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Rating Index Rating
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3.7
736 Reviews (736)
5 Stars
177
4 Stars
333
3 Stars
135
2 Stars
56
1 Stars
35
Conditions
3.1
Value
3.9
Layout
4.1
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
4.0
Amenities
2.3
80.9%
Recommend this course
615 out of 736 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.2
12 Reviews (12)
5 Stars
2
4 Stars
2
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
0
Conditions
2.6
Value
3.1
Layout
3.8
Pace
4.1
Amenities
1.7
StaffFriendliness
4.5
66.7%
Recommend this course
8 out of 12 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.6
59 Reviews (59)
5 Stars
11
4 Stars
25
3 Stars
16
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
3
Conditions
3.1
Value
3.9
Layout
4.2
Pace
4.0
Amenities
2.2
StaffFriendliness
4.6
79.7%
Recommend this course
47 out of 59 reviews
Read Reviews

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

3.7
736 Reviews (736)

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Got rained out

Due to rain we were unable to play entire course. Discovered if it is a hot deal by golf now that the local course can’t refund a prorated refund. I did not know this. Now have to call golf now and they will have to call course to confirm and decide my refund. This just doesn’t seem right to me but local golf general mgr explained it very nicely. Just is out of his hands I have been a member for one year and this is first time I us d golf now

Conditions Excellent
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a year
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Wildlife alongside you at every hole

Absolutely stunning course made even cooler by the fact that you are accompanied by peacocks, chickens, and other exotic birds at every hole.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 18
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing

Quite the adventure

Played at twilight rate with rented Cobra stiff shaft clubs. Tee time was 2:04 pm but was told at counter carts need to be returned by 5:30 ?? It's quite a haul to 1st tee and when I got up there the guy at the range suggested I go off 10 as there was a large slower group that just went off 1st tee. (Kudos) got 18 in while taking in the sights and sounds with off and on rain showers. Did ok for no knowledge of course and really enjoyed myself. A little better course maintenance and better bunkers and this would be a great little gem. I would return to play it again.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Response from on 06/22/2018:
Hello, on behalf of the Makalei Hawaii Country Club staff we appreciate you taking the time to address your concerns as we are always looking to improve. We are sorry to hear that you were not happy with the conditions of the course but still hope you enjoyed your round. Again, we appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

This course has huge potential

I have played most of the Big Island courses but this was new to me. The layout is spectacular, if the VOG was not around then the views would be wonderful (I think). If you can hit it to your target off the tee it plays well. If you miss with a wayward shot then goodbye ball. Greens and fairways were in good condition but the bunkers MUST be repaired and put back in play. Let's hope the new ownership realizes the potential this course has. Enjoyed it so much I played it 3 times. The peacocks and other flora and fauna will keep you entertained even if your game is bad - a little bit of paradise.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 26
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Jungle golf

The course had to have been cut out of the middle of the forest. It is only up and down all fairways and all the greens are undulating. Peacocks everywhere. All in all, a great, different course than the typical Hawaii courses. A must visit if in Kona.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart
Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Response from on 05/01/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to review your experience with us, we truly appreciate your feedback and will certainly pass it along to our team. We hope to have another opportunity to welcome you back to the 5-star experience that you deserve.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Lousy condition

Nice, interesting layout. Course is in terrible condition. Not worth playing

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Response from on 04/30/2018:
Hello, thank you for sharing your review, We truly appreciate both your positive and constructive feedback regarding the course conditions and will be sure to pass it along to our team. We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our staff and sceneries at Makalei Hawaii Country Club, and also appreciate your input on our maintenance. We hope to welcome you back for an enjoyable experience on the course in the near future.
Played On
Reviews 21
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart

Beautiful course in the mountains of Hawaii

Great course, course condition was average to poor, but beautiful layout. Very hilly with large elevation changes. Different from the typical resort style courses you find in Hawaii.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 13
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Makalei golf club has magnificent views

Looking out over the course your can see the coast line and stunning beauty of the floral landscape and magnificent bird population, peacock birds everywhere.

The course itself was a bit rough from my expectations and the weather storms have left the woods covered with debris. They were looking for staff to hire as there was a lot to clean up.

Overall, we had a great day on the course.

The Stewart’s

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Beautiful well-designed hilly course excellent for more experienced golfers but also fun for less experienced Individuals

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Nice Course

First time playing this course. Take a 5 minute ride up the mountain, then play your way down. The fees and traps need a little work, but the rest of the course is quite nice. Enjoyable to play this layout. I would recommend. A good value.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 12
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Views

Views were great, very different. Grass was super thick around greens, which made it difficult to chip.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Response from on 04/09/2018:
We hope that you enjoyed playing our golf course and that you will see improvements in the course conditions the next time you are with us. Thank you for visiting Makalei Golf Club! Tee off with us again in the near future!
Played On
Reviews 19
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Exceptional Wildlife

You literally had to work your way through the peacocks, turkeys, wild pigs and countless small birds as well as mongoose, roosters, cats and the occasional golfer.

