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Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Golfing in Paradise | March/April 2002

Golfing in Paradise: Mauna Kea Golf Course
By Marcus Ocean

Among Mauna Kea's attractions is its world-renowned third hole, one of the first par 3s ever to put an expanse of ocean between the tee box and the green.

The Mauna Kea Resort Golf Course, located on the North Kohala Coast of the Big Island, is a course steeped in old-style traditions. The visionary and very wealthy Laurance S. Rockefeller and noted golf architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. joined together more than 35 years ago to build a world-renowned course, which, at the time, was very far off the beaten track.

While Rockefeller was placing his world-class Mauna Kea Resort hotel on the white-sand beaches of Kauna'oa Bay, Jones was laying out the course up and down the rugged lava-strewn hillside overlooking the bay. Rockefeller had asked just one thing from Jones: Make the course the finest in the land.

Jones did just that.

I had played this course a couple of years ago, but this time I had the benefit of playing with Mauna Kea Resort's head golf professional, Scott Bridges. We had met previously, when he was the head pro at the nearby Mauna Lani Resort, whose golf courses get almost as much attention as does Mauna Kea.

As we started off, Bridges filled us in on the course: "It's a very traditional, old-style layout that challenges you in many ways," not with trickery, but by encouraging you to think about ball placement from tee to green.

At the first hole, the wide fairway allows you to really hit away without the fear of getting caught up in either side of the fairway tree lines. Because the first green is elevated, you can't see how severely sloped it is. Bridges suggested that with the pin being in the back, we should hit on the upper tier of the green. I was on the green apron and short, but my playing partner was on the top.

When I commented on how enormous the green was, Bridges explained that architect Jones had placed the emphasis on shot-making into the greens, then putting. Said Bridges: "Big greens make you think your way through almost every shot. Even though this layout is quite long at 6,737 yards, accurate shot-making is key, not how long you can go off the tee."

While I was under the hole and able to chip close for a par, my partner, who was pin-high, rolled his putt just over the left edge of the cup-and it kept rolling and rolling, winding up farther than before. That's what makes this course such a joy to play. You can reach a green in regulation, but that doesn't guarantee a par. You have to pay attention to details.

The same thing occurred on the short second hole. A back-to-front-sloped green makes you target the pin or expect a three putt. It turned out to be another par for me. I was liking this a lot.

Coming up was the most acclaimed hole of this magnificent course, the par-3 No. 3 (pictured on page 34, bottom photo). It holds the distinction of being one of the first par-3 layouts ever built that placed a wide expanse of ocean between the tee box and the green.

Bridges told us to grab our drivers and we headed up to the black championship tees. The tees are not open to the public, but the course is considering reopening the back area early this year. "Everyone wants to try to get to the green from the black tees, just like Arnold Palmer did on the opening round here," Bridges explained. "The Big Three, Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, were invited to open the course, and when they arrived at this hole, only Palmer found the green."

From the black tees, you're looking at 220 yards of carry over the Pacific Ocean to a heavily bunkered, double-tiered, enormous green. And there's a snappy crosswind blowing. Bridges hit a fairway wood and found the rocks short of the green. I bailed out right of the green. Even though I didn't make it on the putting surface, I was thrilled that I had hit from the back tees.

We then moved down to our regular tournament tee box, still a 200-yard distance, to hit our regulation shots. Our host struck a beautiful 4-iron right at the pin. As I stood there, I thought: I just want to get this shot airborne and watch it float gently down onto the center of the green. Mentally pushing aside the rocky ledge hugging the green's front edge, I swung-and lo and behold, my 5-wood did just that. I could now enjoy the rest of the course with the knowledge that I had managed a par on Mauna Kea's No. 3.

The course doesn't get any easier. The fourth hole climbs straight uphill and is reachable in two only if you remember to club up at least two. It's the most difficult par 4 on the course-followed by perhaps the most difficult par 5 in Hawai'i. There are big old trees down the length of the right side of this 570-yard hole. Again, you climb uphill and face a heavily bunkered green.

The second par 3 on the front side, No. 7, doesn't have the beauty of the first, but it is as difficult-an uphill 175-yard carry that must land on the green, or it will slide off to oblivion.

In addition to the third hole, cameras tend to come out at the eighth hole tee box, as this is the highest point on the golf course and offers an expansive view of the coastline.

With good advice from the pro, I finished the front side in a very respectable, for me, 4-over-par. But then the course penalized me for being too confident and not thinking. The first three holes on the back side are handicapped at 2, 10 and 12 respectively, and collectively will cause you difficulty. Even Bridges, who had been shooting par or better throughout the front side, was caught up in misplaced approach shots.

Two visually stunning holes, 13 and 14, allowed me the chance to get back into the game with pars.

The two closing holes present real challenges. The 17th, a hard-bending par 5 that's 555 yards long, has many bunkers that require you to lay up short, both off the tee and at the green.

More bunkers show up in the next fairway and completely surround the green. Although it's downhill all the way from tee to green, the challenge here is position golf. You won't have a flat lie. This hole is truly something special.

As you walk off this green, you realize that the few hours of pleasure here rolled by way too fast. To be surrounded by the beauty of the North Kohala area-and to be given the opportunity to play a magnificent layout created by a golf architect-genius-made for one of my most enjoyable rounds of golf ever.

Hamakua Country Club
Honoka'a • 775-7244

Hapuna Golf Course
Kohala Coast • 880-3000

Hilo Municipal Golf Course
Hilo • 959-9601

Kona Country Club
Kailua-Kona • 322-2595
Makalei Hawai'i Country Club
Kailua-Kona • 325-6625

Mauna Kea Golf Course
Kohala Coast • 882-5405

Mauna Lani Resort-North Course
Mauna Lani Resort-South Course
Kohala Coast • 885-6655

Naniloa Country Club
Hilo • 935-3000

Seamountain Golf Course
Pahala • 928-6222

Volcano Golf & Country Club
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park • 967-7331

Waikoloa Beach Golf Club-Beach Course
Waikoloa • 886-6060

Waikoloa Beach Golf Club-Kings' Course
Waikoloa • 886-7888

Waikoloa Village Golf Club
Waikoloa • 883-9621