By Mark Rolfing

While it was Mauna Kea in the 1960’s that blazed the trail for golf built on lava along the Kona-Kohala coast, it was Mauna Lani just to the south that so ably carried the development torch in the 70’s. Avid sportsman and legendary golfer Francis I’ I’ Brown was the visionary and driving force behind the creation of Mauna Lani Resort, and when it opened, it instantly became the talk of the travel and golf world.

Today, Mauna Lani is a sprawling, yet culturally and environmentally sensitive resort that features 36 holes of dramatic and quality golf. One of the things I really like about the North and South Courses is that despite being next-door neighbors, they are incredibly different in style and character. This is primarily due to the fact that they are actually built on two separate lava flows: The North Course resting on the older Pahoehoe flow which is smoother lava, and the South Course which was artfully carved out of the younger, more rugged A’a lava. Mauna Lani is a magnificent golf destination, as evidenced by the fact that The Senior Skins Game was held here for over a decade.