5 best Maui golf courses
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Top 100 Courses in the World: GOLF’s 2021-22 ranking of the best designs on the planet
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The island of Hawaii has 16 golf clubs:
Top 5 favorite places to visit on Maui #1: Lahaina. The historic town of Lahaina, sometimes referred to as “the crown jewel of Maui,” was our Facebook reader... #2: Road to Hana. This 52-mile stretch of road winding along Maui’s tropical eastern coast came close to the number one... #3: Kaanapali ...
The Plantation CourseThe Plantation Course is the site of the PGA TOUR's Sentry Tournament of Champions each January featuring an elite field of previous year's PGA TOUR winners.
Greens Fees Rates are subject to change: Resort courses: $110-$225. Semiprivate: $20-$135.
Kapalua ResortThe Sentry Tournament of Champions is the calendar-year opening tournament of golf's PGA Tour season, played in Hawaii on the island of Maui....Tournament of Champions (golf)Tournament informationCourse(s)Kapalua Resort (Plantation Course)Par73Length7,596 yards (6,946 m)Organized byPGA Tour13 more rows
NO CONTEST—Hawaii's Big Island (aka Hawaii Island). With six readily accessible resort courses and four daily fee venues on the Kona/Kohala Coast side of the island, a comparison to the other three major islands leaves the others coming up way short.
The Old Blue Course at Wailea GolfThe Old Blue Course at Wailea Golf Club is the shortest from the red tees and the easiest (and usually a little less expensive), with a good amount of space off the tee, few bunkers with steep lips and easy-to-access greens.
The Bay Course Rental fee per set is $79 + tax (includes two sleeves of balls).
The Plantation is essentially unwalkable, it is pretty much a cart golf course, however the architects have created a routing that can be walked “with help”. So if you are determined to walk it then you will have to pay for a caddie, but the experience will be superior – in my opinion.
With slope/course rating for most tees in excess of 140 Plantation is a very difficult course.
The Bay Golf Course's TIME PAR is 4 hours and 19 minutes. This TIME PAR is communicated on the Bay's website (golfatkapalua.com); when booking a tee time; on tee time confirmation emails; when checking at the golf shop; on scorecards and yardage books; and signage throughout the property.
Waialae subsequently over seven decades has hosted major golfing events and since 1965 has been the prime and only venue for the annual official Hawaiian PGA TOUR tournament.
It can be if you're playing at high-end resorts at the most popular time of the day, but golf in Hawaii can actually be affordable; in some cases it's even free. If you wanted to plan an island vacation that spanned across six different islands, you could even play 54 holes for only $100—total.
Golf on Maui is that memorable. Choose from 14 courses (several of which are ranked at or near the top of the “world's best” lists) designed by noted course architects and golfing luminaries such as Arnold Palmer and Ben Crenshaw.
Green Fees - 18 Hole CoursesPerson with Resident Golf ID CardPerson without Resident Golf ID CardWeekend or Holiday$16.00$43.00Weekday$14.00$43.00Jul 26, 2022
The Plantation Course is $395 (plus tax) and comes with a shared cart fee. If you're staying at Kapalua Resort the rate drops down to $365. If you wanted a cheaper option at the resort, The Bay Course at Kapalua is $235 standard or $215 for resort guests. (Click here for more info on rates.)
Golf on Maui is that memorable. Choose from 14 courses (several of which are ranked at or near the top of the “world's best” lists) designed by noted course architects and golfing luminaries such as Arnold Palmer and Ben Crenshaw.
RatesVisitors Rack Rate$180Resort Guest - Keauhou Area (adjacent to the golf course)$160Twilight Rate After 1:00 PM$1209 Holes After 3 PM$70Jr Rate 17 Years Old and Below$606 more rows
Top Maui Golf Courses: See reviews and photos of Golf Courses in Maui, Hawaii on Tripadvisor.
I played Pukalani Country Club in March of 2022. The green fees can't be beat anywhere in Hawaii. It really is a very good value. The greens were in great shape as well as the fairways.
Final Notes. The Kamehameha course is a semi-private course and is worth the money to play if you get a chance. Like many golf courses elsewhere, if you wait till late morning, early afternoon to play, the rates will drop to where you may feel more comfortable with the price.
Courses known for the strongest winds are Kaheli and the Kapalua courses. Kaheli is protected somewhat from the north mountains but still seems to get quite a bit of wind. Anyone who enjoys golf will definitely enjoy a round at the best golf courses in Maui.
Best Golf Courses In Maui. The best time of day to play is the earliest you can get on the course . The wind will usually increase in speed as the day progresses. Courses known for the strongest winds are Kaheli and the Kapalua courses.
For other Maui activities, luaus, whale watching, snorkeling, tours, helicopters, horseback, ATV, parasailing, fishing, biking, beaches, kids & family fun, events calendar, Hawaii cruises, and more, see Maui Things To Do.
The Kamehameha course is a semi private course and is worth the money to play if you get a chance. Like many golf courses elsewhere, if you wait till late morning, early afternoon to play, the rates will drop to where you may feel more comfortable with the price.
