Makalei Golf Club

Got a good rate on golfnow but still not much of a deal. The course has lots of elevation change since it's up the hill from Kona and there's lots of birds to see BUT the course is not in good shape. They said they aerated the greens which is good to know but they hadn't cut the greens in days so that it was ridiculous trying to putt on them. You needed to hit the ball really hard at the hole. One on the stimpmeter. Courses still cut the grass even after aerating. First bunker I was in my club bounced to the ball since the sand was so hard. Layout was good but this course needs a lot of maintenance.

Very well maintained, interesting layout, hilly but very playable for all. High in the hills so weather always and views a great plus. Greens fees also best on the island and deals make it even better
Played many times and will continue to do so, only bummer this trip was greens just aerated so putting very erratic but expected...still a great round. Will continue to lay there every trip

The course needs some maintenance. Most of the tee boxes had not been repaired in some time. It didn't affect play, only the aesthetics. If you are expecting great views, this is not the place to go. You occasionally catch a glimpse of the coast. The uphill holes are as tough as the downhill holes are easy. The greens and fairways had a lot of weeds growing through them, but only slightly affected play. The bunkers were hard packed. If they aren't going to maintain them, they might as well turn them into grass bunkers.
If you are a resident, the resident rate of $33 (I think) is reasonable, but the visitor rate of $100 is too high when you consider you can play the course at the Hapuna resort for the same price and it is more convenient and in better condition. It can be cooler up at Makalei, so it is much more pleasant in the afternoon than on the coast.
They start you out on the 8th hole. I think they do this because of its proximity to the practice range. It is a little hard to find your way around if you are not familiar with the course, and starting on the eighth hole makes it easier. The range balls should be replaced. You probably would do as well just making practice swings of your different clubs. Hitting the range "balls" won't tell you much about your warm up.
The staff was friendly and helpful. You might want to play it once if you have some spare time or you can only play in the afternoon and you want a cooler climate. I won't go back.
Yes, as everyone else has noted, there are peacocks on almost every hole, but I don't play golf for the wildlife. DON'T try to walk this course. There are long distances between holes and there are very steep inclines.

We were incredibly excited to play this course as we have played numerous other courses on our stay and loved them all. When we arrived we discovered the course had been aerated just the week before. We were not notified at booking that this was the case. Upon the start it was evident the course was not in great shape with the rough being 3-5" deep. They started us on the 8th tee with little instruction on how I find it. When we finished 8-18 we followed the signs back to supposed 1 hole and was told we did not go the right way. We said we followed the signs and were told we made the mistake because we followe the old signs (only signs posted). We then went all the way back and followed the #12 sign to the first hole. The greens were atrocious as they had been aerated and cross hatched. Also ungroomed and played slow as molasses. It was impossible to judge the putt. Outside of the cart lady who was extremely nice the course attendees were dismissive and unhelpful. The starter even laughed when we commented on the aerated greens. We will never play here again or recommend it to anyone.

This course is in serious trouble. Poor fairways, overgrown, and recent aeration makes this a poor choice on the Big Island.

Upon arrival for our 2:36 tee time, we were told that we had to be back at the club house by 6pm. This course takes 5-7minutes of hilly climbing trails to get to the first hole, which by the way is actually the 8th hole. Even as a two-some, we were only able to get 14 holes in due to the hilliness and difficulty of the course....DO NOT BOOK THIS COURSE after 1pm.

BE WARNED...there is NOW WATER ON THE COURSE that is potable. It's not until the 12th tee that you circle back to the club house where you will pay for water as there are no drinking fountains. Oh...and the staff could care less.

Great mountain side course. Great views of the Kona coast from several holes. If you haven't been close to peacocks, this is the place. Greens very good. Tees and fairways OK. 15th hole, a downhill par 3 with water on left side has to be the signature hole. Would definitely play again

I've played here for 13 years and have never been bored. It is a high risk--high reward with elevation changes, bent grass greens and great vistas from over 2000ft. It's a "must play" golf course and one you will want to come back to ASAP.

