When world-class women's golf lands on the shores of Oahu, it does not simply stage a tournament. It creates an experience. The Lotte Championship LPGA Golf 2026, presented by Hoakalei, is scheduled for October 1 through 4, 2026, at the stunning Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Oahu, and it is already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated events on the entire LPGA Tour calendar. With a total purse of $3,000,000 and a defending champion hungry to prove her first win was no fluke, all eyes in the women's golf world will be fixed on Hawaii this fall.
Whether you are a lifelong golf fan, a casual visitor looking to spend a perfect October afternoon outdoors in paradise, or a traveler building an Oahu itinerary around a world-class sporting event, the 2026 Lotte Championship delivers on every front.
"The 2026 Lotte Championship is more than a golf tournament; it's an experience that captivates the senses and stirs the soul."
What Is the Lotte Championship LPGA Tournament?
A Global Celebration of Women's Golf
The Lotte Championship is a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour, held annually in Hawaii since its debut in 2012 at the Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei. Since moving to Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, it has found a permanent and beloved home on the western shores of Oahu. The event is sponsored by the Lotte Group, a major South Korean conglomerate, which explains one of the tournament's distinctive quirks. To accommodate its large Korean broadcast audience across the Pacific, the Lotte Championship runs from Thursday through Sunday, rather than the typical LPGA Thursday-to-Sunday format.
The tournament has built a massive international following, drawing an unusually global audience both on television and in person.
Korean fans, Japanese visitors, and golf enthusiasts from the U.S. mainland all converge on Oahu in early October to witness what has become one of the most internationally celebrated stops on tour.
The Course: Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach
A Championship Venue Like No Other
Hoakalei Country Club sits in the Ewa Beach community on Oahu's western leeward coast, just a short drive from the Ko Olina resort district and roughly 30 minutes from downtown Honolulu. The course was designed by Robin Nelson, one of Hawaii's most respected golf course architects, and features a layout that winds through the Hoakalei estuary, offering views of interconnected fishponds, wetlands, and the distant Ko'olau Mountains.
This is not a course that simply looks pretty. It plays with real teeth. Ocean trade winds sweep across the fairways with enough force to turn a well-struck iron into a question mark, and the undulating greens have humbled some of the best players in the world. In the 2025 championship, 22-year-old Youmin Hwang of South Korea birdied four consecutive finishing holes in windy conditions to claim a one-stroke victory with a final-round 67, demonstrating exactly the kind of gutsy, focused golf that Hoakalei demands.
The course address is 91-1620 Keoneula Blvd, Ewa Beach, HI 96706, and it is easily accessible from Honolulu via H-1 West.
The Surrounding Landscape and Local Character
Where Nature and Culture Intersect
Ewa Beach itself is one of Oahu's fastest-growing communities, a place where local families and new residents have built something genuinely vibrant on the island's western plains. The nearby Ko Olina resort area, home to the Four Seasons Resort Oahu and the Aulani Disney Resort, provides world-class accommodation within minutes of the tournament venue. The lagoons at Ko Olina are some of the calmest and most beautiful swimming spots on the entire island, perfect for mornings before you head to the course.
A History of Memorable Champions
Celebrating Excellence on the Greens
Since launching in 2012, the Lotte Championship has produced a roll call of champions that reads like a who's who of modern women's golf. Past winners include:
- Hyo Joo Kim (2022), who won by two strokes over Japan's Hinako Shibuno in one of the most exciting finishes in the event's history
- Grace Kim (2023), whose playoff victory showcased the kind of drama that only tournament golf can produce
- A Lim Kim (2024), the defending champion heading into 2025
- Youmin Hwang (2025), who won on a sponsor exemption at just 22 years old, becoming one of 26 different winners on the LPGA Tour in the 2025 season, tying a record for most individual winners in a single season
The tournament has a clear tradition of rewarding bold, aggressive play. In a venue where the wind is always a factor and the greens can punish timid approaches, winners earn everything they get.
The 2026 Purse: $3 Million on the Line
High Stakes and Greater Rewards
The financial stakes at the 2026 Lotte Championship are substantial. The total purse stands at $3,000,000, with the champion taking home a life-changing $450,000. To put that in context, the 2026 LPGA season features a record total prize purse of $132 million across 33 tournaments, the largest in the organization's history. The Lotte Championship sits comfortably among the tour's premier non-major events, drawing a full field of 120 of the best women golfers on earth.
For players grinding through the fall stretch of the season, a win in Oahu carries enormous weight both financially and in terms of the year-end points races that determine player of the year honors and qualification for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
Ticket Information and How to Attend
Experience World-Class Golf in Paradise
Getting into the 2026 Lotte Championship is very accessible for golf fans at all budget levels. Based on current ticket listings, daily grounds access starts at approximately $91 per day, with premium options and multi-day packages available for those who want to follow the action across the full four days from October 1 through October 4, 2026.
Here is what attending a round of LPGA Tour golf in Hawaii looks like in practice:
- Walking access throughout the course: Unlike spectating at many major sports events, LPGA Tour tickets allow you to roam the entire course and get extraordinarily close to the world's best players
- Multiple viewing areas: Hoakalei features natural amphitheater holes where crowds can gather to watch approach shots and putting without disrupting play
- Family-friendly atmosphere: The LPGA Tour is consistently ranked among the most fan-friendly tours in professional sports, with relaxed and welcoming gallery policies
- Pro-Am event: In the days before competitive rounds begin, a Pro-Am tournament brings together tour players and amateur guests, typically scheduled around September 30, 2026
Visit lottechampionship.com or the official LPGA.com tournament page for ticket purchasing, practice round passes, and hospitality package details.
