Every so often, a photo shoot comes along that reminds me why I fell in love with this work. My September photo shoot at Princeville Makai Golf Club on Kaua‘i’s North Shore was one of those experiences. In a year filled with great projects, this one stands out — not just because of the images I came home with, but because of how everything aligned: the location, the light, and the feeling of the place.  

A Course Made for the Camera Princeville Makai sits high above the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by cliffs, mountains, and lush tropical greens. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., it opened in 1971 as his first solo design and has since become one of the most scenic golf courses anywhere. Managed by Troon Golf, it’s consistently ranked among the top public courses in the U.S. and one of the most beautiful in the world.

From a photographer’s perspective, Makai is about as good as it gets. Every hole has personality — from calm inland stretches to the cliffside holes that look out across Hanalei Bay. The par-3 7th hole, which plays over the ocean, might be one of the most photogenic holes in golf. And with Hawai‘i’s constantly shifting weather and light, the course looks different every hour of the day.  

I spent four days on site, arriving before sunrise each morning, returning to my lodging to sort and cull images during the day, and then back to the course to photograph late day and sunset every evening. That’s when a course reveals its true character — in the quiet moments before play begins and in the soft light that closes the day.

Each morning started with clouds glowing pink over the Pacific, trade winds moving through the palms, and the first touches of sun lighting the mountains behind the course. By mid-morning, the air was clear and bright, and by late afternoon, the cliffs along the coast turned gold.

Those long days gave me time to see the course in every mood — peaceful, wild, dramatic, and calm. Standing on the 7th tee at sunset, watching waves crash against the cliffs as the light faded, I knew I was capturing something special. Every angle told a slightly different story, and after four days, I left with a collection of images that truly showed the range and personality of the course.  

Princeville Makai recently completed a $3 million refinement project that enhanced bunkers, turf, and drainage without changing the original Jones design. The result is a course that looks and plays better than ever. It’s no surprise the course continues to earn high praise — named one of Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public Courses in America, one of Golfweek’s Best You Can Play in Hawai‘i, and one of National Geographic Traveler’s Top 5 Great Golf Settings in the World. That level of quality makes a photographer’s job easier — and harder at the same time. When a course looks this good, the challenge becomes doing it justice.  

I’ve photographed more than 250 golf courses across the U.S. and abroad, and each one has its own rhythm. But some places stay with you, and Princeville Makai is one of them. The combination of ocean, mountain, and design is unlike anywhere else, and after four days on the property, I left feeling that I’d captured not just great images, but a sense of place. It was one of those rare shoots that feels effortless, even when you’re putting in long hours — the kind of project that reminds me how lucky I am to do this for a living.