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The golf is great on Maui. Three playable and scenic golf courses grace Kapalua. The Village Course, the Bay Course, and the Plantation Course all have multiple sets of tees so that golfers of all skill levels can have fun.
One of the dominant features of all of the courses is the wind. It is a factor on all but the most unusual days, but the views are breathtaking and often distract from the task at hand. This is especially true during whale season.
There are two golf courses at Kaanapali, the North Course and the South Course. North is currently the home of the Hyatt Regency Maui Kaanapali Senior PGA tour stop. In the 1980’s it was the venue for the LPGA’s Kemper Open. The North course features rolling terrain and fabulous views along with Robert Trent Jones’ typical multi level greens. On this course finesse is more important than brute strength. The greens are Bermuda and the grain grows toward the setting sun. It is a factor on all putts. The South course is not as long, has narrower fairways but easier greens. Generally the South is a delightful, playable layout. Golf for Women Magazine named the Kaanapali South Course in the Top 100 Women-Friendly U.S. Golf Courses.
A whole cross section of golf facilities is located in central Maui, from exclusive golf clubs and spas to the basic county run municipal course. All are fun to play.
On the road to Hana, in Spreckelsville, is the Maui Country Club, the only private country club on the island. It is open for play seven days per week but the public can only play on Mondays, and walking is allowed. This course is the oldest golf facility on Maui; it opened for play in 1925, and has nine holes so it is played twice and is very well maintained.
Silversword Golf Club in Kihei is a reasonably priced daily fee golf course. If it were attached to a resort, the greens fees would be much higher. It is located on Lipoa Street near the Research Park and part of the course can be seen from the Piilani Highway. With multiple tees and wide fairways it is a reasonable test for all skill levels.
Makena Resort is home to two excellent golf courses, North and South. They were redesigned and created from the original 18 holes at a cost in excess of $20,000,000. Robert Trent Jones Jr. was the designer in both cases. Both of these beauties wind through the natural landscape. Advantage was taken of all the rugged beauty that was already here.
Wailea offers everything one could want in a golf club. Two clubhouses, three very different golf courses each with its own personality. The Blue Course, designed by Arthur Jack Snyder, opened for play in 1972. The Wailea Emerald course is the newest and was voted one of the top ten new courses by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., it winds through some of the most beautiful tropical gardens in Wailea. The Gold course has a more rugged character with elements of classic course design and has been called "one of the best designed layouts in the world" by Conde Nast Traveler.
Lana’i features two creatively designed golf courses, one designed by Jack Nicklaus and the other by Ted Robinson. The Challenge at Manele lies along the coast and the other, the Experience at Koele, at a 2,000 foot elevation. Both feature great views and golf.
Molokai, where "yesterday still exists", features the 200 acre Kaluakoi Hotel and Golf Course where the guests of the Kaluakoi Hotel play for free (except for a $15 golf cart fee). Imagine the challenge of playing golf along endless stretches of white sand beaches...up lush green hillsides...emerald valleys...vistas for as far as your eyes can see!
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