Best Golf Courses On Maui
There are four main islands in Hawaii. Each one is completely different from the other, and golf has evolved on each of them to different extents. This can make it difficult to decide which island is best to do that epic round in paradise!
Usually, golfers are looking for the course they have watched on TV, a PGA event course. This makes Maui one of the top destinations in Hawaii for golfing because of the number of tournaments that have been held here over the years and continue to this day.
Golfing in Hawaii
Picking a golf vacation in Hawaii is no small task. That is because:
Today there are currently 75 golf courses in the state. Tallied by island, there are 37 courses (13 private) on Oahu, 16 courses (3 are private) on the Big Island, 14 on Maui (2 are private), 12 on Kauai, and one on Lanai. Keep in mind that private courses are not open to the public and some of the top courses require golfers to be registered guests at their resort. This is why determining the top golf courses in Hawaii to play can seem daunting.
Adding to the confusion is another unique feature about golf in Hawaii: the creative license that many famous course designers have used to shape courses here. The incredible beauty of these vast environments is shaped by names like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Robert Trent Jones Jr, and Sr and countless others. They have left their thumbprint on Hawaii’s golf and created serious bucket list experiences for golfers of all skill levels on every island!
Tips for Playing Golf in Hawaii
We often hear the question, “what is the best island to visit for golf?” It’s almost impossible to answer because there are so many fantastic courses on all the islands. The best way to start is to consider what kind of a golfer you are.
Low handicapper – single-digit = can usually break 80 at your home course
Mid handicapper – 10 to 14 = shoots in the low 80’s to low 90’s at your home course
High handicapper – 15 to 20 = shoots in the upper 90’s or struggles to break 100 at your home course.
Be honest with yourself because here is the real deal about golfing in Hawaii — it’s harder than you think. If you shoot in the mid to low 80’s at your home course, you’ll be happy to break 90 in Hawaii. Why? After decades of playing golf throughout the islands I’ve learned there are several factors involved:
The Wind
First and foremost is the wind. We have what are called trade winds. If you live here, you love these winds. It’s what keeps us cool and comfortable in the heat of the day. They start up at various times of the day depending on where you are, but usually, they start picking up almost everywhere by noon, and they blow anywhere from 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30! You’ll have a hard time believing you’ll need a 175 yard club for that 135 yard shot into the wind. Most people would not play at home during a windstorm but dealing with the wind is just how the game is played here. Playing in the morning helps, but I recommend you work on a knockdown shot and some chipping with a pitching wedge or 9-iron before arriving in Hawaii for some golf.
The Greens
Putting and Chipping
Low handicappers are always good putters. You can read greens and figure out the speed reasonably quickly. However, in Hawaii, our grass and greens never go dormant. That means they grow year-round and develop what is called grain. This grain is strong enough to make a putt turn uphill…or double the speed going downhill! I always look around the edge of the cup to find the grain direction – the rough edge is down grain.
Chipping into the grain can stop a ball in one hop, which is great in the wind, but you have to be aggressive and get it to the pin. If you’re chipping down-grain, you better give it some room to roll out. I like to use a wedge or 9-iron with a putting stroke into the grain from just off the green and an open face lob wedge for down grain.
The Rough
Hawaii courses use many kinds of grass, but once again, they don’t go dormant. Quite a few resort courses don’t bother with much more than a second cut off the fairways. The reason is that there are often far worse penalties beyond the fairways, like lava, or jungle, or waist-deep fescue, or cliffs. The scenery of the golf courses are stunning here in Hawaii, but it can also gobble up balls that you thought were findable. Of the courses that have deeper rough, its thickness can run the gambit. At lower and hotter elevations, the rough can look thin with a reasonable-looking lie, but in reality, it has a thick mat of grassroots that will grab your club and not let go. I always try to choke down a bit on the grip, do a steep takeaway, and hit down aggressively to get enough compression on the ball. Otherwise, it will come out of the rough like a wet noodle. If your ball is buried in the rough, try to use an open face wedge and a big swing just to get it back in play.
