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Rating Index Rating
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3.6
762 Reviews (762)
5 Stars
185
4 Stars
339
3 Stars
141
2 Stars
60
1 Stars
37
Conditions
3.2
Value
3.7
Layout
4.2
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
4.2
Amenities
2.3
76.0%
Recommend this course
633 out of 762 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.5
26 Reviews (26)
5 Stars
8
4 Stars
6
3 Stars
6
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
2
Conditions
3.2
Value
3.6
Layout
4.3
Pace
4.2
Amenities
2.5
StaffFriendliness
4.4
69.2%
Recommend this course
18 out of 26 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.4
38 Reviews (38)
5 Stars
10
4 Stars
8
3 Stars
10
2 Stars
8
1 Stars
2
Conditions
3.0
Value
3.4
Layout
4.1
Pace
4.2
Amenities
2.2
StaffFriendliness
4.4
68.4%
Recommend this course
26 out of 38 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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Makalei Golf Club
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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
762 Reviews (762)

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 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 27
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Amazing layout

Enjoyed the challenge. Mountain course with eighteen very unique holes carved out of the jungle. Greens were tricky but a few of them were a bit weedy on the back nine. Worth visiting.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

poor course amenities

the bthrooms at the shop were out of order and the out houses on the course were no better than the the broken rooms at the bottom. not woman friendly. a great place for bird watching

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 22
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Great Value

Fun course with a great layout. Needs some tlc. Greens on the front were redone and nice. The green on the back needed some work. Fun hitting up and down a mountain. Really nice layout. Bonus is a unch of peacocks have made the course their home. They greet you at several tee boxes.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 27
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fun course…

Fun course. Rarely a flat lie! Greens were in excellent condition. Enjoyed seeing the peacocks again. One of the better courses for the money. We play it every time we come to the Big Island.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Love this course

I play it every time I come to Big Island. The course is beautiful greens are nice. Worth the drive up the hill

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Very hilly

This is a tough course that will humble you. Every hole is either straight up or straight down.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 58
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Previously Played

Very challenging course. Need to be part Billy goat

This course is high up and requires a lot of of driving up and downhill. There is 3000 feet of elevation gain as you play most fairways slope down up , left or right so you never have a flat lie. The greens are in decent shape better than most types. We’ve tried to play. Not much difference between fairway and rough and if you go off the roof, you are in jungle. This course is made to lose balls. Wild pigs have dug up many areas but fortunately not the greens. We played in the dry season so it was nice and cool with some cloud cover, which was very comfortable.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Most unique

Everyone should do this once for the experience. Major ups and downs and sideway lies. Greens were in pretty poor shape. Lots of peacocks and other birds. The pigs ruts are everywhere but not in fairways or greens. Great views. Be prepared for a little rain.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Previously Played

This course has gone from bad to worst

The fairway is full of wild grass. It is almost like playing rough everywhere. Even the greens have many patches of wild greases. Kind of disappointed as why come to Hawaii play this kind of poorly marinated golf course.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

This course was cut out of a jungle hillside and plays like it. A lot of uphill and downhill holes. The layout is great but needs some serious maintenance to bring it up to “playable”. The tee boxes are not in good shape. They were rough and poorly maintained. Found it hard to find a flat, grassy, smooth spot to tee from. The fairways need to be mowed tighter, Especially on the uphill holes, and especially the rough. The greens were in pretty good shape: putting surface was smooth and predictable.

Overall it’s a “fun” course to play, however it needs a lot of TLC and perhaps investors willing to spend enough to bring it up to par and properly maintain it.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Nice Layout But Poorly Maintained

Played here for 25 yr+. Used to be in good condition but has deteriorated recently. Greens are great but tee boxes, fairways, bunkers (those that are left) very poor condition. Great layout. Staff said owner died and relatives want to sell but apparently no takers. Really a loss for the local area. Over priced for what it is.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 24
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Needs Money!

This course could be great IF they spent real money maintaining it! Dire need of maintenance throughout property

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 15
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 15
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
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Golf Packages
Kapalua Resort Plantation Course - Hole 18

Best of Maui Golf Package

REQUEST QUOTE BELOW*
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and golf at the newly refined Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, the Ka'anapali Kai Course, or the King Kamehameha Golf Club.

Best of Maui Golf Package

REQUEST QUOTE BELOW*
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and golf at the newly refined Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, the Ka'anapali Kai Course, or the King Kamehameha Golf Club.
Kapalua Resort Bay Course

Maui Golf Around Package

REQUEST QUOTE BELOW*
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Napili Kai Beach Resort and golf at Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, Ka'anapali Kai Course, or King Kamehameha Golf Club.

Maui Golf Around Package

REQUEST QUOTE BELOW*
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Napili Kai Beach Resort and golf at Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, Ka'anapali Kai Course, or King Kamehameha Golf Club.
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