Hayden Fennoy, REALTOR® (S), RS-87220 · eXp Realty Call / Text (808) 642-6119  ·  hayden.fennoy@exprealty.com
South Kona · Community guide

Hōkūliʻa: club, rules, land and risk.

A 1,300-acre private community above about three miles of the South Kona coast near Kealakekua, built around a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course that climbs from the shoreline.

Independent guide. Hayden Fennoy and eXp Realty are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any community, resort, club, association or developer named here. Names are used only to identify them. Club membership, where offered, is subject to each club's own rules and approval.

At a glance

Elevation
261 ftat sample point; USGS 3DEP
Rainfall
~34 in/yrat sample point; UH Rainfall Atlas
USGS lava zone
3approximate; varies by parcel
FEMA flood zone
Xat sample point
Tsunami evac zone
Noat sample point (County, Mar. 2025)
Drive to KOA
~37 min18.5 mi; light traffic

Sample point: The Club at Hōkūliʻa. Readings come from public GIS layers at that single point on October 22, 2026. They describe the land there, not any particular home.

The Club at Hokuliʻa

OwnershipHōkūliʻa's team page says the club is member-owned. The community has been owned by SunChase since 2014.1
AssociationsThe club's site lists the Hokuliʻa Community Association (HCA) and a Park and Cultural Sites Association (PCSA), separate from the club.2
Mandatory or optionalNot stated on the official pages reviewed. Confirm for the specific property. Verify
Initiation and duesA general manager search profile hosted by the PGA of America lists a $150,000 golf membership initiation and $36,420 a year in dues. The profile is undated, so confirm current figures with the club.3
Equity or non-equityNot stated on the official pages reviewed. Ask for the membership plan documents. Verify

“Verify” means no official source published it on October 22, 2026. Ask the club or association in writing, and confirm in the documents you receive during escrow.

HOA and associations

Budget for both the Hokuliʻa Community Association and the Park and Cultural Sites Association, separate from club dues. Get the current assessments, CC&Rs and design rules.2

Short-term rental rules

County zoning at the sample point: A-1a · State Land Use: Agricultural · General Plan (LUPAG): Resort. A second sample point reads A-5a (agricultural), also in the State Agricultural district.8

The County framework. Hawaiʻi County's short-term vacation rental rules (Ordinance 2018-114) allow unhosted rentals of under 30 days in resort (V), general commercial (CG) and village commercial (CV) zoning. They also allow them in residential and commercial districts inside General Plan Resort and Resort Node areas, and in qualifying condominiums. Elsewhere, only rentals that held a nonconforming use certificate from before April 1, 2019 may continue, renewed each year. Agricultural-district parcels created on or after June 4, 1976 can't operate one. Private covenants that ban rentals still apply. Separately, Ordinance 25-50 requires transient vacation rentals of 180 days or less to register each year. Registration opened in September 2026, and more changes (Bill 147) are pending before the County Council as of Oct. 22, 2026.4567

In this community. Sample points here fall in the State Agricultural district with County A (agricultural) zoning. Under the County rules, agricultural parcels created on or after June 4, 1976 can't operate a short-term vacation rental. Check the parcel's creation date, zoning and CC&Rs before counting on rental income.

Lava, flood, tsunami and insurance

USGS rates lava-flow hazard from Zone 1 (highest) to Zone 9 (lowest). The sample point here is in Zone 3.9 At this sample point, the FEMA flood zone is X (minimal flood hazard). Oceanfront and low-lying parcels nearby can differ, so pull the FEMA map for the exact address.101213 The sample point is outside the County tsunami evacuation zone, but shoreline parcels in the community may be inside it.11

Get homeowners, hurricane and (where relevant) flood quotes for the exact property before you remove contingencies. Coverage and price depend on the parcel, the structure and the insurer.

Water and wastewater

Water. No Hōkūliʻa-specific entry appears on the Department of Health list we checked. Confirm the water provider for a given lot.14

Wastewater. Confirm the wastewater system in disclosures and County records. Verify

Getting to KOA

From the sample point, Kona International Airport is about 18.5 miles, roughly 37 minutes in light traffic.17

Questions buyers ask

Is club membership required at Hōkūliʻa?