Golfing in Maui
Maui has a Hawaiian nickname, No Ka Oi, which translates to “The Best.” There are many reasons for this. First off, it has the most beaches, and as the second largest of the four main islands, it possesses one of the most varied climate zones and environments of all the islands. The south side has dozens of beach parks in Kihei and Wailea. The north shore has the ocean waves so coveted by surfers, windsurfers, and kite boarders and is anchored by the hip little town of Paia. The west side areas of Lahaina and Kaanapali have a relatively dry and sometimes hot environment with wonderful beach parks and resorts. Kapalua has its own climate zone of hot, humid, and windy conditions changing throughout the day. Then there’s the non golf stuff like the east side’s road to Hana or 10,000-ft high Haleakala National Park, both of which are just a couple of the many things to do and see on this stunning island. Maui No Ka Oi!
Golf courses on Maui are as varied as the landscape. The dry leeward sides of Wailea and Kaanapali have several championship golf resorts with multiple courses from which to choose. The famed Kapalua Plantation Course, home to the PGA’s televised event Tournament of Champions every January, has its own weather that varies from rain to wind to heat throughout the day. All this adds up to a lot of variety to choose from (for all levels of golf skill) that can become a bucket list experience you’ll talk about for years to come!
Kapalua Plantation Course
Home of the PGA’s Yearly Tournament of Champions
Hawaii’s Top Rated Course
Home to the 1st PGA event of the year in January, the Plantation course has hosted yearly PGA events since 1992, one year after opening
The Plantation Course is a monster at over 7,500 yards from the tips (just over 6100 yards from the resort tees), almost all of which are either uphill or downhill. This side of Maui is often exposed to the trade winds daily and as a long course already the wind can make it brutal. That said, I’ve seen few courses in Maui with more spectacular views of the ocean and the nearby island of Molokai than the Plantation course! Sailboats and surfers ply the waters just offshore with whales in the mix during the winter months. The huge fairways either lead your eye to the West Maui mountains or fall off into a cascade of green flowing towards the ocean. The beauty can be pretty shocking, and it’s easy to forget you’re here to play golf.
The Plantation course starts quite friendly.
This course will feel like a struggle for high handicappers, but with six tees on each hole, you can still have a lot of fun! I’m sure I would not mind shooting a high score at Augusta (you know – bucket list stuff), so if you want to experience what the pros have to deal with, this can be your chance.
After 2020’s Tournament of Champions and just a few months before the pandemic caused a worldwide shutdown, a multi-million dollar project began, seeing the Kapalua Plantation course stripped to bare dirt to revitalize the 27-year-old course. The original designers, Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore returned to improve and modernize the course’s playability for recreational players and provide new challenges for the PGA tour professionals. The original layout was preserved while reconstructing and resurfacing the greens with Tif Eagle Bermuda grass commenced. All the fairways, rough, and tee boxes were also re-grassed with Celebration grass, and extensive bunker renovations (including elimination and relocation) added to the charm of the course, which is one of the most popular golf courses in all of Hawaii.
Tips for Playing Plantation course
Wailea Golf Club
Wailea Emerald Course
As playable as it is beautiful, the Emerald course has somewhat wide fairways and receptive greens. Robert Trent Jones Jr created this rolling track with stunning views – as he has throughout the islands!
There are still plenty of sand traps to deal with and some tremendous elevation changes that overlook the ocean and nearby islands of Molokini and Kahoolawe on most of the holes. A bit shorter than the Gold Course, the Emerald Course is known as one of the most female and couple friendly golf courses in Hawaii!
TIPS FOR PLAYING
Wailea Gold Course
The Gold course is in idyllic Wailea, the sunny, calm south side of Maui. The Wailea Golf Club consists of three courses, including the Emerald and Blue courses, and the Gold is an excellent challenge for all skill levels. With over 90 bunkers, you will most likely get to hit out of Wailea’s soft silica sand.
The course is shaped around the existing ancient rock walls and lava rock gulches that demand to be carried on multiple holes. There are elevation changes, but they are subtle. Accuracy is more important than length, with six tee boxes to suit most skill levels.
TIPS FOR PLAYING
Wailea Blue Course
As the first course built in Wailea in 1972, the Old Blue had hosted several LPGA and Senior PGA tournaments before almost any courses on Maui were present.
With stunning views of Maui’s ocean and coastline on one side and Haleakala’s 10,000ft summit on the other, this is the most playable and forgiving of Wailea’s three courses. That doesn’t mean it’s not challenging – the large greens can be fast and firm, and there are plenty of giant trees, bunkers, and water. Subtle and flowing elevation changes, fountains, mature landscaping, and meticulous maintenance make this beautiful par 71, 6545-yard course one of the prettiest courses on the island.
