Submitted by Ronald Alan Rigg, R, CRS – Clark Realty Hilo Office
“There was once a golf course in Volcano Village, which not many people remember. The old clubhouse still stands on Maile and Anuhea Circle. It had a pair of small rooms that golfers bunked in overnight. The location was between Kalani Honua Loop, Anuhea Circle and Maile Ave.”
In the 1920′s the present golf course began with three holes, one of which was inside the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The greens were fenced to keep the cows from the adjacent Keauhou Ranch from trampling the tended greens, but the fairways were cow pasture in those days. They had an event called the “Tomato Can Tournament”. The cups were made from tomato cans, hence the name.
Roy Blackshear of the Shipman family played an important part in organizing those early events. Later, the Keauhou Ranch moved the family home and barns to a new location next to the winery, to allow for the expansion that was to come. Soon, C. Brewer came along to build the existing clubhouse and expanded the golf course to the present eighteen holes.
In the 1940′s the home sites began developing on Volcano Links Road along the Number One Fairway. The early development was done on Bishop Estate on leasehold land. Ernest Kai, an Oahu attorney, developed L.H. homesites on the Mauka (mountain) side of the 11th fairway. Increments I and II went in back in the 1960′s. Then the 1970′s Richard Henderson purchased the land from Bishop Estate for increments III and IV. Henderson also picked up the unsold parcels from Ernest Kai.
Volcano Fairways Estates was approved for sales in April 2008. Without question the best parcels were saved for last, along the 14th, 15th & 16th Fairways. This was the site of the old ranch and barns. Several Tsuji Cedars still tower above the greens.
Reprinted Courtesy Homes of the Big Island
Volume 3, Issue 12, August 2008
Thanks for the history, it is interesting.
Aloha,
Keahi
I have read a few of your posts and they are all interesting and informative…keep up the good work.