We lucked out and played a quick 18 between rain storms. The greens were good but could be quite a bit firmer for a semi-private course since many of the craters didn’t get repaired. The traps are currently being redone.

The layout is interesting with many huge elevation changes, but a few too many blind shots made necessary because of the steep uphill holes.

Impossible to walk as it could take a half hour to get to the first tee as the start and finish are a long way from the clubhouse. You must be careful with the cart as even the concrete cart paths can be so steep that you can’t stop.

We enjoyed this unique rainforest experience and would recommend it.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Perfect Your Slope Game

Amazing course for working on your slope swings. Fun course to blast drives far, and work on your slope swing. The wildlife was in deep mating season which created an “climatic” experience. Good golf. Nice staff. I recommend it if you are not here to play a $50000009 round. I think I got more out of this than I would have at a stiff collar snob course.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Poor course condition limited views

limited clubhouse amenities with no restaurant or bar open on Sunday - not very friendly clubhouse staff - poor driving range condition and mats - then the course started - very poor condition of course especially all the sand traps that were deemed under repair but appeared to be left unattended to never be fixed - the course used to be nice based on the layout but maintenance and financial issues must have beset course - greens and wildlife were the only pluses now to what may have been in the past a very nice golf course..... won't be going back

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Response from on 03/13/2018:
Thank you for taking the time to review our course. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and we will share it with the appropriate staff to correct any issues or make any improvements. We here at Makalei want all of our guests to have a memorable time out on the course, and we are sorry that your experience didn't live up to your expectations. We hope that we will have an opportunity to change your mind. Thank you for choosing to golf with us.
Played On
Reviews 16
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Unplayable beauty

Beautiful course - scenery and the peacocks are amazing. Layout is challenging because of the slope of the hills. You will almost never have anything close to a flat lie, and reading the greens is virtually impossible. Still - it is reasonably priced and worth the $'s just to see the views and the scenery. Nice people there too. Bunkers were under repair, which was not mentioned anywhere when I booked. That was a bit of an issue, but by the 3rd hole I as thankful for the free drop.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart

First time play in March 2018

I played this course in March 2018 for the first time. If you are staying in Kona you have to drive an hour and pay $150 to $200 to play any of the ocean courses. I played here because it was cheap at $60 and close.

Fairways and greens were in good shape.

The bunkers are under repair, and apparently always will be, I saw no repair going on. Besides the 150 stick, there were few distance markers.

I played twilight rates, and wanted to repeat a few holes but was chased off the course at 530, although dusk is at 630. If you play in the afternoon, you better check to find when they close.

Course was relatively empty, I play six holes by myself then caught up to a twosome and finished with them. There is no ranger, the threesome in front of us were bad golfers and slow, which is fine, but they never waved us through.

The course is built onto a mountain and most fairways run either up or down. NO ocean views at all. You typically hit down into the par threes. Being from Illinois i am not used to elevation changes and i typically over-hit the par threes and wound up off the back. You would have to play the course a few times to figure out what clubs to use on those holes.

Scenery is awesome, its like playing through a jungle. I saw 100 peacocks, turkeys, other birds, mongoose. there are wild pigs but i did not see them.

The couse would get more play and be more enjoyable if they put up more distance markers, (how expensive is a 100 yard stick?). How about some signs at the Par 3, saying "Due to elevation change, play this 160-yard hole as if it were 130", i have seen that at other courses. How about repairing some of the bunkers around the greens.

i enjoyed the course and the chance to play without spending a fortune. With a little work, it could be a much more enjoyable day.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 03/08/2018:
Hello. Thank you for taking the time to review our course, Makalei Hawaii Country Club. We are happy to know that you enjoyed the layout and the beautiful scenery surrounding the course. We were disappointed to read that your experience did not meet your expectations. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and we will share it with the appropriate staff to correct any issues or make any improvements. We want all of our guests to have a memorable time out on the course. We hope that we will have another opportunity to welcome you back for the five-star experience you deserve.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fun golf course

This is a challenging golf course, with peacocks all around to greet you! Course is really dry but played here many times and enjoyed it!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 12
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Fun.... but

This course is fun and challenging, however not for tourists. This not a beach course. Lots of wild life but not close to the water. I would play it again, but do t expect a resort course

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Fair
Response from on 02/26/2018:
Thanks for writing a review! We glad to hear that you had an enjoyable round. We're sorry that your experience didn't quite match your expectations, but we're very pleased to hear that you would like to come back. Thanks for choosing Makalei Hawaii Country Club. We hope to see you again very soon.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Very fun course

If you want to play an impeccably manicured course, look elsewhere.

If you want to play a fun course where everyone is friendly and not too serious, this may be the course for you,

Played this course in February and got off to a good start with very friendly staff in the proshop followed by a polite and informative starter/cart man.

All of the other groups we met on the course were having fun and some of them were pretty decent golfers.

During your round, you will encounter peacocks, turkey's, and all kinds of other birds. It is also common to come across wild pigs.

When we played the course, the bunkers were being repaired and basically unplayable but all in all had a very pleasant round.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
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