Cultural Highlights and the Oahu Experience
A Celebration of Sport and Heritage
What makes the Lotte Championship uniquely special is the way it blends elite international sport with the living culture of Hawaii. Oahu in early October sits in one of the island's most beautiful seasonal windows. Trade winds keep temperatures comfortable, the summer humidity has eased, and the skies over Ewa Beach tend to be vivid and clear.
The tournament draws a significant Korean and Japanese contingent of both players and spectators, reflecting Hawaii's deep historical connections with East Asia through immigration and trade. This creates an incredibly rich atmosphere at the course, where conversations flow in multiple languages and the gallery reflects the true multicultural character of the Hawaiian Islands.
Ewa Beach and the western shore also carry genuine historical and cultural weight for Oahu. The region sits close to the ancient ahupua'a land divisions that governed traditional Hawaiian resource management, and the Hoakalei estuary the course wraps around preserves restored native fishpond ecosystems that date back centuries. Playing here and watching golf here connects, even subtly, to a landscape with deep roots.
Travel Tips for Visiting Oahu for the 2026 Lotte Championship
Maximize Your Island Adventure
If you are planning your trip around the October 1 to 4, 2026 tournament dates, here is how to make the most of your time in Oahu:
- Book accommodation in Ko Olina or Ewa Beach early: The Four Seasons, Aulani Disney Resort, and the various vacation rentals in the Ewa Beach communities are the most convenient options and fill quickly for tournament week
- Rent a car: Public transit to Hoakalei Country Club is limited, and having a rental car gives you the freedom to explore the rest of Oahu before and after each round
- Pair the trip with other Oahu experiences: Pearl Harbor National Memorial is a 15-minute drive from the course. Kapolei's dining scene continues to grow impressively. The Ko Olina lagoons offer beautiful morning swims before heading to the tournament
- Arrive early on October 1: Opening day of the Lotte Championship always draws a strong crowd, especially with a field of 120 LPGA players teeing off in the balmy Oahu morning air
- Check weather and bring layers: Ewa Beach trade winds are real. A light jacket or windbreaker for late afternoon rounds is always a smart call even in October
Why the Lotte Championship Belongs on Your Oahu Bucket List
More Than Just a Golf Tournament
Here is the honest truth about watching LPGA Tour golf live: it is one of the most underrated sports experiences available to the public. The athletes playing these four days from October 1 through 4, 2026 at Hoakalei Country Club are among the most skilled golfers on the planet, and the access that LPGA Tour galleries provide puts you meters away from shots that would appear impossible in any other context.
"The 2026 Lotte Championship becomes something far more than a golf tournament; it is an autumn afternoon on Oahu that you will be talking about for years."
Add to that the physical beauty of Hoakalei, the extraordinary backdrop of Oahu's western coastline, the cultural richness of a genuinely international field competing in Hawaii, and a $3,000,000 purse generating real drama from Thursday through Sunday, and the 2026 Lotte Championship becomes something far more than a golf tournament.
It is an autumn afternoon on Oahu that you will be talking about for years. Book your tickets, plan your round on the island, and be there when the best women golfers in the world go head-to-head on one of the most beautiful courses in all of professional sport.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Things People Always Want to Know
Q1: When is the Lotte Championship LPGA 2026?
The Lotte Championship LPGA 2026 takes place from Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii.
Q2: Where is the Lotte Championship 2026 being held?
The 2026 Lotte Championship is held at Hoakalei Country Club, located at 91-1620 Keoneula Blvd, Ewa Beach, Oahu, HI 96706, on the western leeward shore of Oahu, approximately 30 minutes from downtown Honolulu.
Q3: What is the total prize purse for the 2026 Lotte Championship LPGA?
The total prize purse for the 2026 Lotte Championship is $3,000,000, with the tournament champion earning $450,000.
Q4: Who is the defending champion of the Lotte Championship going into 2026?
The defending champion is Youmin Hwang of South Korea, who won the 2025 edition at Hoakalei Country Club at just 22 years old, shooting a final-round 67 to claim a one-stroke victory on a sponsor exemption.
Q5: How do I buy tickets for the Lotte Championship LPGA 2026 in Oahu?
Tickets are available through the official tournament site at lottechampionship.com and through third-party platforms including americanarenas.com. Daily grounds access starts from approximately $91 per day, with premium and multi-day packages also available.
Verified Information at a Glance
- Event Name: Lotte Championship presented by Hoakalei
- Event Category: Women's Professional Golf Tournament, LPGA Tour
- Tournament Dates: Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4, 2026
- Venue: Hoakalei Country Club, 91-1620 Keoneula Blvd, Ewa Beach, Oahu, HI 96706
- Tournament Format: 72-hole stroke play, four competitive rounds
- Field Size: 120 LPGA Tour players
- Total Purse: $3,000,000
- Champion's Prize: $450,000
- Defending Champion: Youmin Hwang (2025 champion, Republic of Korea)
- Broadcast: Golf Channel / JTBC Golf
- Ticket Prices: Starting from approximately $91 per day
- Official Website: lottechampionship.com
- Tournament History: First held in 2012 at Ko Olina Golf Club, Kapolei, Hawaii
- Organizer: LPGA Tour
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