Makalei Golf Club

Playing at Makalei is a real treat!

The Pro Shop Staff are friendly, knowledgable and efficient. The Starters are all friendly informative and efficiently keep players on the course rather than waiting.

Once at the First Tee you get a glimpse of Hawaii as you believe it should be. From then thru the 18th you will only glimpse other players on the course. What you will see is a myriad of animal life. Including of course the abundant Peacocks that are the course logo.

This course is truly a hidden gem.

A beautiful course, meandering through a lush rain forest as you approach the tee. Picturesque tee boxes and walls built of lava. Fairways And greens in excellent condition. Colorful peacocks are scattered throughout the course, feeding and sometimes even approaching you curiously. The Hawaiian state bird, Nene, and multiple other birds abound. Enjoy a great panoramic views of the shoreline below. Really like driving through a rain forest while enjoying a wonderful round of golf.

Staff very friendly, and pro shop has some nice clothing selections.

This was the first course we played in any of our visits to Hawaii. Normally they jacked the price up so high you can't afford to play Anywhere. On an off chance we decided to look at golf now and see if anywhere on Kona we could play. To our surprise we found a wonderful course with wonderful people running it at an affordable price the rental clubs were Top Notch restaurant and pro Shop we're small but first-rate. This course alone is enough that when we return to the islands Kona will be one of our stops.

This course is considered more like a muni course. This place is very crowded. Play is extremely slow, groups do not let faster players play through. Course marshals really do not help speed up play. Also beware when you make tee times, they sometimes quote you one price but when you get there you are given another price. Next time I'm on the Big Island I would never consider playing here again. Nice view but the frustration and waiting isn't worth the view or price.

Played Makalei in 2011-2012, total of 4x.

was such a good value....back then!!

Today, September 7, 2016. not so much. Visitor rate 3x that of local resident rate; $60 versus resident $19.50. For a course in poor condition, not a maintenance person in sight on the course. This is very unusual for a Hawaii course.

For a course where ONLY the greens are being maintained. Probably due to the course is up for sale, now reduced 1/2 after a year on the market.

Tees not well kept, fairways have 6" tall crab type grass sporadically growing, even down the middle. Rough 1st cut is 6" tall, rough around greens 6" and ragged.

Disappointed in value, will not return until new ownership comes aboard.

sad, this may not happen and what could happen is the loss of this once great, non resort type Big Island golf course.

I liked this course. I'm from CA and it plays like a hilly course from that state. Still its a fair golf course that makes you think how to hit your shot. The complementary yardage book was a must. I'm a 12 and played from the whites and shot an 88 with only a few penalties. Keep it in play and it is fun. The staff is very friendly and the prices on the course and at the restaurant are reasonable. Solid value for a Hawaii course and pace of play on a Sunday morning was 4:15...not too shabby.

This where the locals play. It's different than most courses on the island since it's quite hilly. They say it's 9 up and 9 down.

Really fun to play with challenging and signature holes. I'm not fond of shooting uphill but alas, it's one of golf's challenges, especially here. Afternoons are the best on your pocketbook. We had the course to ourselves on the 2 weekday afternoons we played and used the $23 nine hole deal. The staff is kind enough to let you fit in as many as you can before their appointed cart return time which is very nice.

Tip: Balls can be frequently lost in the thick brush that line the fairways so bring some extras.

Great course for the money. The views and wild peacocks added to awesome experience. Would recommend to friends and family..

Rained all the way to the course. Five minute cart right up the mountain to the first hole. First 3 holes in the clouds. Rained so hard on some holes had to stop to wait it out. Played last 4 holes in 1 under. Loved every minute.

Great course to test your accuracy and stamina!!! Peacocks are the only noise as course is very quiet. Very friendly workers.

Makalei GC, great track, wonderful layout with a variety of elevation changes and wonderful views. Very challenging and a true test of you skills. Makalei - "I'll be back!"

Course layout is great. Golf carts could use some updating, but overall a playable course if you hit it straight.

Very friendly staff. Played on Mother's Day so we had the course to ourselves. Will play again next time I'm in Kona.

Great bang for the buck. Challenging layout. Greens in good shape but a little slow and erratic.

Second time playing this course and we love it. It is sheltered from the wind nicely. It was nice and cool while Kona was hot and muggy. The peacocks were a lot of fun, there was at least 2 on every hole. We will come back again because we know this course is a guaranteed good time.

A fun day. Cooler than I expected but a fun day nonetheless. Pace of play was slow at first but sped up on the back. The greens were in great shape. The fairways were good. The staff was super friendly and helpful. It was worth the trip up the hill.

Peacocks abound this course. Picturesque par 3s. Great value using Golfnow deal, paid $11 18 holes with cart. They rearranged some of the hole #s. GPS may not reflect the current hole designation

Very fun course to play. If you're not used to playing holes on steep slopes both uphill and downhill this course is relatively challenging. The weather is very nice and cool being fairly high in the cloud forest area. There are lots of peacocks, turkeys, pheasants, and little yellow birds all over the course. Overall a very entertaining day of golf.

Great course- very challenging!
Enjoyed the natural topography
Beverage cart non- existent and no water on the course

Drove by the course going to/from Mauna Kea. Loved it! Very unique. You head uphill quite a ways to get to the driving range and hole #1. Ended up going to over 3,000 ft elevation. Some incredible views down to the ocean, great holes with lava, palm trees, lots of birds, wildlife, peacocks, etc. Had a really great time. Grass was not in perfect shape but wasn't bad. I would golf this course every week if I lived here. Will definitely come again next time I am on the island.

Fun course if you stay on the fairway. Long grass off fairway. A lot of great holes but played in a downpour most of the round. Would play again in better weather.