"Inside the Lip"
A local's guide to Maui’s best golf experiences
BY:  Maui Dogdoc

Welcome to Paradise. Golfers’ paradise that is. Maui has some of the worlds’ best golf. I’ve played some of the best in the USA; Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, the Links at Spanish Bay, Broadmoor and Bay Hill and I’ll tell you that Maui has more great courses per square mile than anywhere. This guide is written for the malahini (visitors) so that, if you love the game like I do, you get the local knowledge to make your golf experience more enjoyable. Now I’m not going to read that snake of a putt on #18 at the Plantation for you, but I will tell you it probably breaks towards the water.

Preparing for the trip:

You don’t have to pack your clubs. This may make some of you cringe but you can rent top quality clubs at most courses. If you only have a day or 2 to play, you can rent great clubs and not have to lug along that case. You can always pack a small case with the putter or driver you just can’t live without and use rental irons and bag. Local private pro shops will rent you brand new clubs (i.e. the set you’ve wanted to try out anyway) by the day or week. Check out my personal favorite, the Maui Golf Shop owned by PGA pro Clif Council. 

Book early. If you want preferred tee times book it now. Visitors get preference over us locals and you can get that ideal tee time if you book it early. You will pay more booking directly with the golf course but you have the best chance of getting an early tee time this way. There are still courses you can book at the last minute that are great and there are some last minute “deals”, but if you want a preferred time at Kapalua, Wailea or Makena, don’t wait. Most of your other excursions can be worked around the golf schedule easier anyway.

Prepare for the weather. You’ve probably already got your sunscreen packed but Maui has a few other types of weather to be ready for. RAIN! Rain is a regular experience for Maui golfers (hey, it’s the tropics!). This depends a lot on where on the island you’re playing. In south Maui, Makena and Wailea, you’re in a tropical desert environment and rain is rarely an issue. The sun can be pretty intense though, and in some areas you’re surrounded by lava so it can be hot. Dress lightly and wear a hat with a brim or at least a visor. Shorts are fine most anywhere on Maui (see the dress code). If you’re playing on the West side at Kapalua, bring your rain jacket at least. I always bring a full gortex rain suit to Kapalua and we still play even in the rain. It’s usually warm enough with a little protection. The Kapalua courses are built to take it too. They still play well if they’re wet. Don’t wimp out because of a little rain. In Hawaii, rain is mana (a blessing) from the ancient gods. We rarely, rarely ever get lightning so don’t go running to the clubhouse if the mana starts to fall. WIND! We get plenty of wonderful trade winds, but it can be a strong wind at times. Remember, “the wind is our friend”. Many times it’s 2 to 3 clubs more than the yardage due to the wind. If you are one of those special people who can hit the 1 iron, put it in the bag. If you can’t decide which driver to bring, choose the 9 degree not the 11 degree. A low boring trajectory will help when hitting into the wind. Then you can always tee it high and let it fly going down wind.

Dress code. Most of the courses on Maui require appropriate attire for golf. This means shirts with sleeves for the men. Certainly, no tank tops or bathing suits are allowed on the course. You will see the local boys golfing in baggies and slippers (sandals) once in a while, but think elegant if you’re headed to the premier courses. Dress pants or shorts and golf shirts with sleeves and collars are the best attire. Soft spikes are a must but you can golf in athletic shoes too if you don’t want to pack the golf shoes. Some type of hat is a good idea but bring one that will stay on if it’s windy. For the ladies, some of the larger brimmed hats that are in style can be a real nuisance in the wind. Caps and visors are the best. Don’t forget to put sun screen on that thin spot up top guys.

The pace is slow. Doing things at a slow pace is part of the charm on Maui, until you get to the golf course. Allow plenty of time in your schedule for a round of golf because there is no such thing as a 4 hour round of golf here. For the Plantation, allow yourself 6 hours. It rarely plays faster than 5 hours and you just have to see it once to know why but allow yourself time to enjoy the day.

Bring plenty of balls. You can buy logo golf balls at the course ($$$) and these make wonderful memories but the fact is you can expect to lose more balls than you might normally. Stop at Costco (by the airport) or a pro shop when you arrive and buy balls at regular prices to play with. On many courses, the terrain off the fairway is rugged lava. You can ruin a $200 pair of golf shoes looking for a $5 ball. Best to have extra ammo.

Cart paths only. This doesn’t always happen but at times, when we’ve had a lot of rain, they’ll keep the carts off the fairway. This may not seem like much of a big deal especially to those of you who walk regularly, but Maui has lots of steep hills and gulches. Be aware that you may need to hike a bit on certain courses. There are still great courses that have flatter layouts (Kaanapali) so if you have health issues, we want you to be safe and enjoy the round of golf. 

