I haven’t posted much about this topic recently as I was busy chasing 1,000 courses. But, one of my golf goals has been to play a round of golf in all 50 states. I’ve golfed in 48 states and a friend of mine has golfed in 49. We decided this would be the year we would celebrate playing all 50 states together.

The two states I’ve been missing for a while now are Hawaii and Alaska. We spent a week in Hawaii on the Big Island in February. Ultimately, we played five rounds of golf and did some other tourist things. It was an enjoyable time in a wonderful part of the country.

Mauna Kea Golf Course was the first Hawaii course we played. It looked to be one of the best courses on the island and it gets ranked as one of the top public courses in Hawaii. Overall, I was happy with Mauna Kea as my pick to represent the 49th state where I’ve golfed!

The course is part of a resort with a nice hotel and there is a second course – Hapuna – which we played later in the week. Mauna Kea is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design that opened in 1965. It recently went through a renovation and while the turf still needs some time to mature, it is a wonderful course.

Mauna Kea is located along the Big Island’s dramatic coastline and has a number of stunning views. Even some of the inland holes have views of the ocean. Personally, I think views here are as good as you’ll find anywhere. And, the par-3’s are pretty special.

The course should get your attention early, as the 2nd and 3rd holes are a couple of the signature holes. The 2nd is a shorter par-4 – 357 yards from the blue tees – that plays downhill towards the ocean. The 3rd is a 205 yard par-3 that plays over a section of the ocean. It is a dramatic par-3 that can play up to 272 yards from the tips. Yikes. The 11th is another great par-3 that plays downhill towards the ocean.

There is quite a bit of land movement throughout the course. We played the tournament tees which are 73.6/140/6806. My suggestion would be to try to miss on the high side if possible. Off the tee, I found Mauna Kea to be fairly playable. The greens are tricky with a number of false edges.

Our green fee was about $250 and while pricey, I think Mauna Kea is worth the splurge. The conditions were in line with the premium price. Everything was in great shape. As the new greens age, they should become more receptive.

I’d highly recommend a round at Mauna Kea if you are visiting the Big Island. The views are mint. The property is wonderful and the design is solid. Make sure to put Mauna Kea on your list of Hawaii courses to play.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):