KAPALUA RESORT
🇺🇸 Lahaina, HI, USA
Designed by Ben Crenshaw, Bill Coore
The Plantation Course at Kapalua, carved into the dramatic West Maui Mountains, is where legends are made and hula dancers once roamed. This sprawling Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design, opened in 1991, epitomizes modern championship golf with its generous fairways, undulating greens, and breathtaking Pacific Ocean views. Plantation favors the bold; its wide corridors and downhill lies encourage aggressive play, yet demand thoughtful strategy on approaches to multi-tiered greens – most notably the famous par 5 18th where many an albatross has been had.
Kapalua's terrain dictates much of the experience. The course tumbles across the landscape, utilizing the natural contours of the mountainside. Towering Cook pines frame many holes, providing a distinctive visual character and strategic challenge. Native grasses ripple in the trade winds, adding to the course's raw, natural feel.
Host to the Sentry Tournament of Champions since 1999, Kapalua showcases the world’s top golfers each January. Many unforgettable moments have unfolded amidst the course's dramatic landscape and its position is widely recognized as a premier venue for professional golf, drawing competitors and spectators alike to the idyllic shores of Maui.
Reviews
Absolutely stunning
Hard to argue that this isn’t one of the most special courses in the world. I would recommend this course 10/10 times to anybody who asks. Play it. Would encourage bringing a caddy as well.
Fun course with beautiful views. You forget how tough the fairways are when you see the ocean around you
Nice but very difficult
You’ll be hard pressed to find a more scenic round of golf, there are some views that will stop you dead in your tracks just to take it all in. That helps ease the pain of a hefty price tag at least. There are a number of blind tee shots which can be a bit frustrating if you’re not teamed up with someone with local knowledge. Beware of the trade winds, they WILL be present and they will cause some severe strategy adjustments. Overall there is a reason why the PGA kicks off their season* here and I consider it a must play for any golf fan staying on the island. *except for 2026 apparently
Views. That’s all. Peak Hawaiian golf (and C&C do a nice job with the crazy land they’re given)
FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
The Plantation at Kapalua Resort has a Course Vaults score of 9.1 out of 10 based on 124 explicit golfer ratings.
The Plantation was designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore.
Yes. The Plantation at Kapalua Resort is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at The Plantation is 73.
The Plantation plays 7,596 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at The Plantation is 146.