Makalei Golf Club

Played early afternoon with no crowds - light rain to begin the round, but cleared up. Allowed to start early - which I did. Lloyd at the front desk was the most hospitable and friendly employee I've ever met at a golf course. I'd come back to play in a heartbeat - but only visiting for a short time. I hope to return!

Very unique course- a must play for avid golfers looking for a fun time-would question capabilities of reviewers that gave poor rating-challenging but playable if you pay attention

Only down side was that we were a party of 4 and there were mostly twosomes so we were being rushed and although we let people play through it was still backed up.

Some people enjoys the course, but some people who

is long driver fills not good. The fairway is just natural not

keep well.

Another great day at Makalei. The course is undergoing extensive repairs, but with my rewards I played for practically free. That deserves an excellent rating from me. No one out there. Had a great time by myself.

No clubhouse at the moment. Course in ok condition - sand traps often with no or little sand. Greens good.

Experience an upcountry Big island course with rolling terrain and elevation. Views and nature surround the course.

Friendliest and helpful staff on the island, you instantly are at home here. Bent grass greens will keep u guessing. Enjoy a cooler climate too

Staff was friendly, maybe a bit rushed as they are understaffed. This course could be 5 stars, pretty cool layout except a weird finish and you have to drive past 10 and 11 to get back to the parking lot. The clubhouse is currently a trailer and nothing to see here. No beverage cart so bring your own. Peacocks were pretty cool and did not expect that. The playing surface was absolute crap, fairways probably need to be killed and re-seeded. the greens are pockmarked with holes, looks like one of the volcanos dropped rocks on the greens. Starter should probably give a lesson to each player on how to fix a ball mark. I would not pay to play here again. Course probably needs an investor willing to dump a bunch of cash into this place. Could be awesome.

When you play in the mountains of Hawaii, you can expect rain showers. We experienced a 14 hole shower, but still had a blast. The hole layouts are challenging (maybe too much for some), but the views are spectactular and the combination of the two makes rounds here lots of fun. The staff was really friendly and helpful. I only have two soft complaints. 1) They are renovating the clubhouse, so the temp facilities aren't fantastic (though the temp bathrooms are impressive). 2) There is a really long drive to the first tee, so please heed their warning of getting to the course in plenty of time to get to the practice green, range and first hole - I would suggest getting there 30 minutes before your tee time to give yourself time to take some putts - longer if you want to hit at the range. Overall, great course and staff!.

Greens were ok, my dead front yard would be a better fairway. Pretty cool layout, you have to drive your cart past 10 and 11 to get back to the club house which is a trailer at the moment. I would not play here again and wasted precious time on the island here I’ll never get back. They probably need to kill the fairways and start over. This course needs a real investor and could be really special.

This course is very hilly and can be narrow in spots. Thick vegetation immediately off the fairway, and lots of up or down hill lies mean you should be prepared to lose more than a few balls.

The greens are in excellent condition, but they too have lots of slope and undulations. Extra judgement is required in club selection, as there are many holes with steep uphill or downhill fairways.

Currently there is no Clubhouse other than a trailer, as the old one has been torn down, and the new one is yet to be built.

Also check the weather conditions, as this course is on the mountain above Kailua-Kona, so gets more rain than those nearer the shore. This has pros and cons in that it it is beautiful (like golfing in Jurassic Park), but heavy rains can force you off the course when only showers are predictedfor the beaches. Being at higher elevation, it is often 10-15 degrees cooler than down by the beaches, so bring warmer clothes along with your rain gear.

All in all, this course is one of the least expensive on the Big Island and is a beautiful and challenging course for intermediate and above players, but I don't recommend for new players or those who have a lot of difficulty controlling shots from uneven lies.