Makalei Golf Club

Dick Nugent & Associates designed Makalei Golf Club in 1992 on the western slopes of Hualalai Mountain above Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, a 7,091-yard par-72 layout routed through volcanic cinder cones, ancient lava tubes, and Kona coffee-country forest at 1,800-2,850 feet of elevation. The course is 13 minutes from Kona International Airport but feels like an alpine getaway. The elevation gives Makalei a distinctly cooler microclimate than the resort courses at Waikoloa or Mauna Kea, midday temperatures run 10-15°F below sea level. Rare sightings of pheasants, peafowl, and wild pigs add to the mountain character. Hosts over 100 tournaments annually. Bentgrass greens, Bermuda fairways. Peak green fee runs $165-245 depending on season, premium for Big Island resort pricing but substantial value for the unique upland setting. Fits a Big Island trip as the 'leave the beach resort for the mountain' change-of-pace round between Mauna Lani, Waikoloa, and Hualalai stops.