As a novice golfer this course was very challenging. Its natural beauty, layout and views were breathtaking at times. But the course appears to be designed for resort quality that has fallen into disrepair. The greens were in pretty good shape but the fairways were terrible. It was difficult to distinguish when you were on the fairway versus the rough unless you considered the barren dirt the fairway. There were no range balls available because the pick up machine for range balls was out of service. We tee'd off early and mostly had the course to ourselves, guess that attests to the conditions. Upon return to the club house ther was no one there to receive us and attend to cart and bags. Saved a tip on that one. I would recommend if you want to enjoy the surroundings but not expect too much on the quality of the course and staff, if you can get a good rate

Enjoyed the challenge- Expected more people on the course - Played in under 3 hours

Roosters, chickens, peacocks & great views.

Very hilly, lots of walking even with the cart (cart path only much of the course). Lots of shots where feet above or below the ball.

High handicappers need to bring lots of golf balls.

Clubhouse closed at 2:30pm so we didn't get our after round beverages.

The foursome in front of us spent too much time looking for there lost balls.

If I lived here it might become my home course.

Beautiful jungle setting and a bit cooler than being at the coast. Course was in decent condition. Beautiful sweeping views once you get up to the top.

I played this course twice during my stay in Kona. I was surprised to see that there were few golfers playing on a clear day in the summer, but no waiting on either day. There are trees in bushy grass all over. Not an easy course to play, but a fun challenge for an average golfer. Peacocks waiting to take pics at every tee box. Beautiful scenery.

This is one of my favorite courses on the Big Island a MUST PLAY if you love Golf and fantastic visual experience.

The staff at the facility was excellent. It was a nice cool environment on the course.

This was my first time playing on the other islands besides Oahu. Apparently the Big Island is a burgeoning golf capital so being a couple decade golfer, I had to play. This course offered the best non-resident rates on the island. It's a little drive up the hillside but the views as well as the course itself was absolutely esthetically pleasing. Challenging, but not impossible. Nice hole setup! Overall, I was very pleased for the money I paid. Eddie, the cart manager, was amazing. He definitely made the round that much more enjoyable. Oh, and there are peacocks EVERYWHERE. Honestly, it gave us a good laugh to be monitored and sometimes chased away by them. They were great fill-ins for the course marshall.

Aside from everything great, I was a little dissatisfied at the course not offering the "resident" rate although I live and work in Oahu (I didn't have a Hawaii driver's license). Not a deal-breaker, but I was a little upset that I had to pay almost double, BUT, that was with every course on the island that I called.

Overall, definitely a great play.

Played this course on first day of 5 for the week.
Nice views, nice conditions, peacocks everywhere.
Was the most protected from the wind club that I played all week.. Something to look at if you need to play in the afternoon or on a windy day.

By far the worse cut greens I've ever played on. The mowing wasn't even overlapping, not to mention they hadn't been cut in days. I'd recommend this course only because when I returned 5 days later, the greens were in excellent condition, like the rest of the course. They also need to give the young lady at the desk some attitude training=very unfriendly demeanor.

A little out of the way, but a great value with just a $25 fee through last minute golf and Golf Now. Interesting lay-out and course in pretty good shape, except for very slow and furry greens. They were punched in the last 1-2 weeks, but VERY long. Easy to 2 putt, very hard to 1 put unless you were within 3 feet. Even with the green conditions (I assure they get better), a course I would play again, even it the deal was not so good. Fun course and great views.

Very hilly terrain made the course challenging. Strategic ball placement is necessary to score well. Beautiful setting with fabulous flora and fauna....with peacocks everywhere. I tried to take a picture of an albino peacock, and had one of the males charge me! We teed of at 6:45 a.m., had a break for great burgers mid-day, and signed up for another 18 after lunch. We had a light rain, which meant nothing to those of us from the Pacific Northwest, but it cleared the course and left the whole place to us :-) Loved it!!

Challenging course with uneven lies, quick firm greens. Great views, lots of wildlife, friendly companions.