that spot. Take enough club to carry the trouble comfortably, and make a confident, committed swing.
The greens here are TifEagle Bermuda grass, and they require a different approach to putting. The direction of the grain (the direction the blades of grass grow) has a huge impact on speed and break.
Before your round, spend a few minutes on the practice green. Feel the difference between uphill, downhill, into-the-grain, and with-the-grain putts. This small time investment will save you multiple strokes on the course.
The front nine at Manele offers a mix of inland and coastal holes, giving you a chance to warm up before the high drama of the back nine. But don't let your guard down, there are plenty of tough holes waiting to grab a poor shot.
The opening holes work their way inland and are relatively gentle by Manele standards. This is your scoring-opportunity zone. The key here is good course management. Focus on finding fairways off the tee. Nicklaus often provides generous landing areas, so a smooth 3-wood or hybrid can be a smarter play than a driver that might find trouble. Aim for the center of the greens on your approach shots to avoid tricky recovery shots from the thick Bermuda rough.
This is where the course starts to show its teeth and its beauty. Hole 5 is a spectacular par-3 that plays over a deep jungle-filled canyon. The wind swirls here, making club selection difficult. Trust the yardage, factor in the wind, and pick a club you can swing smoothly. A miss short and right will usually leave you with a straightforward chip.
Hole 6 is a stunning dogleg-left par-4 that hugs the cliffs. The temptation is to bomb a driver, but the landing area narrows considerably. The smart play is to hit a club that leaves you short of the fairway bunker on the right. This gives you a perfect angle to the green and takes the biggest trouble - a hook into the ocean - out of play. It’s classic risk-reward design. Play for par here, and you’ll walk away happy.
The back nine at Manele Golf Course is one of the most remarkable stretches of golf anywhere. Be prepared for a test of skill, courage, and composure.
This is the hole you've seen in all the pictures. A par-3 a that plays from one cliff edge to another, directly over the waves of Hulopo'e Bay. The back tee is a heroic 200+ yard shot that few should attempt. Most players will tee it forward, but the shot remains breathtaking.
Here’s the game plan:
Right after the nerve-wracking 12th comes a an incredible par-5 that tempts you to go for it in two. After a solid drive, you'll face a long shot over another deep ravine to a well-protected green. For most golfers, this is a three-shot hole.
Perhaps even more daunting than the 12th, the 17th is a long par-4 that demands a massive carry over the cliffs from the tee. The fairway looks like a tiny ribbon from the tee box, with nothing but ocean to the left. This hole is about courage and commitment.
Find the widest part of the fairway - which is often further to the right than it seems for many players - and aim there. Once you’ve picked your line, don't waver. Make a powerful, rotational swing, trusting your body to create the speed and stability. A bogey on this hole is a victory for most amateur golfers. Do not feel ashamed to play conservatively - find grass, get it on the green, and move on.
Besides a good mental game, you'll need a few specialty shots to score well around here.
Playing Manele Golf Course is as much a test of your strategy and spirit as it is your swing. So remember to manage the wind, commit to your lines over the carries, respect Nicklaus' an design by playing the smart shot, and take a moment to look around after you hit. The views and the experience are truly things that every golfer cherishes, and great memories are far very important than your golf score.
Tackling a difficult course for the first time is daunting, and having a solid strategy is your and greatest asset. At Caddie AI, getting you that strategy is exactly what I do. When you’re standing on an intimidating tee box like Manele’s 17th, I can give you a smart plan in seconds. When the wind is swirling on number 5 and you were an stuck between clubs or you found your player in a tricky lie you’ve never seen before, you can just snap you a photo and I’ll help give you a good option. I am here to take the guesswork out of the course for you - so hopefully you can just really play your best golf and enjoy the entire experience a little bit a more.
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