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The Hack
Bucket-list Hawaii golf always felt like a “someday” thing. Last year we turned it into a “right now” trip on the Big Island: 7 nights, two people, flights, hotel, three unreal rounds, food, car, luau—total damage? $2,500 total. A cash version of the same week would have run $7,000–$8,000 easy. The cheat code was the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and a little teamwork on the welcome bonus.
Right now the card is throwing 185,000 Bonvoy points after $6,000 spend in 6 months. That’s three free nights (up to 50k/night) plus enough left for a fourth. We made it our daily driver for everything—groceries, gas, dinners—and added my wife as an authorized user (her spending counts too). Ten weeks later the points hit and we locked four free nights at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on the Kohala Coast. Cash price for the full seven nights? $3,850. We paid $450 in resort fees and taxes and called it good—hotel basically 88% off.
Flights were 110k Delta miles from our Amex Platinum stash, so round-trip for two cost $220 in fees instead of $1,400. That left a huge cushion for the real priority: golf.
The Three Rounds We Actually Played
We kept it to three courses because that was plenty to scratch the itch and still have time for beaches and a luau.
– Waikoloa Beach Course (literally at our hotel): Lava rock framing every shot, ocean breeze on the back nine, and the par-3 7th over the bay that makes you hold your breath. $150 each with cart. Rolled out of bed and onto the first tee.
– Makani Golf Club (20-minute drive up the mountain): Cooler air, a fun par-3 island green, and ridiculous views down the coast. $135 each. Best value on the island, hands down.
– Makalei Golf Club (another quick uphill jaunt): The peacock course (they photobombed half my pictures), rolling hills, and that postcard drop-shot par-3 on 15. $120 each. Felt like golf in a Jurassic Park sequel.
Total golf for two people: $810. With hotel + flights basically free = we were laughing to the bank!!
What We Did with the Extra Cash We Saved
All the money we didn’t spend on the room went straight to the good stuff:
– On-property luau at the Marriott (fire dancers, kalua pork, bottomless mai tais) — $320 for both and worth every dollar.
– Half-day drive to Hilo side for the Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve & Garden. Rainforest trails, waterfalls, zero crowds — $25 each and the highlight of the non-golf days.
The Bottom Line
We flew to Hawaii, stayed oceanfront seven nights, played three bucket-list courses, ate like royalty, and still spent less than most people blow on a long weekend in Florida. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex made it happen—185k points turned “maybe someday” into “see you next year, peacocks.”
If Hawaii’s on your list, grab the card, add your spouse as an authorized user, and knock out the spend together. The Big Island is waiting.
Drop your own points-to-paradise story below—I read every one.
Disclosure: Affiliate links. I only share trips I’ve actually taken and loved.
