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MAUI, Hawaii - The Plantation Course at Kapalua is back to being gorgeous, playing and looking better than ever.
The two most recent reviews on GolfPass glow with praise of the course Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw carved from a mountainside in West Maui.
"It's officially back! Played it 1/9/25 and it was immaculate," noted Snaphook417.
That's a minor miracle considering the very publicized brownout last fall due to drought that canceled The Sentry in January, ending the PGA Tour's run on Maui that dated back to 1999.
"I played the course a few times in the beginning of February 2026 and was thrilled at the course conditions. I was concerned after the course closed due to the well-publicized water restriction, but the course is back as good as ever," reads the most recent GolfPass review.
The comeback didn't come without sacrifice. All the water used on Kapalua's Bay Course has been diverted to The Plantation Course, leaving the Bay Course closed and its future in doubt. The Bay Course was scheduled for a major redesign by David McLay Kidd. That's on hold as Kapalua's owner fights for the future of Maui's trophy course.
Kapalua, which is managed by Troon Golf, is currently still under a Tier 3 60-percent water restriction mandated by the Commission on Water Resource Management, meaning that it's surviving on 40 percent of the water it normally uses, plus the 40 percent from the Bay and a rainier-than-normal winter season, which just last week saw a powerful Kona storm dump 46 inches of rain in one island location over a five-day period.
Water is the most important issue Kapalua currently faces but not the only one clouding its future. Should the PGA Tour decide not to return, given the pending 2027 schedule changes, how will that impact Kapalua? Let's break it all down.
Fixing Kapalua's water issues
Kapalua's owner TY Management is exploring multiple ways to avoid another brown-out.
First came a lawsuit against Maui Land and Pineapple, which TY Management believes mismanaged a key ditch drainage system that funnels water to West Maui from Puu Kukui, one of the 10 wettest spots on earth.
Then on February 25, TY Management pitched a plan to completely overhaul the local water system. Its proposed public-private partnership would increase water storage capacity, repair the ditch system to improve the water flow downstream and build a pipeline originating in Kaanapali that pumps R1 recycled wastewater that's not drinkable to Kapalua for course irrigation.
The company, owned by Japanese billionaire Tadashi Yanai, has offered to spend $40 million to fund the effort and then donate the infrastructure back to the Hawaiian government at no cost. This report from Hawaii News Now details the hurdles before any deal can be struck.
"The solution should be a no-brainer because there are a lot of costs to solve this issue, but our owner is willing to pitch in and contribute to that," said Alex Nakajima, the general manager of Kapalua Golf & Tennis. "We are only the golf course user of that water. We would pay the fair amount of fees for it, but he (Yanai) is willing to go so far above and beyond that."
"This rebuild will take 10 plus years," Nakajima added. "The impact is deep."
Bryan Pierce, the head superintendent for the Plantation Course, is doing his part to reduce water usage. He's taking out 10 acres of irrigated turf, letting native vegetation take over areas around tee boxes and on the perimeter that are mostly out of play. When that's completed, the Plantation's playing footprint will only be 95 acres.
"I don't think it will change how the course plays. Visually, it will change a lot," Pierce said.
Pierce said he's also using five times as many wetting agents to help the water last longer.
In the meantime, golfers are enjoying prime conditions. The uncertainty surrounding the conditions has kept many golfers from visiting Maui since the news of the brownout and the loss of the tournament. That has benefited the golfers who are on the island.
"Short term, it's as good as it gets," Nakajima said. "There is less demand than a normal year. Buy the plane ticket and come. Long term there is still risk until we solve the water issue. Next summer there could be a chance we are back in the same situation. However, we made the decision not to maintain the Bay Course ... so I can see the Plantation surviving."
Kapalua's fate regarding the PGA Tour won't likely be known for a couple of months. Nakajima said the course is open to hosting the PGA Tour in a different time slot or another tournament entirely.
"So, if The Sentry goes away, 'Do we want to host another event?'" he asked. "We are open to that, depending on what time of the season. Is it made for TV events or LPGA? I don't know. I've never talked to LIV before, but we do need to look at all the ways to expose Kapalua and West Maui (to the world)."
There's no doubt losing The Sentry would sting. However, maybe the impact might not be so bad. Kapalua made more money this January despite fewer golfers because it gained 10 days of added tee time revenue that's normally lost during the tournament. Playing the Plantation Course costs roughly $500 in high season.
"If it (the Tour event) all goes away, as an operator, it does have a long-term impact on the green fees and merchandise (sold)," Nakajima admitted. "But because we are an established golf course with a long history and our name is well known, maybe the benefit will continue on longer. ... Maybe we have the benefits for the next 10 years."
Life at Kapalua and beyond in West Maui
One course's loss is another one's gain.
The closure of the Bay Course has funneled more business to the Kaanapali Golf Courses. Karl Reul, general manager, Kaanapali Golf Courses, said business is up at least 15 percent. Kaanapali, which is also managed by Troon, has recently upgraded its Kai Course to be more comparable to its signature Royal Course, which hosted the Wendy's Champions Skins Game from 2008-2011.
Golfer 'angelagramonte' gave the Kai a five-star review on GolfPass Feb. 28. "I didn't research much on this course as I thought it was the ugly kid sister of the Royal (Course). Boy was I wrong," she wrote. "Awesome views and interesting hole layouts. Greens are challenging and fun to play."
Away from the golf courses, Maui is still one of the world's most coveted tropical vacations. Among all the island's luxury hotels and resorts, staying at the Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua remains Maui's best getaway for families or golfers. Signature dining experiences, a world-class spa, comfortable rooms and a large pool complex are just a few of its strengths. While guests dine at The Banyan Tree, they can watch fire dancers perform after dark just outside the restaurant. Friday nights in high season bring live music to the lobby.
The island community continues to rally around Lahaina's ongoing recovery from the devastating 2023 wildfires. In February, the Lahaina Food & Wine Festival celebrated its second year with local cuisine grilled in open fire pits in front of guests, while serving fine wines and live music.
Not even a barrage of bad luck - a pandemic, followed by wildfire and drought - can hold a beautiful place like Maui down for long. Everybody loves a good comeback story. Anybody who visits now or in the future will play an important part in the revival of the magic of Maui.
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