Kapalua, Maui, HI
The PGA Tour's season opener, played on your buddy trip — Maui doing the rest.
Kapalua crowns Maui's northwest corner, where pineapple-plantation hillsides fall toward the channel and Molokai floats across the water. The Plantation Course — a Coore & Crenshaw design built on enormous scale — opens the PGA Tour season every January, and its plunging 18th is one of the most recognizable finishing holes in golf. The Bay Course brings ocean-side holes at a gentler pitch, and the Ka'anapali courses down the coast round out the rotation. Between rounds: snorkeling bays, whale season, beach clubs and dinner reservations worth planning around.
| Course | Designer | Notes | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plantation Course | Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw | The Tour's January stage — huge fairways, huge drops, and the famous downhill 18th. The must-play. | resort |
| Bay Course | Arnold Palmer | Ocean-side resort golf across lava-edged coves — the softer, scenic second act. | resort |
| Royal Ka'anapali | Robert Trent Jones Sr. | The classic resort course down the coast — a strong away day with beach-bar recovery built in. | public |
The resort
The headline resort above D.T. Fleming Beach — pools, spa and preferred golf access, with the Plantation clubhouse up the hill.
◆ The private house
A Kapalua villa or West Maui home — lanai facing the channel, plunge pool, and both resort courses minutes away. Villas book far ahead for winter; split larger crews across adjoining units.
4-6 BR · sleeps 8-12 · ~$2,000–$6,000/nt
AM Land at Kahului and drive the coast road to Kapalua.
PM Check in, swim at D.T. Fleming Beach, sunset mai tais and the week's bets over dinner.
AM Ocean-side opener across the coves.
PM Snorkel Kapalua Bay or pool duty; poke and local beers at the house.
AM The away round down the coast.
PM Ka'anapali beach afternoon; big dinner reservation — book it before the trip.
AM The team match on the Tour's stage — driver everywhere, trophy on the 18th.
PM Trophy dinner at the resort; cigars on the lanai with Molokai across the water.
AM Sunrise swim or a last range session, then the coast road back to Kahului.
The Plantation Course's massive downhill fairways host the pros every January, and the rest of the year they host anyone with a tee time. Pair golf's most scenic resort rotation with whales off the coast, mai tais at sunset and Maui's north-shore polish.
Book Plantation times well ahead and expect premium fees — resort guests get preferred windows. Winter is whale season and peak pricing; avoid tournament week in January unless spectating is the plan. Fly into Kahului.