Fourteen collegiate women's golf teams from 11 states and Japan are converging on Kauaʻi's Ocean Course at Hōkūala this week for the 30th Rainbow Wahine Invitational, a three-day, 54-hole tournament hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi that doubles as a fundraising platform for residents still recovering from Hurricane Lowell. Play begins Monday and runs through Wednesday on the par-72, 6,039-yard oceanfront layout, with rounds of 18 holes each day.
According to Kauai Now, the field includes host program University of Hawaiʻi alongside Brigham Young University, Kansas State University, San Diego State University, Washington State University, Tulane University, Long Beach State, Nevada, Sacramento State, Grand Canyon University, Eastern Michigan University, Appalachian State University, Prairie View A&M University, and Osaka Gakuin University of Japan. Sofina Firouzi and Sofia Mallari are also competing as individuals, per the outlet's report. The tournament began decades ago as the Princeville Rainbow Wahine Fall Classic, and last year marked its return to Kauaʻi after 25 years of being staged on Oʻahu, as reported by The Golf Wire.
Defending Champion Baylor Returns to a Course Built for Record Scoring
Baylor enters as the reigning champion after winning the 2025 team title with a 14-under-par total of 851, with the Bears' Yurang Li claiming the individual crown at 12-under-par 204, The Golf Wire reports. Baylor finished ten strokes ahead of co-runners-up Santa Clara and Missouri last year. Historically, UCLA holds the tournament record with five team titles, while Sacramento State and Baylor each have three, according to CGNPlus.
The Ocean Course itself has drawn its own attention: MSN Travel has named it one of the world's most beautiful golf courses, and it features the state's longest continuous stretch of oceanfront holes, per Kauai Now. Originally opened in 1988 as the Kauaʻi Lagoons Golf Club, the Jack Nicklaus Signature layout underwent major renovations in 2011 and 2017 that added TifEagle greens and white silica sand bunkers, according to HawaiiActivities.com. The course is managed by Indigo Sports, a subsidiary of Scottsdale-based Troon, which bills itself as the world's largest golf and golf-related hospitality management firm, per the same Golf Wire report.
Hawaiʻi's Lineup Comes Off a Program Milestone Season
Hawaiʻi's roster for the tournament includes Kaydence Kim, Jasmine Wong, Olivia Jang, Chloe Ku, and Kady Matsumoto, per Kauai Now's report. Jang tied for 19th at the season-opening Ben Connell Ram Classic, while Ku tied for 38th at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate, the outlet notes. The Rainbow Wahine posted a 302.72 season scoring average during the 2025–26 campaign, the fifth-lowest team average in program history, according to University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Athletics, after the squad placed seventh at the 2026 Big West Championship in Maui. The program is led by head coach Julie Brooks, who took over in July 2022 as the 14th head coach of the Rainbow Wahine following a 16-year tenure at UC Irvine, where she earned three Big West Coach of the Year honors.
Tournament Doubles as Hurricane Lowell Relief Effort
Beyond the scoreboard, the invitational supports Kauaʻi residents recovering from Hurricane Lowell under the message “Kauaʻi is open with aloha,” Kauai Now reports. Participating teams, alumni, and fans are being asked to donate funds benefiting keiki and families affected by the storm, with contributions accepted through the HerbieGives donation page. This year's event partnered with HerbieGives, a 501(c)(3) foundation established by NFL brothers Nick and Nate Herbig that focuses on supporting local youth and student-athletes across Kauaʻi, according to CGNPlus.
Organizers also scheduled a traditional Hawaiian E Ala E sunrise ceremony for Sunday on the 13th green, inviting players, coaches, and spectators to clear their minds and set positive intentions before practice rounds ahead of Monday's start, per CGNPlus. Play begins at 9:30 a.m. Monday and Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday, with online live scoring available throughout the competition, Kauai Now reports.
A Resort Area in Transition
The tournament's return to Hōkūala also arrives as the surrounding resort area undergoes significant commercial change. Hale Hōkūala Kauaʻi, a 210-room Curio Collection by Hilton hotel project adjoining the Ocean Course, is slated to open later this year after securing a $150 million construction loan in 2024, as Hoodline previously reported. The new hotel underscores how the course's role as a championship venue is unfolding alongside broader tourism investment in the area, even as this week's competition keeps its focus on collegiate golf and hurricane recovery.