TIPS FOR PLAYING
Kapalua Bay Course
Wrapping around and through this exclusive resort community is Kapalua’s Bay Course. Manicured to perfection, this course has some wonderful elevation changes without feeling too daunting like the Plantation course can. Also, a few of the holes are actually right on the ocean. In fact, the par 3 8th hole requires a shot over the ocean – with the spectacular Kapalua beach in the background! This Robert Trent Jones Jr design has been the site of LPGA and PGA events over the years, including wins here by Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and Greg Norman. A bit more affordable than the Plantation course, Kapalua Bay is a legit challenge with amazing ocean views!
Tips for Playing Kapalua Bay Course
Kaanapali Royal
(also Kai)
Another long-time Maui staple for championship resort golf has been Kaanapali. Originally a north and south course, it has been changed into its current Royal and Kai courses configuration. The Royal has a history of LPGA and Senior Skins tournaments over the years. There are historical plaques on the tee boxes sharing the stories and history of Kaanapali as this course starts on the ocean side for a few holes then crosses the road into the foothills of the West Maui Mountains. Elevation changes and fast greens make the Royal course a nice challenge for mid to low handicappers. High handicappers (and anybody else for that matter) will enjoy the Kai course. This course stays on the ocean side, and most holes are level. Sand and wind will be the challenge here, but the beauty of winding your way through the resort area of Kaanapali makes for a relaxing and fun round of golf.
Tips for Playing Kaanapali Royal
The Dunes and Maui Lani Golf
This links-style course is nestled in the foothill sand dunes of the West Maui Mountains. I say link style because of the pot bunkers – and there are quite a few of them. The fairways and greens are mounded throughout, including on the greens, and the wind can be a factor as this course sits at the edge of Maui’s central plains where the tradewinds are funneled between Maui’s two mountains.
It has all the ingredients of a links course. However, unlike a links course, there are also large kiawe trees on what you could also call a woodlands course. These thorny hardwoods are great to use for smoking meat but bad for golf balls. Stay in the fairways and you’ll have a great time on one of Maui’s truly unique courses.
Tips for Playing Dunes and Maui Lani Golf
Maui Nui Golf Club
Located along Piilani Highway in central Kihei, Maui Nui is popular with residents and budget travelers alike. At $69, it’s a nice track with some subtle but meaningful elevation changes. There are plenty of doglegs and lots of trees plus a few water features. The restaurant at the clubhouse is under renovation but should be open by the fall of 2021. Nothing fancy here, just good golf and friendly people!
Tips for Playing
Pukalani Country Club
This 6962-yard par 72 mountain course, constructed in 1980, sits at about 1100 ft elevation on the west-facing slope of Haleakala. Set amongst the neighborhoods of Pukalani and lined with large pine trees, the elevation changes and gulches make for some spectacular carries that are doable for all golf skill levels. The greens have been redone by the new GM/head pro, with just a couple of holes left to complete their green improvements. This is a course with beautiful views and a fun layout that’s popular with all types of golfers.
I’ve played this course for years and can tell you it’s in the best shape I’ve seen it in for decades. This one is a budget value course and worth the drive to the town of Pukalani in what’s called upcountry Maui. The nearby town of Makawao is charming too and Haleakala National Park is about 40 minutes up the road.
Tips for Playing
Waiehu Country Club
Often called the Pebble Beach of Maui, Waiehu Country Club is Maui’s only municipal course and gets a ton of resident play. (Maui residents pay $16 for 18 holes) Visitors are welcome and it is an affordable value course, but it is no slouch. Fast greens accompany ocean views where the wind can blow strong in the afternoons. The front nine is flat and goes out and back along the ocean and beach—the back nine heads into the foothill with beautiful views with some pretty big elevation changes. Built in 1945, it is a vintage course and a pretty straightforward design, but the large and fast greens can be confusing – especially if it’s windy!
Tips for Playing
Hawaii Golf Vacation Packages
Available On All Islands Now
Enjoy a golf holiday in Hawaii and play some of the best courses in the nation. We personalize each of our Hawaii golf vacation packages to suit your style, which islands you want to see and how many rounds you would like to play. On Maui, play the Kapalua Plantation, a PGA tour golf stop, or for ladies, the LPGA course in beautiful Wailea. The Big Island has some of the best courses in Hawaii in the Waikoloa and Kona areas. Kauai is known for itʻs relaxed pace while Oahu courses tend to be a bit busier. We will handle all your golfing needs. Check out our package now.
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