Not stated on the official pages reviewed. Confirm for the specific property.

What does it cost to join The Club at Hokuliʻa?

A general manager search profile hosted by the PGA of America lists a $150,000 golf membership initiation and $36,420 a year in dues. The profile is undated, so confirm current figures with the club.

Can I do short-term vacation rentals at Hōkūliʻa?

Sample points here fall in the State Agricultural district with County A (agricultural) zoning. Under the County rules, agricultural parcels created on or after June 4, 1976 can't operate a short-term vacation rental. Check the parcel's creation date, zoning and CC&Rs before counting on rental income. County rules and registration also apply; see the rental section on this page.

What lava zone is Hōkūliʻa in?

At our sample point (The Club at Hōkūliʻa), the USGS lava-flow hazard zone is 3. Zones are approximate and vary by parcel, so confirm for the exact property and get insurance quotes early.

How far is Hōkūliʻa from Kona International Airport (KOA)?

From our sample point, about 18.5 miles, or roughly 37 minutes in light traffic.

Before you write an offer

  • Is club membership mandatory with this property, optional, by invitation, or waitlisted? Is it tied to the lot?
  • Is the club equity or non-equity? Who owns and controls it today?
  • What is the current initiation fee or deposit, and is any part of it refundable or transferable when I sell?
  • What are the annual dues, food and beverage minimums, and any capital or assessment calls in the last five years?
  • What do the master association, neighborhood HOA and (if any) condominium association each charge, and what do they cover?
  • What do the CC&Rs and house rules say about rentals: minimum stay, number of rentals per year, approved rental programs, guest fees?

Hayden Fennoy and eXp Realty are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any community, resort, club, association or developer named here. Names are used only to identify them. Club membership, where offered, is subject to each club's own rules and approval. Fees, dues and rules change: everything here reflects what the cited source showed when it was checked, and must be verified in the current club, association and HOA documents during escrow. Hazard, zoning and elevation readings are from one public-GIS sample point per community. Parcels vary, so verify each property by its TMK.

Sources · checked October 22, 2026
  1. Hokuliʻa: Team (ownership and club structure): hokulia.com (checked October 22, 2026)
  2. The Club at Hokuliʻa (official site): hokuliaclub.com (checked October 22, 2026)
  3. The Club at Hokuliʻa general manager search profile, hosted by PGA of America (undated; fees as listed there): sites.google.com (checked October 22, 2026)
  4. County of Hawaiʻi Planning Dept., Short-Term Vacation Rentals (Ordinance 2018-114): planning.hawaiicounty.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  5. County of Hawaiʻi, STVR Application Packet (permitted districts; agricultural-lot rule): records.hawaiicounty.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  6. County of Hawaiʻi, Ordinance 25-50 (transient vacation rental registration): records.hawaiicounty.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  7. Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Oct. 22, 2026: County Council action on Bill 147: hawaiitribune-herald.com (checked October 22, 2026)
  8. Hawaiʻi Statewide GIS Program: County zoning, State Land Use Districts, General Plan LUPAG: geodata.hawaii.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  9. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory: Lava-flow hazard zone maps: usgs.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  10. Hawaiʻi Statewide GIS Program: FEMA DFIRM flood zones, Hawaiʻi County (FEMA data as of June 2026): geodata.hawaii.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  11. Hawaiʻi Statewide GIS Program: Tsunami Evacuation Zones, County of Hawaiʻi (March 2025): geodata.hawaii.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  12. FEMA Flood Map Service Center (official per-address flood maps): msc.fema.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  13. FEMA: Flood insurance (requirement for federally backed mortgages in high-risk zones): fema.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  14. Hawaiʻi Dept. of Health, Safe Drinking Water Branch: regulated public water systems list (May 15, 2025): health.hawaii.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  15. USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP): epqs.nationalmap.gov (checked October 22, 2026)
  16. Rainfall Atlas of Hawaiʻi, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: hawaii.edu (checked October 22, 2026)
  17. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (drive estimate to the KOA entrance): project-osrm.org (checked October 22, 2026)
Free download

Kona-Kohala Club Communities, compared.

Club type, published fees, rental rules, lava and flood exposure, water and the drive to KOA for all eight communities, plus a checklist of questions to ask. Free PDF.

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