Kapalua Golf Resorts (Maui)

I played the Plantation Course back in May during a visit to Maui, and seeing it now getting ready to host the PGA I thought I would write a review.

Playing at Kapalua is an amazing experience! The views are iconic with the blue ocean and Molokai in the background on most holes. The fairways are fairly wide open with lots of undulation, but what makes this course challenging is the greens. It definitely takes several holes to get used to putting, and you especially have to know how the greens roll in relationship to the direction of Molokai (ask the started before going out about this). My favorite holes are Number 5 (par 5 that wraps around a large ravine), Number 8 (challenging par 3 over a ravine), Number 16 (short par 4 with a double fairway and lots of sandtraps), and number 17 (downhill par 4 with perhaps the best views on the course). Overall I would say this is a course you need to play once in your life.

Pros: Scenery and views!!! Great condition, overall very playable despite having challenging greens, first-class clubhouse amenities

Cons: For a PGA caliber course the driving range is lacking (very small and narrow), price is hefty but you get what you pay for, might be a challenging walk with a few holes that have a large distance between them

This was a fantastic course, all of the 11 holes I played. My tee time was 3 o'clock, usually that would be long enough to finish but unfortunately I saw nothing but hackers out in front of me. To make matters worse, it was cart path only because it was the week before the PGA tournament of Champions. When going to Maui you should definitely play this course, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. But, get an early tee time and when out on the course just enjoy the day.

I've played quite a few great courses in my 25 of playing this great game (Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgras) and let me tell you -- Kapalua Plantation is as good as it gets. The staff is TOP NOTCH and the course conditions are even better. It's priced fairly for a course of this magnitude. Treat yourself. Bring a camera and be prepared to be more focused on the stunning views than on your golf game. 3 putting doesn't seem so bad when you are overlooking the magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean.

If you are more than a casual golfer, this course must be on your bucket list, it is really worth the time, travel and money to play here. It is a course with more breathtaking views than you can imagine and challenges on the course that can leave you physically and mentally exhausted. Most golfers are familiar with the back nine from the PGA Tour and 17 and 18 are wonderful holes....grip it and rip it and brag to your friends back home how you made par on these long holes.....it's doable. The front nine is a mental challenge with long par 3s and challenging short and long par 4s that really make you think. We played on Super Bowl Sunday when winds were steady at 25 gusting to 35 and had a wonderful time. My wife and I were worn out from the wind but slept well that night.....it kind of reminded us of Tralee but 40 degrees warmer. The greens were a little bare but that was not a factor. The staff was marvelous, especially the starter, and the practice facilities were excellent. Play this course, pick the right tee box and test your skill; you will get a true perspective of how good PGA professionals truly are. As an aside, to the Falcon fans in the 19th hole who rejoiced at having a 21 point lead when we left......I told you so!

Memories for a lifetime. If you ever get a chance to play this course, do it. Yes, it is expensive, but for most of us it is a once in a lifetime round. I played from the resort tees. I'm a bogey golfer and found it very playable from these tees. Beware the false fronts and have fun on the greens because they will have you shaking your head. It's easy to forget you're golfing because of the views. Take it all in, enjoy it all, and don't worry so much about your score.

First off, don't even think about comparing it with the Plantation Course. It's not a fair fight.

But this course is really strong in its own right. The views are terrific, there isn't a bad one anywhere on the property. The two holes on the water have the best views even though the holes are mediocre.

The only criticism is that some of the holes are shoehorned into small spaces. There isn't a lot of room. But the property is so valuable and the real estate around the course is important, thus the reasoning.

But it was in great shape and it's a place where you'd continually go back and always have a fun time.

I have played many courses much closer to the Ocean however I have never had views like the ones you get at the Plantation course at Kapalua. When I mentioned "don't forget to golf" I meant 2 things.

1. If you make it to the Island of Maui please find time to play this despite the price that may detract a few players. Its worth the cash for the view alone, which brings me to ...#2

2. The views can easily take your mind off the task at hand. We all love to play well at good courses but I felt OK with an 80 at Kapalua because I felt I got the opportunity to play and view this 5 Star course. Breaching Whales in the distance brought just as much joy as a birdie.

Staff were very insightful as they disclosed to me to spend a little extra time on the putting green since this course has the highest putting average on tour.

Plantation Restaurant continued to provide amazing views as we quenched our palate.

No fault of Kapalua but they had taken amazing amounts of rain in early December and it still seemed somewhat wet just a weak before the SBS TOC.

$300 price tag and I still would play again. This time I will not forget to golf.

Despite the course's relative short length, this is one of the toughest courses I've ever played. This is largely due to the wind and slope. I was out of position many times and here that mistake usually costs two strokes instead of one. The course sits on the side of a mountain on an old pineapple plantation, so you are going to get some quirky bounces, egregious rollouts and weird stances. The greens are super quick and a month the grainiest I've ever encountered. Chipping downgrain will cause you to have nightmares. The greens are very difficult to hole putts. Aside from the heavy grain, you must always be aware of where you are in relation to the western-most tip of the island of Molokai. This is significant because all putts on the course will wander toward it. It is uncanny. Even putts that look like they can't possibly break uphill toward that point inevitably will. I cannot imagine how baffling putting here would be without knowing that tip. Your ability to club properly because of the elevation changes and slopes will be at a premium. Driving range is a bit cramped. After the round, don't miss having a beverage in the bar overlooking the 18th fairway. It is one of the great 19th-hole views in the world.

Kapalua bay is the most overpriced golf course. The weakest two holes are directly on the water. The rest look like Muni holes. The head golf professional doesn't know the first thing about customer service. He was more interested in the money game that went off at noon which comprise of five sums. The pace of play is ridiculous. Is there something better to do with $150? YES!!!

