Mauna Kea Golf Course

The course is tough, as evidenced by the slope ratings. Greens were perfect. I enjoyed the spectacular scenery and terrific condition of the course. (99 bunkers! Are you kidding?) Staff was friendly and took good care of us, we saw whales from the fairways, and the holes were interesting. Bar on the beach enjoyable. I would come back, but put my ego in my back pocket.

Great place, layout etc. We play3d the result tees. It was tough. Not gonna lie. A slight mishap really costs you. If you’re up for the challenge it’s great. If you’re not, and just looking for fun, this probably isn’t the cours/challenge for you.

Always the best conditioned and hardest course on the big island. Pace of play outstanding

booked the round on tee off and was able to get a decent discount. was able to play by myself and didnt catch anyone til the 9th hole so about a 3.5 hour round. the course was in great condition, no complaints at all. only disappointment was how windy it was; consistent gusts of at least 20 mph. the 3rd hole over the ocean is really nice and the cart girl offered to take my picture there which was really nice. all the staff was great. from picking my clubs and i up in the parking lot and loading them onto a cart. driving range was subpar as it runs out at about 200 yards. staff actually let me go out early as well. i would recommend the course to others just be mindful as it could get very windy(as anywhere in hawaii)

Vog, extreme humidity and no wind plus early summer morning soaking wet (sprinklers running here and there on every hole) and aerated fairways and greens made for a horrible experience. Arnie, Jack and Gary would never play here in July! Almost impossible to hold onto new corded grips, sweat soaked by the second hole, sunglasses dripped on to the point of uselessness. Punched (nickel sized) and sanded greens were no fun. Played perfectly manicured Mauna Lani North (81 from tips) and South (79) with Paspalum greens and fairways the days before, FAR SUPERIOR. Why this so called monumental course accepts inferior grass strains is beyond contempt. Quirky roller coaster type design leaves much to be desired. Like dating a supermodel to find she's a complete bore with warts and rashes under her designer clothes. On the positive side the staff was very professional and attentive. Call ahead for course and weather conditions if you dare waste your money on an old reputation.

Excellent layout. Very challenging requiring precise approach shots to many elevated greens which are very well bunkered. The greens were quick but not crazy fast. This course will test all the club's in your bag. Expensive but worth it.

The good:

Breathtaking ocean views from almost all holes. Just absolutely beautiful course.

The bad:

The golf. Extremely penal course and basically target golf. ALL errant shots and even not so errant shots will be swallowed up by the thick and long stuff. Lost balls and penalties pile up quick. Expect to shoot 10-15 strokes higher than usual.

My only complaint is that the condition of the dtiving range is atrocious which was very disappointing considering the expensive greens. For 198 per person you shouldn't be hunting for grass to hit off of.

everything was great, except they overcharge my daughter off on the green fee's. Our round was a gift for my son and myself for the help we gave our daughter at her wedding the day before. Why did they charge her $250 plus tax, when lower green fees are what are advertised everywhere. I hate to see my daughter

get overcharge when she's starting out her life and doesn't have a pot to use ....? The beauty of the course was fantastic, esp if you're from Nebr. They should give you free ice tea when playing and all you have to do is tip for those exhorbatant fees. Course is great , but not worht $250 per person per round. Thank you.

I simply loved playing Mauna Kea. The course was in perfect condition. The views from most holes was somewhere between good and spectacular. Mauna Kea is bets for golfers who want to enjoy the scenery while also playing a challenging course. Of course you could just focus on your golf but wow what you'd be missing! I'd play this course again and again.

I wanted to love this course but I was just not blown away by the course. Not as visually stunning as I was expecting. A hard course for hackers.

Loved Mauna Kea. Fantastic challenging layout especially from the back tees. Wonderful conditions greens were fast, but a little brown and hard on 3-4 holes. Only drawback was the SLOW pace of play, over 4.5 hours and the back 9 over 2.5 hours. Played the day before the Mauna Kea Pro am so that probably made it slower than normal. Play this course if you get the chance.

All the amenities you could want. Beautiful course. Highly recommend.

Pretty sure I booked at $175 on golfnow.com, which is enough, but was charged $195 on arrival, and didn't want to make a scene in the proshop with other people in line. Mandatory valet parking with tip expected was also a bit of a turn-off. Layout of the course was great, very scenic, fairways were in awesome condition, even though we were sent out on the back 9, which is a minor thing in my book. My disappointment came in the fact that the greens had been heavily aerated and top-dressed, no warning, no discount, no relief in any way. I know courses have to do periodic maintenance, but I didn't expect that at $200. I had played Hapuna last week at $95 and found it a friendlier and more satisfying experience all-round, with good fairways and awesome greens.

My green fees were $75 less then normal due to golf now.com. They have a great real grass range to start and great practice greens. I played by myself and ever saw anyone in front or behind me. I hit OB a few times, but was glad to find replacements ProV1's in the same area where I had hit; I love it when that happens. Overall a great course and perfect location.

This legendary course tics off a bucket list for sure. The 1st course on the island, opened 1964. RTJ Sr. had some fun here...and you will too! Rees added bunkers in an "upgrade" around 2007 and now there are 99 of them. But ocean views from somewhere on every hole, elevated greens, and for me...forward tees that actually help, make it a course I want to play again and again.

We have played this course many time over our years of visiting the Big Island and enjoy it's staff, conditions and challenges.

This time we were furious by the time we finished our round due to the belligerently slow players in front of us. We were a twosome behind four players and caught them by the 4th hole. We understand playing as twosome this can happen but courteous players usually let us play thru when convenient, usually at a restroom break or at the turn. We never were asked to play though and at the end of our round there were 3 groups waiting to play in the 18th fairway. Not once did we see a marshal.

We complained to staff at the end of our round and were told that the players in front were "Platinum" members and sometimes were difficult.

I've wanted to try this course for a few years and finally took the plunge. The whole experience was just fantastic. The conditions were first rate, from tee to green. I would love to go back and play again, though it was not cheap as a non-guest.

Resort tees offered a good variety and challenging golf holes. Fast and smooth greens. Great ocean views.