Mauna Lani South Course
Laid across a 16th century lava flow on the Kohala Coast, the South Course at Mauna Lani is the more famous of the resort's two layouts. A par 72 of around 6,938 yards opened in 1981, it built its reputation on the par 3 15th, a postcard one shotter played across the ocean to a green on a black lava peninsula.
Photograph: Mauna Lani South Course, via Google
The verdict
The South Course is the one that made Mauna Lani a household name in golf. Homer Flint and Raymond Cain routed it across the Kaniku lava flow, a field of jagged black a'a left by an eruption in the 1500s, and threaded fairways and greens through and over it to the edge of the Pacific. The contrast of bright green turf against the black rock and the blue ocean is the image the Kohala Coast trades on, and the South is where it is most striking.
For the traveling golfer, the South Course is the round you book for the photographs and stay for the golf. It hosted the Senior Skins Game through the 1990s, when the game's biggest names played the over-ocean holes on television, and it remains a genuine resort test with the drama turned all the way up. It is open to the public with preferred access for resort guests, and pairs naturally with the historic Mauna Kea course up the coast for a complete Kohala trip.
Mauna Lani South at a glance
- Opened
- 1981
- Designers
- Homer Flint, Raymond Cain
- Type
- Lava resort
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 6,938 yds
- Access
- Public resort
Designers, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from resort and course databases. The South Course plays as a par 72 of around 6,938 yards from the back tees, routed across the 16th century Kaniku lava flow with its signature over-ocean holes. It is a public resort course with preferred guest access; green fees are seasonal and resort set at the premium Hawaii level, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The hole that sells the South is the 15th, a par 3 of roughly 196 yards that plays straight across an inlet of the Pacific to a green set on a finger of black lava. It is one of the most photographed one shotters in the world, a shot you stand over with the surf below and the trade wind in your face, and getting it on the green is the moment the round is built around. The par 3 7th nearby works the same magic on a smaller scale, giving the South a pair of ocean holes most courses would trade their whole back nine for.
Away from the coast, the rest of the layout is a clever negotiation with the lava. Flint and Cain used the flow as both hazard and frame, so the fairways thread between fields of black rock that punish anything sprayed offline, and the greens sit in natural amphitheaters of a'a. It asks for accurate, committed golf rather than length, and the contrast of color makes every target stand out clearly, which is part of why the course photographs and plays so well.
What lingers is the sheer Hawaiian theatre of it. The South Course captures the Kohala Coast in a single round, the ocean, the lava and the turf in vivid contrast, with a signature hole that lives up to its billing. For a golfer building a Big Island trip, it is the round people remember most clearly when they get home.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public resort course; open to all, with preferred rates and tee times for guests of the Mauna Lani resort |
| Green fee | Indicative green fees for the 2026 season sit at the premium Hawaii resort level, highest in winter high season with guest and twilight rates; they are seasonal and resort set, so always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking | Direct with Mauna Lani golf or through your resort; winter and holiday weeks are busy, so book ahead |
| Walking and carts | Cart golf is standard, with GPS yardage; the lava routing spreads out, so most visitors ride |
| Best months | The dry Kohala Coast plays well year round; winter brings the biggest crowds and rates, spring and autumn the best value |
| Getting there | On the Kohala Coast of Hawaii Island, about thirty minutes north of Kona airport |
Access verified June 2026 from resort sources; green fees are seasonal, so always confirm directly before booking. Ask about a Big Island golf trip.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is the Mauna Lani resort itself, where the hotels sit a short ride from the first tee and earn preferred golf access, with beaches, fishponds and restaurants for the hours off the course. Staying at Mauna Lani keeps a group close to both resort courses and central on the Kohala Coast, a short drive from the other great layouts of the area.
Because the Kohala Coast lines up several marquee courses within half an hour of each other, most visitors play three or four on one trip. Pair Mauna Lani South with the Rockefeller history of Mauna Kea and, for those with access, the Jack Nicklaus championship test at Hualalai for a Big Island trip that shows the coast at its best.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts on the Kohala Coast.
Build a Big Island golf trip
The South Course is the most photographed round on the Kohala Coast and a perfect anchor for a Big Island stay. We plan trips through Hawaii, arrange the tee times and the resort access, and handle the hotels and the order of play across the coast. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Mauna Lani South questions
Can visitors play the Mauna Lani South Course?
Yes. The South Course is a resort course open to the public, with preferred rates and tee times for guests of the Mauna Lani resort. Green fees are seasonal and resort set and sit at the premium Hawaii level, so always confirm directly before booking.
Who designed the Mauna Lani South Course?
The South Course was designed by Homer Flint and Raymond Cain and opened in 1981, laid out across the 16th century Kaniku lava flow on the Kohala Coast. The resort's two courses were later reworked, but the South retains its signature over-ocean holes.
What is the par and yardage at Mauna Lani South?
The South Course plays as a par 72 of around 6,938 yards from the back tees. Its most famous hole is the par 3 15th, which plays roughly 196 yards across an inlet of the Pacific to a green set on a lava peninsula.
Where is Mauna Lani?
Mauna Lani is on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii Island, the Big Island, about thirty minutes north of Kona airport, between the Mauna Kea and Hualalai resorts.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, opening year, par, yardage and access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.