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Rating Index Rating
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4.2
491 Reviews (491)
5 Stars
197
4 Stars
188
3 Stars
69
2 Stars
22
1 Stars
15
Conditions
3.9
Value
3.8
Layout
4.4
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
4.4
Amenities
3.8
85.9%
Recommend this course
415 out of 491 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
50 Reviews (50)
5 Stars
26
4 Stars
20
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.1
Value
4.1
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.4
Amenities
4.0
StaffFriendliness
4.6
92.0%
Recommend this course
46 out of 50 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.1
75 Reviews (75)
5 Stars
32
4 Stars
28
3 Stars
9
2 Stars
2
1 Stars
4
Conditions
3.8
Value
3.8
Layout
4.4
Pace
4.4
Amenities
3.9
StaffFriendliness
4.7
84.0%
Recommend this course
63 out of 75 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
The Kai course impresses with dramatic elevation changes, open fairways, and stunning views that reward every round. Consistently friendly staff and smooth pace of play make for a genuinely enjoyable experience on Maui.

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Par 70
Length 6388 yards
Slope 136
Rating 71.6

The Ka'anapali Resort on Maui is home to two championship golf courses, set on 1,200 acres of land home to ancient Hawaiian royalty. The Ka'anapali Kai course is an Arthur Jack Snyder design from 1976 that received an extensive renovation in 2005. The golf course is shorter and has a lower slope/rating compared to its sister Royal Ka'anapali course, but also plays narrower in most spots. Many holes are tucked into the West Maui Mountains The golf course is women-friendly with a forward set of "Hibiscus" tees at 4,522 yards, and also less expensive to resort guests and visitors compared to Royal Ka'anapali, which has played host to numerous professional events.

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Kaanapali Kai Golf Course
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Course Details

Year Built 1976
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Jack Snyder (1976) Robin Nelson (2005)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code Proper golf attire must be worn at all times

Food & Beverage

Bar, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse

Accolades

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Reviews

4.2
491 Reviews (491)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 7
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 14
Undulating Greens 10
Elevation Changes 9
This course/club is great for:
Playing Multiple Courses 9
Advanced Golfers 8
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 7
This Course's Location is:
At a Resort 15
Near Local Attractions 6

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Spend your money elsewhere

We got to the 13th tee box 25 minutes behind time. We played at 13:02. Tells you something about the pace of play. Very frustrating. Course in good condition generally but there couldn’t have been more than 2 players in front of us who knew how to fix a ballmark on the green, or a divot on the fairways. Pro shop has some great duds though. The trade winds and the showers are part on the game here, so can’t complain about that. It comes with the territory. But it sure does make for some incredible rainbows!

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 41
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
4.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Nice course

Good layout and not to difficult. Greens were in great shape along with nice fairways. Will try to play the Royal course next time as looks a little bit nicer but this one was good too.

Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Ka'anapali Koi

I play this course every time I visit Maui. The course is always in excellent shape. Even with a little wind or rain this course is fun and views are great. Your in Hawaii. When I've gone back to the club house after a round they've asked would you like to continue and play the Royal. They even offered at a discounted rate. Of course I took them up on that. The Royal is a little more challenging and has awesome views as well. Even after Hurricane Lane I saw the workers out cleaning up the debris to get the course ready for play. I'll be back in June 2020 and will be out on the course again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 23
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Short course, big bite

Don't be fooled by the length because it requires accuracy and shot placement is key here. Plenty of hazards to run up your score if you think you're just gonna show up and overpower this course. Use the GPS and plot your game plan before hitting the tee box, otherwise you may take par out of play quickly.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Fun Course

