Kapalua Plantation Course






Few golf courses around the world can match the notoriety of The Plantation Course at Kapalua. Familiar to the general public through video games, television coverage of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, or travel media, the Plantation Course represents an almost household name for anyone familiar with the game of golf.   For those privileged to walk it’s stunning fairways and actually play the course, this notoriety only augments an otherwise superb experience.


Situated on the Northwest shore of Maui, the Kapalua resort encompasses over 22,000 acres. As it’s name suggests, the land was originally developed for agriculture, producing pineapples and other produce.  Originally owned and developed by the Maui Land and Pineapple Company, Kapalua now primarily functions as a resort community. “Kapalua” has a rough translation in native Hawaiian to “arms embracing the sea,” a fitting description for it’s Plantation Course, that boasts ocean views from virtually every hole1. 


The Plantation Course is one of two championship courses on Kapalua property. The Bay Course, opened in 1975, has hosted multiple professional events on its own. While the Plantation Course’s location further up the mountainside provides stunning vistas, the Bay Course contains multiple holes immediately adjacent to the ocean. Kapalua previously boasted a third course, the Village Course, which opened in 1979 but closed in 2007. As evidence of further change at Kapalua, the Plantation Course is set to undergo a major renovation in February 2019 and will remain closed until November 2019. The Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design has hosted the PGA Tour’s Sentry Tournament  of Champions® since 1999. This annual event is reserved for winners on the preceding PGA Tour season. 


For the amateur golfer playing the Plantation Course, every aspect of the experience is superb. Driving up the mountainside to the clubhouse, the property’s characteristic pines line the horizon. The clubhouse is well appointed with a world-class restaurant, and locker facilities are available for patrons. Various lockers are reserved with professionals' names and their respective PGA Tour victories. The staff at Kapalua are no exception to the high quality of the golf experience- courteous, attentive, and knowledgeable. Although those on a long trip to Hawaii may prefer to check or ship their clubs, for those playing 2 rounds or less, the rental options at Kapalua are excellent. Players can chose between high quality brands, specify shaft stiffness, and handedness pre-emptively online before arrival. One should note that the normal shipping costs of golf clubs are substantially increased when travelling to the islands. Thus, standard shipping services utilized for golf travel becomes a less viable option for Hawaiian itineraries. The practice facilities are adequate, with a relatively short driving range surrounded by trees and a putting green and separate chipping green. If playing close to the Tournament of Champions late in the year, expect to utilize astroturf mats at the range and remain on the cartpath for the round. 


The Plantation Course represents a vast stretch of land that gently weaves up and down Maui’s northern mountain range. Although Tour players walk the course, there are designated stretches were players are shuttled on carts given the significant distances from green to tee. These distances, in addition to the overall length of the course (~7,400 yards), render a cart almost a necessity for any amateur expecting to navigate the course in the recommended time. Of note, the course is unique its par 73 layout, as further evidence of its substantial length. Although the course’s length may appear as it’s greatest strength, players will likely find it’s elevation changes and weather conditions to be its most challenging aspects. Trade winds can howl across the wide fairways, making forced carries even more daunting, and affecting putts. Clubbing up or down by two clubs is not uncommon. Moreover, the topography of the course renders some areas of holes protected from the wind, while other areas of the same hole may be fully exposed. On the greens, players must contend with significant slopes and paradoxical breaking putts depending on the location of the hole relative to the ocean or wind. A sharp short game will pay dividends at the Plantation Course, to a greater degree than solid ball-striking. 



The course follows a basic “out and back” design for each individual nine. The front takes players South from the clubhouse, working out to a stretch of uphill holes flanking a large ravine. Trade winds are usually out of the North, making the final few holes on the front nine into the wind. Of note, the fifth hole offers widespread views across the ravine and a risk-reward proposition on a gentle dogleg right.
The sixth hole contains a blind approach shot to a small green; golfers should utilize the guidance tower behind the green. 

The back nine works further up the North side of the mountain, with picturesque views of Mokule’ia Beach with its large waves and experienced local surfers. Holes ten through thirteen form a circular grouping on the Southern side of back nine. Longer hitters will enjoy the prospect of driving the twelfth’s green. The variation in wind conditions on each hole is clearly evident on these holes, with small ravines and patches of tress protecting isolated areas. Holes fourteen through sixteen ascend the mountain, paving the way for two of the most-recognizable finishing holes in golf. Both holes seventeen and eighteen are similar in appearance- long dogleg lefts with sweeping views of the Pacific and neighboring isles. Seventeen presents a sizable par 4 with a forced carry approach. Eighteen presents players with a vantage point simply unmatched throughout the world. With a wide, gently rolling fairway, a green far below the tee box, and the clubhouse on the right, golfers can swing freely while watching drives tower over the horizon and bound along the downslope. One can’t help but envision the countless professional rounds televised on this very hole as they finish their own round.  



A superb round of golf always deserves a subsequent superb dining experience, which Kapalua assuredly provides. The Plantation House Restaurant, specializing in Hawaiian-Mediterranean cuisine, allows players to experience a world-class meal in an unmatched setting. Staff attentively provide patrons advice and recommendations on the well-apportioned menu. Fresh seafood, high caliber wine and beverage options, and appropriately-tantalizing desserts, set amidst the canvas-like backdrop of the Pacific, create a truly unique experience. 



Set in paradise, Kapalua’s Plantation Course offers golfers a true glimpse of paradise. Any player serious about the game of golf, wanting to experience one of the world’s greatest courses, should make the effort to visit and play.

Cost: $$$$
Conditions: 5
Playability: 5
Prestige: 5

Overall: 5



References:
1. Kapalua. (2018, February 26). Retrieved December 24, 2018, from https://www.gohawaii.com/islands/maui/regions/west-maui/Kapalua



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