Club rentals are available at all courses but I would advise you to bring your own clubs if you are planning to play more than twice while on island. Rental club quality is not the problem (all courses have quality rentals). It is that you are used to playing with your own set and even the least costly courses are probably going to cost you more than you are used to paying. Bringing your own set will help offset the cost especially if playing multiple rounds.
The Kamehameha course is a semi private course and is worth the money to play if you get a chance.
Anyone who enjoys golf will definitely enjoy a round at the best golf courses in Maui. Almost all courses have a view of the ocean and are very playable if you choose the right teeing area. Remember the altitude is at sea level and your ball will not fly as far if you do not normally play at sea level.
One of Hawaii's most peaceful and scenic resort courses is the Emerald Course at Wailea Golf Club. Getty Images. 3 / 11.
The Gold Course at Wailea Golf Club boasts one of Maui's best tests from the championship tees, along with picture-perfect scenery and amenities.
Kahili Golf Course. Set just below King Kamehameha on the slopes of the West Maui Mountains, Kahili Golf Course is one of Maui's finest daily fees. Getty Images. 8 / 11.
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed clubhouse, looking like it was plucked from the deserts of Tatooine, makes the King Kamehameha Golf Course an interesting destination for both players and non-players. Great views of Wailea and Haleakala make for stunning, if windy, photo ops.
Hawaii has long been known for its golf courses. Players enjoy breathtaking views and just enough of a challenge to keep them coming back for more rounds. Maui’s courses have consistently ranked among the best in Hawaii, and have even become international celebrities, in their own right. But which Maui courses are best?
The friendlier of the Wailea courses, the Gold Course has wider fairways and larger greens. Breathtaking photo ops of the ocean and Molokini islet can be had at hole 18.
Its wide fairways and relatively fast greens make the Royal Kaanapali a real good time. Add to that ocean views and a fast pace and you have yourself a challenging, if not spendy, round of play.
Whether you choose gold or emerald, it’s a good time. The Emerald Course is challenging enough for experienced golfers without being discouraging to beginners. Fantastic views of Kahoolawe and the ocean abound!
Designed by Robin Nelson and Rodney Wright, Kahili Golf Course has been voted “Top Golf Course You Can Play in Hawaii’ by Golf Magazine and “Best Golf Value on Maui 2017” by Golf Advisor – and it’s easy to see why. As well as offering some of the most stunning bi-coastal panoramas you’ll witness anywhere on Maui, this 6570-yard, par 72 course offers plenty of challenge and an equal amount of reward. If you want to get all you possibly can out of your visit, don’t miss out on a chance to take a few lessons with Kahili Golf Course ’s resident instructors- you’re guaranteed to leave with a better swing than you came in with.
Over the years, The Bay Course at Kapalua has welcomed scores of professionals and played host to over 20 major profession tournaments. The 5th hole is undoubtedly a highlight, being the only hole on any course on Maui to play over the ocean. 5. The Dunes at Maui Lani.
Stretching over 7078 yards, its course offers plenty of challenges with strategically placed bunkers and lush roughs. With the well-respected Emerald Course and Old Blue Course also on-site, it makes a grand addition to your Maui golfing tour.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., Royal Ka’anapali Golf Course at The Ka’anapali Resort is a course that first put Maui on golfing maps all those years ago in 1962. Today, it’s still as popular as it ever was, offering 18 holes of uniquely challenging golfing that promises to put your skills and precision to the test. Throw in some stunning views over West Maui’s mountains, and it’s easy to see the enduring appeal of this excellent range.
An immensely fun experience awaits guests of The Ka’anapali Kai golf resort. Superbly playable (but no pushover), its course winds through 6,400 yards of well-manicured terrain that offers some stunning views over surrounding mountains and oceans. A well-stocked pro shop and a fabulous clubhouse (which is well worth a visit in its own right for its truly excellent food) complete its roundup of awesome features.
If you’re looking for a hugely enjoyable golfing experience, you’ll struggle to find better than Maui Nui. With generous fairways, excellent conditions, and some eminently affordable rates ( it even rated #1 for value in Golf Advisor’s “Top 10 overall courses”), it’s got everything you need for a truly pleasurable day on Maui.
There are almost endless things to see and do: snorkeling, whale watching, paddle-boarding, helicopter tours, sunrise at Haleakala, driving the Road to Hana, luaus, waterfalls, ziplines, trail rides and surf lessons. Maui is also home to great golf. It’s not always the easiest for visitors to find time to play, ...
Kapalua Bay Course (Lahaina) The par-3 17th hole at the Kapalua Resort's Bay Course, the only hole in Maui that plays over the ...
The Bay Course is the second course at the Kapalua Resort, designed by Arnold Palmer and Frances Duane and opened in 1975. It plays closer to the water than the mountainside Plantation and boasts a hole that’s perhaps more memorable than any on its sister course: the par-3 17 th that plays over a cove to a green perched high along the shoreline. The 6,600-yard, par-72 Bay Course has views of the ocean and Molokai and Lanai from all but two of its holes and hosted a number of professional tournaments in years past – from the first golf event televised in prime time (the 1983 Kapalua International) to the Kapalua LPGA Classic.
