Mauna Kea is hardly a one shot wonder. The 3rd is the most famous hole, but all of the par 3s are pretty good. 2 play into the wind at 170-185 yds and like most of the holes play to an elevated green. The 11th plays 181 from the middle tees, looks right into the Pacific and plays downwind and downhill. With a severe back to front slope a misclubbed shot is a sure 3 putt.
Most of the greens are elevated and huge. Getting it on is no sure 2 putt as the grain in the Bermuda is very strong. There isn't a lot of undulation, but that's what makes it even more difficult. I had 2 putts within 6 feet that wound up as 3 putts.
The short holes are also pretty tricky. #13 for instance plays to 323 from the middle tees yet the green sits 15-20 ft higher than the fairway. The green sits between a couple of hills and the wind funnels through this gap. You can't tell how strong the wind is from the fairway because you barely feel it. From 85 yds I took an approach wedge that got knocked down like an Hakeem Olajuwon blocked shot. I barely reached the green and almost 3 jacked from there. #16 is a 396 yd dogleg right with a fairway bunker on the left (outside of the dogleg) and 2 deep bunkers at the front of the shallow (looking) green. The difficulty with this hole is that the approach plays downwind and downhill to a flat horizon. Most times you will underclub and fly into the bunker or overclub and fly the green. Best shot is the bump and run in between the two front greenside bunkers even though the wind at your back is trying to convince you to fly it to the hole.
Compared to the Prince and Plantation, Mauna Kea is very intimate and on the card, short. However when it blows like it did the day I played there, it was a beast. I would have been better off playing some approaches as runners, even with the elevated greens than trying to fly it to the hole.
You can barely see the lava nowadays, go to Mauna Lani, Waikoloa Kings or Beach or Hapuna and Hualalai for that. Instead the grasses coming out of the lava devour balls.
What most impressed me about the course is the rhythm that RTJ put into it. The 1st is a short dogleg right, with an approach dead into the tradewinds. The 2nd is a short downhill dogleg left (fairly easy birdie). Then comes the famous par 3 3rd. While you're trying to catch your breath he kills you with the uphill, upwind 4th (par 4) and 5th (par 5). the 6th plays downwind to a wide open fairway giving you a rest after the last 3 holes then the 7th is an uphill, upwind par 3. Tha back 9 is much more subtle and requires thinking even as the wind is beating you up.
Even for locals the price is pretty steep and I wouldn't recommend walking at all since it is quite hilly and spread apart. It is truly a test when the wind blows but I think the "resortiness" and price will affect many people's view of the course.