Mauna Kea Golf Course

Few golf courses in the world carry the origin story Mauna Kea does. Laurance Rockefeller commissioned Robert Trent Jones Sr. to design it in 1964, and what Jones created on the lava-strewn Kohala Coast became one of the most celebrated resort courses of the 20th century. The 3rd hole — a par-3 requiring a carry over a stunning Pacific cove — became an instant icon, widely regarded as one of the great short holes anywhere on earth. Arnold Palmer played the opening round, and the course's reputation as a landmark of American resort golf was sealed almost immediately.

The setting itself is dramatic and disorienting in equal measure. The course sits on hardened lava fields along the Big Island's western shore, where the terrain is austere and volcanic while the ocean views are relentless. Winds off the Pacific are a constant variable, and the contrast between the black rock and the bright turf gives the whole property an otherworldly feel.

Mauna Kea underwent a significant restoration in 2008 that honored Jones's original intent while refreshing the infrastructure. It remains the anchor of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and a serious pilgrimage destination for golfers who care about where the modern resort golf era actually began.