Makalei Golf Club

Great challenging course with nice layout. They had just reopened after the storm and the downed trees were incredible. Very destructing. But course was fun and had a good time. It’s higher up so not as warm. Lots of peacocks and chickens

Fairways , tee boxes and bumpers a mess .

Love layout , greens good . Golf carts on last legs

Good time out with two buddies shot best round for year

This course looks nothing like the pictures shown. Only green grass is on the greens which were pretty good. Fairways and tee boxes all brown covered with weeds. Bunkers don't exist, either overgrown or just gravel.

This might be the worst golf money I have ever spent.

Negatives:

The only sign of green grass on a fairway or tee box were weeds and some were knee high.

All bunkers were either GUR, overgrown, mud, or gravel.

No way to know where to hit your tee shot as the “rough” and “fairway” are both just brown hard pan, dirt and weeds.

Cart went twice as fast down the steep hills as a normal cart and appeared to be 20 years old, no padding, & blood all over the sanitized seat.

Positives:

Greens were actually pretty good.

Layout is pretty good

Cart paths are excellent

Beautiful trees

Drives go 300-400 yards as the “fairways’ are rock hard with no grass. Who knows where it might end up.

Course is very challenging and a couple rounds would help with the aiming and placement for improved scoring opportunities.

Fairways need water

Fair ways like rock even if you hit right down the middle it will roll off , to bad could be really nice

Fairways are so dry your ball will travel far after landing. Not always a good thing! Course could use some rain. Greens are in super shape however. There some notorious pin placements due to undulations.

I really like this course. I love seeing all the peacocks.

Layout is fantastic, as are many views. Greens are very good, hard to read which is typical for mountain greens. More irrigation would definitely help conditions. My understanding is that the course changed hands and money is tight. However, they are working on it and I’ll definitely play it again.

while it is undergoing new ownership...this will always be our favorite...a very interesting layout...flat lies are uncommon...a real challenge..

In its heyday...this was a phenomenal course...it has come on hard times but they have managed to keep it open. Yes...the bunkers are horrible at best...but we see good times coming for this course...play it...

Love the course hole by hole. Regret there is not presently enough money available for maintenance. We were told today the course has been sold to Korean investors and they intend to return it to resort course condition. I will be overjoyed when they do. Always play this course when we come to the Big Island.

This is a unique course. Because of its setting on the side of a volcano and in a rain forest, the course is lush green with many challenging but fun holes. Several holes are straight down hill, which makes for long drives and challenging lies. Whenever I visit the Big Island, I always play Makalei.