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Rating Index Rating
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3.6
754 Reviews (754)
5 Stars
182
4 Stars
338
3 Stars
140
2 Stars
58
1 Stars
36
Conditions
3.2
Value
3.9
Layout
4.2
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
4.1
Amenities
2.3
79.3%
Recommend this course
628 out of 754 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.5
22 Reviews (22)
5 Stars
5
4 Stars
7
3 Stars
6
2 Stars
3
1 Stars
1
Conditions
3.3
Value
3.7
Layout
4.1
Pace
4.1
Amenities
2.4
StaffFriendliness
4.5
72.7%
Recommend this course
16 out of 22 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.6
47 Reviews (47)
5 Stars
10
4 Stars
17
3 Stars
12
2 Stars
6
1 Stars
2
Conditions
3.2
Value
3.8
Layout
4.2
Pace
4.2
Amenities
2.1
StaffFriendliness
4.7
76.6%
Recommend this course
36 out of 47 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
This mountain course delivers a thrilling layout of dramatic elevation changes, steep terrain, and resident peacocks roaming the tee boxes. Friendly staff, relaxed pace of play, and strong value make it a rewarding Big Island experience.

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Style Woodland
Par 72
Length 7091 yards
Slope 144
Rating 74.3

Malakei Golf Club wanders through a colorful landscape of indigenous flora and fauna, providing a home to a variety of wildlife including peacocks, pheasants, and wild turkey. Situated in the Kona region of Hawaii, which is widely renowned for its coffee farms, the course offers dramatic elevation changes that range from 1,800 to 2,850 feet. The golf course plays through lush forests accented with lava tubes, cinder cones, and an ancient stone wall that dates back over a century. The fast bentgrass greens, rolling fairways, and cooler climate are reminiscent of a course in northern California but the stunning panoramic views will definitely remind you that you are in Hawaii. Malakei Golf Club's 15h hole is a signature hole thanks to its memorable scenery. It not only offers an incredible view of Maui's 10,000-foot Mount Haleakala, it is also your best chance for a hole in one.

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Course Details

Year Built 1992
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Dick Nugent (1992)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Fivesomes Allowed No. Only with permission.
Dress code Proper attire is required.

Food & Beverage

Restaurant, Beverage Carts

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in Hawaii (2016 #18)
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Reviews

3.6
754 Reviews (754)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 12
Course Challenges Include:
Elevation Changes 37
Bunkers 16
Thick Rough 15
This course/club is great for:
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 31
Advanced Golfers 18
Locals 18
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 22
Convenient to the City 19
Near the Airport 17

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 19
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart

Spectacular and Beautiful

The course is beautiful and the peacocks were mating!

The greens are in great shape.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Beautiful and fun course

Scenic course with view to the ocean. Lots of peacocks to keep you entertained while we waited between holes. Pace of play is OK, lots of single and twosome players. The course layout is fun, has some tight fairways and very hilly. Course condition is fine.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing

Not worth the drive

Very pour lay out. Very pour condition. Bunkers had no sand. Fairways had bare spots. No club house and no bathrooms.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Good value.

You get what you pay for. Greens are very good and difficult to avoid three putts.

Condition of fairways are indicative of cost to play. If they were imas good a condition as the greens it would be priced much higher.

I like playing the course. Very challenging.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

We had no data and course had no yardage markers.

Lucky I had scope in bag. But excellent hole by hole booklet.

Fairways were Weedy. Trees and sand had been removed compared to book.

Be prepared for different weather compared to lower Kona.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 12
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart

Everything was great, Course seems to be in a jungle, many peacocks, much elevation change, the only negative was we were told the course closes at 530 and we ushered off the course. Sunset is about 7pm, so this made no sense. In fact, I was in the fairway on 18, would have finished in 5-10 minutes. :(

Chris

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Truly unique

Nicest folks, good price - $40 on GolfNow. But the birds are so crazy. Peacocks on every hole along with parakeets, turkey, etc. that the golf is almost secondary - though it’s more than okay.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Unique

This course isn't for everyone however if youre up for a physical challenge, love wildlife, unique layouts and a challenge to your course management, this is for you. Staff is awesome.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 20
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Unique course and friendly staff.

This is a very unique course, be ready for a lot of angles and weird lies. The staff was extremely friendly and very easy to talk to. They had great advice on how to play the course. Weather is cooler due to higher elevation. The wildlife is pretty cool too.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

No other course like it.

To love this course like I do, you must appreciate a challenge. It’s Mountainside layout provides beautiful vistas and each hole requires a unique application of skill and strategy to achieve a good score.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Very unique coarse. Every hole is separate from all others Lush landscape, great views , lots of wildlife. A fun coarse to play. Some of the fairways were were a little rough and the traps are mostly sodded in. But that’s ok. I’m not PGA material so I didn’t need extra difficulty. Greens were in good shape. Enjoyed playing here more than Mauna Kea.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart

Fun mountainside course

Great course with some challenging holes and some stunning wildlife.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 10
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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