The most challenging of the three Wailea courses, the Gold hosted the Champions Skins Game from 2001 through 2007. Although the landscaping isn’t quite as eye-catching as at the Emerald Course, the Gold features a more strategic design, one that takes advantage of the rugged terrain’s natural undulations. Also designed by Trent Jones II, Wailea Gold presents exciting risk-reward opportunities and challenges that might bring every club in the bag into play. The par-3 eighth hole is among the course’s many gems, playing toward the ocean and the snorkeling hotspot of Molokini Crater. It features one of the many historic low lava rock walls built by early Hawaiians that are scattered throughout the course and add to its charm.
Wailea Emerald Course (Wailea) The double green at Wailea's Emerald Course. Erik Matuszewski. The Emerald is one of three 18-hole championship courses at Wailea Golf Club that serve the seven resorts in Wailea as well as the surrounding areas. The 6,825-yard, par-72 Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design is a lush experience, ...
The 13th green at Kapalua's Plantation Course on Maui. Every January, the eyes of the golf world turn to Maui, Hawaii’s valley isle. As cold weather grips many parts of the country, PGA Tour champions from the previous season gather at the Kapalua Resort for the winners-only Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course.
While not as highly regarded as the above resort courses, Maui Nui is a great golfer-friendly layout that offers the kind of breathtaking scenery you expect in Hawaii, with views of the Pacific Ocean, Auau Channel, Mount Haleakala, Molokini, and the West Maui mountains.
There are fifteen beautiful golf courses on Maui. The best is the Plantation Course at Kapalua, famous as home to the Sentry Championship (formerly called the Hyundai or Mercedes Championship) every January. Second-best is the Bay Course, also at Kapalua. (The Village Course at Kapalua closed in 2007.) The Royal Kaanapali and Kaanapali Kai (formerly called Kaanapali North and South) golf courses are somewhat less challenging. Wailea Gold, Emerald and Blue are also top courses. Wailea Gold is home to the Champions Skins Game held every February. The Plantation Course and the Wailea Emerald course have some of the most beautiful views. The Makena Course is now private and no longer available for visitors. (It was formerly called the North course at Makena, before the South course at Makena closed in 2008).
For reservations at all of these courses call 808-856-3650. Almost all of Maui’s golf courses, both expensive and inexpensive, offer a large discount if you are willing to play “twilight” starting after 1 or 2 PM. There are also two private Maui golf courses, where you generally have to be a member to play.
For other Maui activities, luaus, whale watching, snorkeling, tours, helicopters, horseback, ATV, parasailing, fishing, biking, beaches, kids & family fun, events calendar, Hawaii cruises, and more, see Maui Things To Do.
Waiehu Muni golf course is a couple of miles northwest of Wailuku on Highway 330. If you go right of the fairway on the 6th, 7th or 8th holes, be prepared to take a sand wedge with you. On the 15th, there is a downhill tee shot which looks as if you would hit it into the ocean.
If you are staying or playing on the west side (Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kapalua) use Jimmy’s Maui Golf Rentals. Both can deliver to your hotel or condo, both can book you discounted tee times, and both can give you good advice about Maui golf courses.
If you are looking for something different, or have played the Maui golf courses and would like to try the famous beautiful courses on the near by island of Lanai, you can take a day-trip by ferry boat to Lanai. There you will play the Challenge at Manele or the Experience at Koele golf course, and then return by ferry to Maui the same day.
You don’t have to stay in a Kapalua hotel to play golf at the Kapalua courses, or in Wailea to play the Wailea courses: you can stay anyplace and play golf anyplace. However, you do get a discount on golf at the course affiliated with the hotel you stay at. For one frequent Maui golfer’s opinions about which Maui golf courses have the best views, ...
The Dunes at Maui Lani Golf Course. Situated off the tourist track, not far from the Kahului airport, this course comes at a terrific value. Designed by architect Robin Nelson in 1999, The Dunes at Maui Lani offers an 18-hole links-style course that spans 6,423 yards of greenery.
With beautiful year-round weather and remarkable views at every turn, it’s no wonder why so many Hawaii visitors seek out the Island of Maui for their ultimate golf getaway. The island’s topography provides ...
Located on the slopes of the West Maui Mountains near Kapalua Bay, this course offers the most dramatic ocean views and stunning scenery at every hole.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., Royal Ka’anapali has been a Maui mainstay since it first opened in 1962. This exquisite 18-hole course runs about 6,700 yards, stretching along the western coastline at sea level before winding its way to the foothills of the West Maui Mountains.
Kahili Golf Course was found in 1991, resting on the hillside of West Maui Mountains.
Beautifully landscaped and offering stunning ocean views with the Island of Molokai off in the distance, this 18-hole course sits over 6,600 yards while playing at a par-72. Designed in 1975 by architects Arnold Palmer and Francis Duane, the Bay Course is Kapalua’s original course and has hosted over 20 major professional tournaments over the years, withstanding the test of time while hosting some of the best players in golf.
Most famously, the Plantation Course is home to the PGA TOUR’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions each January. It has hosted some of the biggest names in golf including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, Ernie Els and many more.