Mauna Lani Resorts

The South Course at Mauna Lani, one half of the resort's Francis H. I'i Brown golf complex on the Kohala Coast, opened in 1981 with Homer Flint and Raymond Cain as lead architects. The par-72 layout winds through the prehistoric Kaniku lava flow, its emerald fairways set in stark contrast against fields of jagged black a'a lava that give the course its unmistakable Big Island character. The South is best known for its over-the-water par-3 15th, a tee shot played across a Pacific inlet that has become one of the most photographed holes in Hawaii and a defining image of the resort. Beyond that showpiece, the course rewards thoughtful play through lava-framed corridors, ocean breezes, and dramatic elevation near the shore. Set within the broader Mauna Lani resort, it remains a marquee stop on any Kohala Coast golf itinerary and a favorite of visiting players.