I really don't remember much about the round since I spent most of the time chatting up Clint Eastwood and Alice Cooper who were playing in front of us. I remember the course being in decent shape, and having some nice holes, but mainly it was about seeing how often I could hit into Dirty Harry before he blew me away! Fortunately, "The Man With No Name" kept his .44 Magnum in the holster and we caught up with him a few holes later while waiting for the group in front of them. We chatted for awhile (they were both REALLY down to earth and friendly) about golf and such, and they went on their way. It was just one of those, "did that just really happen" moments. Another thing I remember was watching the sunset over Molokini, it was nothing short of breathtaking and the perfect end to an awesome day. read more

Went to the beach on vacation which is right behind this place. My two children had to use the bathroom so I walked to the closest opening in the sand and came across an open grassy area up top (about 40 feet wide with no people) to try and locate one. I saw a worker who was kicking back watching TV in the covered part of the area. He asked if I need help so I asked where the bathroom was. Instead of just answering my question, he proceeded to tell me (a woman with two small kids that needed to use the bathroom - if you know how that is... then you know how this felt) that this was private property, members only, and that I had to go use the portapotty... obviously this was fine, I didn't see a bathroom in this area and wasn't trying to sneak and use a pristine members only bathroom - just simply trying to find whatever beach bathroom there was. The tone in his voice telling me this is for "members only" and emphasizing over and over that we had to use the portapotty was disgusting... we were half way through the grass before he even saw us and I could see the portapotty right ahead of us when he pointed in the direction... he insisted that we could not continue walking through the completely vacant area and made us walk back the way we came and around the entire area. Mind you, walking backwards took as long as it would've had he let us walk forward, so it was simply a power play... When I said how do you know we aren't members? He started looking me up and down and said "I've never seen you." I'm black by the way... this is clearly a residential membership... assuming if I was a white woman with two kids, he may not have looked at me the way he did. What a smug - less than compassionate - disgusting worker bee... imagine explaining to my kids why they couldn't just continue walking through to the bathroom when we were already half way through and could see it in front of us... even my four year old picked up on his tone and told her dad he was "being mean to mommy" when we got back. read more

the hidden gem .. the place where the best golf on maui is and the locals know it. Kapalua is stuffy , toursity and overpriced while having some fine views... Wailea is nice too... but..locals know that... Makena is true Hawaii golf... great staff w/plenty of Aloha 2 awesome courses. North & South both giving you dramatic views of the island give you a challenging and memorable experience. Dont forget to have a cold one at the bar and watch the sunset over Molokini. You can call all your buddies at that time to tell them what an awesome day u just had.. read more

Played today at 2pm and got the twilight rate of $95. Course had several great holes, with the crystal blue ocean as the backdrop. The 6th hole has a fun split fairway and the back 9 had killer ocean views, in particular the par 3, 15th hole. I also saw a lot of cool birds and animals, always a bonus. I've played all over Maui and this course is maybe the best value play. The staff all had the friendly aloha spirit. The pro shop was not spetacular, but does it need to be? They also have a full driving range. I look forward to my next round at Makena. read more

A-OK Makena North is very pricey $129 for what you get. The staff is fantastic, the pro shop is very lackluster, not too many offerings. The course is ok, with fantastic views of Molokini crater. There is no beer cart on the course. It was not one of my favorite course, especially for the price. I am surprised to find out that the south course no longer exists. Note: there is a driving range and they do provide ice chest with ice and water. read more

I had a tee time for 8:15 my first day of vacation. I got there early, hit some balls and was ready to go at about 7:30. I met a couple singles on the range and we agreed that it would be great to try and go out together. We all went over to #1 preparing to go out together. But the starter had other ideas. He simply wouldn't let me go with the other two players. They went out as a twosome at 7:30 and I was forced to wait for 45 minutes for my scheduled tee time. What!!!????? Are you kidding me??? Simply, he was an ass. His tee sheet was more important than my positive experience. I play quite a bit and have never had a starter be an ass. And I have never had a golf experience ruined by a starter. I hope someone at Makena reads this and fires his ass. read more

Played Makena today for probably the 20th time. One of my favorite courses in the world. The layout is nice and people are friendly. Played with my good friend Donald and Eric, all was good. read more

The wife and I played today, and it was awesome. The greens and fareways are rougher than over at Wailea, but the scenery and interesting holes are much better. The split faraway on the 6th was awesome. There are some tricky par 3s that are no joke. One I recall had a water hole to the right and mean bunkers on either side. Like the 12th and 13th, precision matters. There are a number of holes that will make you pay if you overshoot the green. The views from the back 9 are amazing, particularly at 12 and 14. The fareways are forgiving and lots of fun. We booked through Maui Golf Shop to get on at 1:30 for $70. Absolutely worth it. There was nobody behind us, so the friendly staff told us to take our time and take lots of photos, which we did. The play was very slow, but that was fine by us. Why rush in such a lovely place? It was probably an anomaly that there was nobody behind us, but the whole place was laid back. it would have been the same if someone was behind us. It was just the 2 of us and an absolutely perfect day. The greens were being air raked and pretty unpredictable. Crazy brakes and challenging approaches. A must play. read more

