Mauna Kea Golf Course

Robert Trent Jones Sr. opened Mauna Kea in 1964 as the first resort-based golf course on the island of Hawaii, and the first golf course anywhere built atop an ancient lava flow. The signature 3rd, a par-3 over ocean waves and a rocky shoreline, is one of Hawaii's most photographed holes. Rees Jones (the son) led a comprehensive renovation in 2007-08, adding bunkers, reseeding tee-to-green with new hybrid grasses, and lengthening the course. Golf Digest currently ranks Mauna Kea #31 on America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses, and 5th in Hawaii from 2015-16 and 2021-26. The course also appears on Golf Course Magazine's Best Courses You Can Play. Premium-resort pricing in the $$$ band, with the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel infrastructure providing the overall experience. For Big Island groups, this is the trophy round; the Hapuna course next door is the secondary play.