The Plantation Course was everything i expected and more!! It is visually stunning when you watch it every year on TV but playing the course is another story. Every hole has a different challenge and you are surrounded by pure Hawaiian beauty. This should be a course on every golfers bucket list. This is in the top 5 of my favorite courses ever played and i will be back for sure!

I go back and forth between what my favorite round of golf is on Maui. On one hand, Wailea Gold and Emerald are both picture perfect, laid-back resort experiences with consistently calm and sunny weather. Then there's the Plantation Course, located high above the ocean on the jungly north shore. The long views of Lanai to go with interesting green complexes make it a thrilling round on every hole. It's not walkable, which is a rarity with Coore-Crenshaw designs, but the severe terrain requires some long drives between holes and some steep hills.

But the trade off is great hole variety, a lot of eye candy, and there are few tee shots in golf that are more fun than the 18th hole (and the downhill 17th is also a hoot).

This is where the PGA Tour has been playing their Champions tournament for years now, which helps add to the bucket list allure.

I've had the good fortune of being able to play Plantation at least 20 times, so I have the advantage of some local knowledge. Certainly everyone wants to play here because it's a stop on the PGA tour, but in my experience some people shouldn't play here. Their skills don't match the difficulties of the course in most cases. Plantation is the type of course that has a different personality on every hole and even that personality can change based on what the trade winds are doing that day. It's a course when you really need to put the ball in the right spot, on the fairways and especially the greens. On some holes, you are aiming away from the flag in order to have a successful approach shot. For people not experienced with Plantation, that can be very frustrating. Also, put your ego aside and be prepared to take a 4 iron for a 150 yard shot. The winds can be that strong. The scenery is beautiful no doubt and part of the fun here is the challenge but if you're looking for a stress free round here, this is not the place as it can expose weaknesses in your game pretty quickly if your swing is loose.

I played both Kapalua courses on this trip and enjoyed both. Plantation is world class but the Bay course is fantastic if you don't compare it to Plantation. Course was in good condition except the greens had been recently aerated and sanded so they were not good. Hole 5 is a par 3 over the ocean that is very scenic. There were a number of other pretty holes. Fairly wide fairways so it was easy to stay out of trouble. Bermuda rough is tough to hit out of. Would definitely play this course when back in Maui.

This is my all time favorite. The views are spectacular. Every hole is memorable. Long downhill, downwind holes and short uphill, into the wind holes so the course is playable for decent golfers. I am about a 9 hc and a kinda short hitter but the gold tees at 6600 yards didn't seem that long because of the downhill roll you get. Got a discount on an internet site which made it even better but even for full price this course is worth it. I had played it a couple years ago in the rain but this time the weather was perfect. With the Prince course closed on Kauai there is no public course in Hawaii that comes close to this one.

It was breathtaking. I've played golf a lot of places, but this was the most beautiful. Absolutely stunning. The course is difficult, but manageable. My friends would say this is "not a woman friendly course" and that is probably true, but I'm not a typical woman golfer! I loved it. We played 4 rounds in 3 days, and I love, love, love this course!

not sure what there is to say about this course! it's a classic. if you've watched the PGA Tournament of Champions on TV then surely you already know this a course everyone should get to play.

it's a tough course by any measure. it's long, hilly, and the greens are pretty small. the weather is also a wild card. the day i played little rain storms rolled through every 10-15 minutes for the first 12 holes. the wind was pretty constant all day. it was impossible to get comfortable with the ever changing conditions. between the weather and constantly uneven lies your body and brain are working overtime.

the course is laid out to make the most challenge out of the prevailing winds... short par 4s tend to be directly into the wind and/or uphill, and long par 4s tend to be downwind. so you never really catch a break and get an easy hole.

as you'd expect, the views are pretty glorious. certainly one of the magnificent settings possible for a golf course.

if you are in the area, and can swing the pretty lofty price tag, it is well worth it.

Plantation: Tough course but very enjoyable. A lot of carries so better for experienced players.

Bay: Great for all players. Spread out tees.

Both: GREAT VIEWS.

This is a great course. It's very challenging but it's not silly. The views are spectacular and there are a lot of obstacles. If your not an experienced player this might not be your favorite because their are a lot of carries. The course is in great shape and there is a lot of history because of the Hyundai Tournament Of Champions.

I'm from Texas and the best way I can describe this course is one of our beautiful Hill Country resort courses, like Barton Creek or La Cantera, with all of their elevated tee boxes, set on the Pacific Ocean. Front nine is more scenic with holes along the water but back nine has some interesting holes as well. First hole is not as scenic as some others on the island (e.g. Wailea Emerald or even Pukalani for that matter!) but holes #4 and #5 are some of the most beautiful I've ever played. Windy in the afternoon but no more than Pukalani and expected. Beautiful natural beauty inspires my game so I caught fire on the front nine but couldn't keep it together on the back. Overall, an awesome experience that you have to experience at least one but it is expensive.

This course was all that i imagined it would be, very tough, but enjoyable to play. the greens were very difficult to read, and extremely large. not uncommon to have a putt over 100 ft. so, needless to say, i 3 putted a few more times than i like to admit! it ranks as my favorite course i've ever played. i played TPC Sawgrass recently, and truly enjoyed playing there also, and i did score better there, but nothing compares to the scenic views you are surrounded by at the Plantation Course! Yes, its expensive, but i t was on my bucket list of 1 of the golf courses I wanted to play, and was well worth the green fees. Very friendly atmosphere, and everyone is treated very special.