Mauna Kea Golf Course

Reader Ratings / Reviews

• 
  by Ed, Scottsdale
  on February 28th, 2011 12:05

  Beautifully scenic with wonderful views of the ocean and a challenge for all. The elevated undulating greens are surrounded by very deep bunkers that make it very difficult to hit over. The front nine will intice you but be advised the back nine becomes very hilly and more difficult. Beware if the wind kicks up as it ususally does in the afternoon. Without a doubt, a great golf course layout.
• 
  by bob
  on February 21st, 2011 06:53
• 
  by ScottN
  on January 07th, 2011 10:02

  This is Hawaii resort golf at it's finest. Staff and facilities are impeccable. Course goes from the ocean and then up into the hills with lava and Kohala scenery. Bring the camera. The course is in great condition. As typical for resort golf, the rough is bermuda and after that it can be lava, scrub and other unpleasantness. The grass plants that line many holes will just swallow up the balls. If you are a recreational golfer, I reccomend the resort tees to maximize the enjoyment of the place. The Par 3 3rd is the signature hole over the ocean and lava. While the course is not cheap (be prepared to pay $175-$240 depending on tee time) everything is included (unlimited range balls, tees, water, drinks and snacks at two "comfort stations" on course and yardage book). If you want the true "Big Island" resort golf experience, this is the place.
• 
  by Lionell
  on November 12th, 2010 20:45

  This is an absolutely beautiful course. I enjoyed the total experience. I received superb customer service. Course was windy when I played. Make sure you hit your shots true. Greens were fast and smooth. I would highly recommend this course. The par 3 3rd is breathtaking.
• 
  by Golf player
  on August 22nd, 2010 09:31

  This is an astonishingly beautiful golf course. Do not play during high wind unless you have balls.
• 
  by Jim Olson
  on February 28th, 2010 13:51

  A very nice course in excellent
  condition. Wide fairways and
  beautiful vistas add to the
  enjoyment of playing it. The only negative in my
  mind was the large number of
  elevated greens which made seeing the bottom of the pin impossible without taking the tome to drive up
  to the green.
• 
  by derek Roach
  on February 26th, 2010 17:33

  I played it near the end of february and when I arrived the service was a a very exceptional level. The range is a small grass range but in fairly good condition and had a small chipping and putting area. The course itself was very hilly and their was plenty of elevation making it plenty difficult. The greens were quick and very challenging because they are most defiinately not flat.
  
  
• 
  by Thompson
  on December 30th, 2009 11:40

  One of my favorite courses. The course is famous for its stunning Par 3 over the ocean (the third hole if I remember correctly) but features dramatic views (ocean and lava) throughout the course. The hotel is elegant, restful, and the beach here is one of the best in the world (in fact the site was chosen just because of the incredible beach). Service is uniformly excellent. Just a great golf experience.
• 
  by Jay
  on December 22nd, 2009 00:51

  I played Mauna Kea Thanksgiving week, and it was definitely one of the better golfing experiences of my life. Booked the tee time on GolfNow.com which gives you a nice value - $150 is a pretty good value for this course. The views are amazing on most of the holes. The course is kept in great shape. You'll want to break out the camera for the par 3 oceanfront 3rd hole and the LONG par 3 11th. I only take the 0.5 stars off for the fact that its not really a walkable course like some of the other great courses I would rate a 5 that I've played on the mainland (Pinehurst, Bethpage, Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass).
  
  You know a course is great when you don't even discuss the playability of the course until the 2nd paragraph. It's a very difficult course from the back tees, but also very fair. RTJ wants you to play the course a certain way, and having played other RTJ tracks in the past, you should listen! You'll probably use every club in the bag at least once... Drivers, 3 woods, hybrids, irons off the tee... you don't even really need a yardage book because for the most part you have a feel for how to play the hole from standing on the tee - another sign of a great architect IMO.
  
  Anyway, if you want to play golf on the Big Island, your experience won't be complete without playing this course. Having played most of the others, this is my favorite, and I'll be back!
• 
  by James Rarick
  on November 17th, 2009 08:51

  This is a course that can be extremely hard or moderate depending on the tees you play from. The setting is beautiful with many holes playing within view, if not over or towards, the ocean. This course has a lot of elevation however it gives both uphill and downhill tee shots for balance. There are 99 sandbunkers with the new design.
  
  The holes also turn a bit and you have to seriously plan your shots around the course which I love. Don't expect to just pull driver and wack the ball out there.
  
  This is definitely a course I'll play everytime I'm in Kona. VJ was playing the same day I played so that should say a bit about the design.