Played 1st time today. Great views, gps plus water in carts, fun players course. Check online for discounts as we were able to play for 40 percent off, and teed off right at 8 am. Some interesting shots lava flows, and ocean views come into play quite a bit. Greens really grab at the ball and are not memorable. All in all, a very enjoyable golf experience. read more

Makena is an incredible place to golf. There is only one course as of now. It is a great course with perfect greens, clean fairways and great views. The staff is second-to-none. I have played here a few times and will always return. It's really much more then neighboring courses, and well worth every penny. How is this for a touch, when you finish you are greeted with an ice cold mangos scented towel. read more

I'll never play here again due to the awful greens. They look great, but are so grainy since they aren't Tif Eagle and they are not cut low enough. Not cutting them low results in really bad grain effects and mushy hole edges. You have to ram in 3 footers to take the grain out, and the mushy edges result in many lip outs. Had eight 3 putts when I usually have 0-2 per round. It's too bad they don't cut the greens lower since the course is a great layout with beautiful views. Starter and pro shop staff were excellent. Greenskeeper needs to be fired. read more

I golfed this course on 03/10/2011, (I had planned on golfing Waiehu municipal, but it did not work out) The staff at Makena was outstanding and the course was breathtaking. The bartender at the grill makes the best Mai Tai's on Maui. I will definitely play here again when I return. read more

Makena Golf- What a pleasant surprise-A Maui MUST Play As part of my planning phase of our vacation, I used previous reviews posted on Trip Advisor for all the courses that we planned to play. Although some course reviews are limited in quantity, I am hoping that my detailed comments can add valuable perspective for my fellow travelers. I had previously played Makena Golf shortly after it opened its second 18 holes in 1994. What I remember from that time where the pristine views of rugged mountain side views from Haleakala and endless sea scapes of Molokini, Lanai, West Maui and Molokai. Best of all, no homes in sight. With trepidation, I read the existing reviews about the course and also with worries that development ruined what are the BEST views in Maui. Alas, No Worries..the beauty is still there! This is a Maui must play. The previous negative reviews were due to the bankruptcy and subsequent foreclosure of the entire complex, hotel and courses (North & South) for several years. The bank just allowed minimal maintenance of one course forcing the closure of the South Course. It has been under new ownership since September 2010. Improvements are significant from new cart GPSs with a great "fly-over" feature providing hints on how to best play the holes to great greens and fairways. Currently, the North course is open for play. There will be a major investment to re-do the south course but it will take time. The North course is plenty challenging for any golfer. By this I mean, reasonable difficulties, good birdie opportunities but even tough shots to make par. The par fives are tough holes not only in length, but also require accuracy on your approach to the well guarded greens. The quality of the bunkers and of the sand (or lack of) is the only draw-back. Being an East-coast golfer, the Bermuda greens are difficult for me. These are overall slow (toward the sea-Mauka) and extremely slow (towards the mountain Haleakala- Makai). Yet, you can be aggressive and chip at the flagstick as the ball will pitch and hold especially into the grain. My suggestion is to spend at least 10 minutes warming up on the putting green. You will start playing the first four holes almost with a yawn asking yourself why am I here. I think that the designer, Robert Trent Jones Jr, deliberately wanted to lull the player to sleep. The second par 5 (hole 5), will be your first wake-up call. I am certain hole 6 will get you attention reminding you that you need to focus on your game as you need to make a smart choice with the execution of your drive. The view form this hole is great. And if you are still asleep only because you were out late the night before, hole 7 requires both the correct club and shot with great northerly views from the tee boxes. Pray that you do not have any wind for this hole! If you par these three holes, you are on track for a good round. As for the back-nine, you have the signature hole number 12 a par 3 and an absolutely thrilling long par 5 number 14 with excellent views, elevated tee boxes and and "s" shaped fairway. The green fees are reasonable given Maui prices. Keep your receipt any you can play subsequent rounds for $109. The pace of play is excellent 2:30 hrs as a single morning tee time, 3:20 hrs as a twosome afternoon tee time and 3:55 hrs as a threesome also in the afternoon. Background- As part of our three week golf vacation, I played 7 different courses totaling 12 rounds. On the Big Island, they were Hapuna, Makalei and Mauna Kea. On Maui, they were Kapalua, Makena, Wailea Emerald & Gold. My handicap index is 3.7 and played from the "tips" with the exception of Kapalua since they were not available. All have been reviewed on this web site. read more