My wife and I played here the first day of the Golf Advisor Maui Getaway trip [ also played Royal Ka'anapali, Kapalua Plantation, Wailea Emerald & Gold. I will review these course as well ]. This was the perfect course for our first day as it was the easiest of the 5 courses to play [ but wasn't my best round ]. It is pretty open so not a lot of worries about wayward tee shots. Conditions were pretty soft so not much roll in fairways. Greens putted true and I found that the grain had much more influence than my home courses [ southern Arizona ] . Very fast with the grain , very slow into it. I also asked the starter about putts breaking towards the ocean and he told me that most of the putts would break towards the hotel with the green roof [ sorry don't remember the name of the hotel ] and I found this tip very helpful reading the greens. I think this is the perfect course for your first round to kick off your vacation and highly recommend to anyone visiting Maui.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Casual friendly and playable course

We played this course twice this week and enjoyed the casual and friendly atmosphere and found the course fairly easy and playable. Some of the fairways still needed some TLC but overall it was in reasonable shape.for the price we paid. A couple of really nice ocean views topped it off!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 24
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

You golf, you go home

The course was in great shape and offered a few interesting challenges along the way. However, we were surprised how little F & B was available. The cart came by on Hole 1 and again on Hole 9. No halfway house or snacks off of the clubhouse. Even worse, the staff at the restaurant and bar were unfriendly and less than accommodating. Within a few minutes we decided to leave and go elsewhere.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Kaanapali Kai - Just OK

I was really lookng forward to playing this course and it was the 4th round for me in Maui this week. Firstly, I didn't find service that great. We had to carry our bags from the car to the pro shop area. The person takng our clubs wasn't overly friendly. We got there early to hit some balls and was not given a key to our cart so we had to walk to the practice area. The starter was the most unfriendl;y person we met. He never smiled and was just plain "blunt" when I asked if they were on schedule and if we could possibly start a bit early.

As far as the course, the greens were in great shape but I found a couple of pin placements quite "stupid". One was on a small shelf (#2) and one was at the back of the green about 4' from the edge. This particular green was huge.

All in all, I probably would not play this course again, nor would I recommend it to a friend unless he got a hot deal through Glofnow.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Fair
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 21
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Spectacular views, fairly open fairways, but you must judge the wind on a few holes. Worth money in my opinion. Well kept course.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 37
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Fun course only grip I have is never saw a course Marshall. One group was very slow. At one point had a 4 group backup on #14 Staff was great to work with

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Used cart

Fun Fun!

Nice layout with superior views of Lanai and Molakai. Greens were tricky and fairly quick (10); rough was fair, fairways fairly dry without a lot of roll. Plays longer than card distances. GPS system outstandiing! A very run, moderately difficult course that we will play every time we're on Maui at this price!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 30
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 38
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Better value at many other course in Maui.

The price was much higher than other courses we played. Greens had been sanded and small groves cut in green as part of sanding process making it near impossible to putt. Will not return.

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Beginner
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Fair
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Kaanapali Kai golf course

Perfect last day in Hawai’i.

Great weather

Great staff

Great course

Played in under 4 hours

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Greens under aeration

Apparently numerous courses aerate greens in September which is understandable, but not conducive to my dream vacation. The course itself had a great layout with nice ocean views, but good look trying to 1 put. Tee boxes and fairways were also aerated making for difficult lies throughout the round. The golf course did give a warning and a decent discount, but I expected more when still paying $100. I recommend avoiding this course until it heals up in a couple of weeks.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played

Great views

Newly punched and sanded greens made for uneven putting surface . Played in less than four hours !!

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
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Golf Packages
Kapalua Resort Bay Course

Maui Golf Around Package

REQUEST QUOTE BELOW*
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Napili Kai Beach Resort and golf at Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, Ka'anapali Kai Course, or King Kamehameha Golf Club.

Maui Golf Around Package

REQUEST QUOTE BELOW*
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Napili Kai Beach Resort and golf at Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, Ka'anapali Kai Course, or King Kamehameha Golf Club.

Best of Maui Golf Package

REQUEST QUOTE BELOW*
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and golf at the newly refined Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, the Ka'anapali Kai Course, or the King Kamehameha Golf Club.
Kapalua Resort Plantation Course - Hole 18

Best of Maui Golf Package

REQUEST QUOTE BELOW*
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and golf at the newly refined Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, the Ka'anapali Kai Course, or the King Kamehameha Golf Club.
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