The Mauna Lani Resort Golf Club offers players the option of two championship golf courses, plus a course specifically designed for juniors aged 18 and under. The Club is part of the Mauna Lani Resort, but golfers need not be guests of the hotel to use the facilities.
Both of the Club's top-flight courses are named after Francis H. I'i Brown, the Big Island's territorial representative in the early 20th century. Brown was an avid golfer, adventurer and sports fisherman who acquired the land in order to develop it for golf in the 1930s. The fairways and greens were remarkably constructed amid dark black lava fields, and the original 18-hole course opened in 1981 to rave reviews.
The Mauna Lani Resort Golf Club received Golf Magazine's Gold Medal Award every year from 1988 on. It has been played by such gold legends as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Chi Chi Rodriquez, Gary Player, and Hale Irwin, to name but a few.
The current North Course represents Hawaiian golf at its best. Its grassy layout atop the lava bed features rolling terrain and Kiawe (mesquite) forests. The par-three 17th hole is its signature challenge, nestled within a natural lava amphitheater. The course is also bordered by a 230-acre protected archaeological district to the north, where herds of feral goats are sometime encountered.
The South Course is similarly positioned with lava formations and palm trees marking its perimeter. This was the home of the annual Senior Skins Game for eleven consecutive years, from 1990 to 2000. The course snakes through the rugged lava flows to offer players unmatched views of the Big Island's mountains and oceans. Its 15th hole ranks among the world's most photographed over-the-water golf course holes.
For younger players, the Club's nine-hole Keiki Golf Course is the only one of its kind in Hawaii, especially designed for children and teens. It offers the opportunity for youngsters to learn and enjoy golf without the challenges of a full-scale 18-hole course. For beginners, lessons are available. An adult must accompany Keiki golfers under the age of 14.
Apart from the golf courses themselves, the Club also features a Golf Academy with a variety of private lessons and clinics. These range from a simple half-hour of instruction to special classes for families, covering a full range of golf topics, from an introduction to the game to putting, full swing, and actual practice on the course's signature holes.
A Pro Shop is located on site, selling the latest golf and resort wear. There are such name-brand products as Nike, Polo, Greg Norman, Tommy Bahama Golf, Tori Richards and others. Besides apparel, the shop offers golf equipment, including hybrid woods, iron sets, drivers, wedges and putters, as well as golf balls, caps and leather gloves.
The Mauna Lani Resort Golf Club is located near the town of Waimea at 68-1310 Mauna Lani Drive, Kohala Coast, Hawaii 96743. Greens fees on the North and South courses begin at $160 per round for Mauna Lani Resort guests and $260 for others. The Keiki Course can be accessed for just $25 for children and $35 per accompanying adult. Cart, club and shoe rentals are available, too.
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