The Top 3 Maui Golf Experiences:

PLAY THE PLANTATION: The Plantation course at Kapalua has to be the #1 golf experience in Hawaii. You simply will never see another golf course like this anywhere. The Plantation Course has gained fame since becoming the venue for the Mercedes Championship on the PGA tour but it has been a local favorite ever since it opened. It’s not for the faint of heart however. You can look up the stats but this baby is long. For us mere morals, it’s a par 73! (another rarity). It is a serious challenge for golfers of all abilities but frankly it can be a killer for a higher handicap golfer. There are numerous forced carries off the tee, lots of blind shots and some deep bunkers. The fairways are generous enough but the wind is usually blowing and the “rough” is tropical jungle. The greens will test the metal of even the best with the flat stick. For the scratch or low handicap golfer, this course will challenge your shotmaking abilities. Higher handicap players with the right attitude can still enjoy a great day of golf but you need to be willing to put the ball in your pocket on occasion and still keep smiling. The course layout that Crenshaw and Coore designed over an old pineapple plantation is incredible. You must see it to believe it (truly). The new greens are unbelievable, like putting on a pool table. The vistas are spectacular. You might even have to wait on the tee box before you hit your drive just to watch the whales breaching out in the channel. The clubhouse offers fine dining and you shouldn’t skip the 19th hole here.

THE KAPALUA BAY COURSE: The Bay Course is one you might not hear as much about but it is my personal favorite on Maui after the Plantation. This is an ocean front course design by the king himself, Arnold Palmer. A few of the holes wind down along the rugged shoreline that defines Kapalua as “arms embracing the sea”. The postcard 5th hole is a par 3 that has you tee off over the ocean as the surf roars in. Simply beautiful. Of all the Kapalua courses, this one is the most playable for the whole family. Even a higher handicap golfer will have fun here. They also have great clubhouse facilities and like all the Kapalua courses, the fairways and greens are top notch. The practice facilities at Kapalua are also excellent.

THE SEAWATCH RESTAURANT AT WAILEA: I know what you’re thinking but this is a cool golf experience too. Plan on breakfast before the round (especially on Sundays), or lunch / dinner after the round. The terrace restaurant looks out over the ocean with a view of Molokini and is as much a part of the golf experience of Wailea as any golf shot. This is the spot to meet up with the non golfers in your group so that you can still get in a round of golf. There are beaches and shopping nearby. It never hurts to make the dining reservation when you book the tee time here. There are 3 terrific courses at Wailea that have been host to skins games and LPGA tour events so it is a great golf experience. The courses are known by their colors: Blue, Gold and Emerald. All are challenging yet playable for golfers of all levels. Great practice facility here too.

Great Golf on a Budget:

There are some terrific golf courses on Maui that you won’t have to take out a second mortgage to afford to play. The vistas are still beautiful although not seaside (with one exception). Twilight greens fees can save you even more although you can’t guarantee getting in 18 holes.  For under $125 you can still play some fine golf Maui style. In Maui’s central valley, the Kahili Golf Course and the Dunes at Maui Lani are both exceptional courses with moderate greens fees. These happen to be the closest courses to Ma'alaea Banyans as well. (Your Maui condo)  You might have noticed the excellent practice facilities at the Dunes when you drove from the airport. The practice tee is lit at night as well if you need to loosen up after the long flight. I play the Dunes course quite often. It is well maintained and is still a fairly new course. There is a good restaurant in the clubhouse too. In south Maui, the Elleair Golf Club offers a fine layout for reasonable fees. Up country, as we say, as you head towards Haleakala, the Pukalani Country Club is open to the public and with greens fees under $70 including cart it’s quite reasonable. Just outside of Kahului is an ocean front public course that you can play for under $60 including cart (as of this writing). The Waiehu Golf Course is owned by the County of Maui and is the locals favorite with its’ low greens fees. Don’t expect amenities here, this is strictly bare bones golf. Families and 6somes are common and the course sees heavy play. It has a beautiful layout however, with several holes right along the ocean. I’ve often said it could be one of the best layouts on Maui if it weren’t played so heavily. The heavy play and low budget maintenance makes for a lot of hardpan in the fairways and the greens are patchy. Cheapest golf on Maui though.

Packages and Last Minute Deals:

There are ways to save money and still play great golf courses on Maui. There are activities brokers that can get tee times in advance for you and there are last minute deals available. Check out the Maui Golf Shop’s web site at http://www.mauigolfshop.com/ for some great package deals. They also have links to Maui golf courses so you can check out where and when to play. Stand-by Golf is available to book those last open tee times at the very last minute. They get the starters sheet every evening for the next days’ tee times and you can save money booking through them too. Don’t count on getting your foursome a tee time this way but for a last minute single or twosome, it can be great. Contact them toll free at 888-645-2665.

Have a great time golfing on Maui!