Mauka Ride Co. proposes guided e-mountain bike excursions on the dormant Mauka Course: new revenue from an idle parcel, daily stewardship of the land, and zero permanent structures. Prepared for ownership review.
The Mauka Course has generated no income for over a decade while still carrying real obligations: wildfire fuel on the slope, trespass and dumping on unwatched land, and maintenance costs with no offsetting revenue.
Mauka Ride Co. operates under a simple concession license on defined ride corridors. Ownership contributes land access only. The operator carries every cost, every risk, and every obligation.
A license over mapped ride corridors (existing cart paths and fairway spines) plus one trailer-staged base area. Boundaries fixed jointly at a site walk. The Ocean Course, clubhouse, and the 51-acre entitled parcel are untouched by operations.
An annual base license fee plus a percentage of gross ticket revenue, both open to ownership's preferred structure. The share begins day one of paid operations, so the parcel earns from the first ride.
Commercial general liability and recreational adventure coverage with ownership named as additional insured, in force before the first guest rides. All bikes, gear, staffing, guide certification, guest waivers, and ride-line maintenance are the operator's sole cost.
No permanent structures, no foundations, no fixtures. If ownership activates redevelopment or sale plans, the license ends on short agreed notice and every trailer, bike, and sign leaves the property. This operation can never encumber the parcel's future.
Small guided groups, eight riders maximum, on quality e-mountain bikes. Pedal assist widens the guest base from active families to serious riders, and every departure leaves and returns through one controlled access point.
A guided cruise of cart paths and fairway spines with course history and ocean views. No technical riding required. The signature family offering, and the volume driver.
Overgrown fairways, lava-rock shoulder lines, and upper ridge terrain for riders who want real dirt. Two guides per departure, full-suspension fleet.
A late-afternoon climb to the ridge overlook above Keauhou Bay, timed to golden hour. The finish that sells itself on every guest's social feed.
| Scenario | Riders / yr | Operator gross | Ownership at 15% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative · 30% load | 1,750 | $228K | $34K / yr |
| Base · 45% load | 2,630 | $342K | $51K / yr |
| Upside · 60% load | 3,500 | $473K | $71K / yr |
Illustrative model for discussion: two departures daily, eight riders each, 365 days, $130 average ticket. Load is measured against 1.73M annual island visitors. Percentage and base fee are opening positions, not fixed terms.
Commercial general liability plus recreational adventure sport coverage, ownership named as additional insured, certificates delivered before any paid operation. Signed guest waivers, helmet mandate, Wilderness First Aid certified guides on every departure.
The Mauka parcel is zoned Open per the offering materials. A first site-walk agenda item is confirming county posture for commercial recreation and any required permits. No operations begin until approvals are in hand, in writing, at operator cost.
Rides stay on existing cart paths and fairway corridors, inspected and cleared by the operator. The joint site walk defines rideable ground, exclusion zones, and any repair the operator funds. Terrain risk sits with the operator, never the club.
The license is deliberately short-notice terminable. Trailers roll out, bikes load up, signs come down. Nothing installed can outlive the agreement, so a sale or rezoning is never delayed by this operation.
Separate staging and parking for ride groups, no shared facilities required, and no golf-adjacent corridors during play hours if ownership prefers. The two operations never cross, and ride guests become new clubhouse customers.
The 90-day paid pilot is the proof gate: ridership, guest conduct, and corridor condition are all observable before any long-term commitment. Performance standards and termination triggers go in the license itself.
A small local team that lives the product. This is not an outside tour company importing a franchise: guides are hired locally, and the operation stays small, professional, and neighborly.
Originated the Mauka Course ride concept and leads day-to-day operations: guiding, fleet, scheduling, and the relationship with the club.
Guides recruited locally, Wilderness First Aid certified before their first departure. The venture puts Kona residents to work on Kona land.
No long negotiation is needed to start. The pilot structure asks ownership for nothing but a conversation and a walk of the land.
A short meeting with whoever handles land use for the club, to hear what ownership would and would not want from an interim recreational use of the Mauka acreage.
Walk the cart-path network together: route condition, access and parking, boundaries, exclusion zones, and the county approvals commercial operation needs.
A short pilot license on mapped corridors, insurance in force, revenue share running from the first ticket. Ownership judges the operation on real riders, real guests, and the real condition of the land.
The Mauka fairways have waited thirteen years for their next season. We are ready to walk the property at ownership's convenience and launch the pilot this winter.
