Heading to Maui in early August, looking for recommendations.

[roarkerandall]

My wife is attending a conference in Maui in early August, so naturally I'm tagging a long and getting some golf in. Right now I'm looking at 2-3 rounds. We're staying right next to Kaanapali so I figure I'll get a round in on the Royal course. Also thinking of getting a round in on the Emerald course at Wailea. I want to pull the trigger on the plantation course, but $527 playing by myself is a tough sell. Any other courses I should consider?

 

Couple questions... I'll be a single, do you think I'll get paired up? Also, do I need to worry about booking tee times ASAP? I assumed it was all gonna fill up fast, but I checked and it looks pretty easy to get a tee time. 

Edited June 22, 2023 by roarkerandall

[Louis_Posture]

18 minutes ago, roarkerandall said:

My wife is attending a conference in Maui in early August, so naturally I'm tagging a long and getting some golf in. Right now I'm looking at 2-3 rounds. We're staying right next to Kaanapali so I figure I'll get a round in on the Royal course. Also thinking of getting a round in on the Emerald course at Wailea. I want to pull the trigger on the plantation course, but $527 playing by myself is a tough sell. Any other courses I should consider?

 

Couple questions... I'll be a single, do you think I'll get paired up? Also, do I need to worry about booking tee times ASAP? I assumed it was all gonna fill up fast, but I checked and it looks pretty easy to get a tee time. 

 

Every afternoon Kapalua has a skins game, usually 20 to 30 players. It's a gross game, but handicaps 7 or above who win a skin get paid double for that. Anyone in the pro shop at Kapalua is able to give you more details.

[roarkerandall]

12 hours ago, Louis_Posture said:

 

Every afternoon Kapalua has a skins game, usually 20 to 30 players. It's a gross game, but handicaps 7 or above who win a skin get paid double for that. Anyone in the pro shop at Kapalua is able to give you more details.

Is it a cheaper greens fee for the skins game? Or just a gamble that you may win and get your money back?

[Louis_Posture]

5 hours ago, roarkerandall said:

Is it a cheaper greens fee for the skins game? Or just a gamble that you may win and get your money back?

Much cheaper greens fee, so no "gamble" at all. 

[sharkiesj]

Skip Kaanapali and don’t play Wailea. Just pony up and play once at the Plantation. It’s the only course you should play on Maui. Does it hurt paying in the pro shop? Of course it does. But it just money.  Plenty more where that comes from. You’ll regret playing Kaanapali or Wailea and not playing Plantation. Unless you know you’re going back soon.  Otherwise, when you plan on going back 5 years later the green fee will be even more expensive.  
 

Nike time bruddah.  Just do it.  🤙🏻

[vandyfan]

I'm not a golf course architecture expert but I had an almost religious experience at Wailea Emerald. I really really enjoyed it. Wailea Blue is fairly bland but has great views and Wailea Gold is a step up but you could miss it and be fine. I skipped Kapalua and don't really regret it. Hawaii is just amazing and I thought playing golf anywhere out there was a treat of a lifetime. 

[southpaw72]

This is just my opinion…. Do not skip the plantation course. It’s my favorite place on the planet. I went in march this past year and going back in September. My regret was not playing the bay course as well but I didn’t have as much time as I had hoped.

I played as a single at one of the earliest tee times and got paired with one other random and he turned out to be one of the most enjoyable playing partners I’ve ever had. You can book 31-90 days out at kapalua I believe but you’ll pay an extra 10 or 15%. 

 

The muni by the airport Waiheu gets good reviews for a value and having a lot of ocean front holes.

 

TLDR I was dead set on playing the plantation course but worried it wouldn’t have been worth it, and I was trying to figure out how to get back to play again before I even left. 

[southpaw72]

9 hours ago, sharkiesj said:

Skip Kaanapali and don’t play Wailea. Just pony up and play once at the Plantation. It’s the only course you should play on Maui. Does it hurt paying in the pro shop? Of course it does. But it just money.  Plenty more where that comes from. You’ll regret playing Kaanapali or Wailea and not playing Plantation. Unless you know you’re going back soon.  Otherwise, when you plan on going back 5 years later the green fee will be even more expensive.  
 

Nike time bruddah.  Just do it.  🤙🏻

This is exactly right. Picture this…. It’s January, snow on the ground, you’re inside trying to maintain a stable core body temperature while you turn on the TOC. You see the whales, you see the pros, you see the luscious Hawaiian foliage amongst the pure perfect greens and you think to your self, “self, I can’t believe we didn’t play there”

 

Now on the other hand you can be watching it on TV and think to yourself “what a horrible play by Rahm, I birdied that hole. What a poser”  the choice is simple. 

[roarkerandall]

7 hours ago, southpaw72 said:

You can book 31-90 days out at kapalua I believe but you’ll pay an extra 10 or 15%. 

Interesting, so it's cheaper if I wait. I guess there's a risk of it filling up, but it looks pretty empty

 

8 hours ago, southpaw72 said:

This is just my opinion…. Do not skip the plantation course. It’s my favorite place on the planet.

 

I'm not doubting you, I just feel weird checking off a bucket list course playing solo. 

[southpaw72]

28 minutes ago, roarkerandall said:

Interesting, so it's cheaper if I wait. I guess there's a risk of it filling up, but it looks pretty empty

 

 

I'm not doubting you, I just feel weird checking off a bucket list course playing solo. 

I get that completely my experience as a single was perfect though!

[3PuttLefty]

Must play Kapalua. The course is obviously great, but the scenary is unreal.  For me it was once in a lifetime round. Well worth $500. Throw the scorecard away, take a deep breath, enjoy the scenary and enjoy. 

[ESOX ZO]

On 6/21/2023 at 10:38 PM, roarkerandall said:

My wife is attending a conference in Maui in early August, so naturally I'm tagging a long and getting some golf in. Right now I'm looking at 2-3 rounds. We're staying right next to Kaanapali so I figure I'll get a round in on the Royal course. Also thinking of getting a round in on the Emerald course at Wailea. I want to pull the trigger on the plantation course, but $527 playing by myself is a tough sell. Any other courses I should consider?

 

Couple questions... I'll be a single, do you think I'll get paired up? Also, do I need to worry about booking tee times ASAP? I assumed it was all gonna fill up fast, but I checked and it looks pretty easy to get a tee time. 

Don't pay the premium for the early booking, there will be tee times available the day of. 

 

I would skip all the Kaanapali courses. Wailea Emerald is a classic resort course, but the views are incredible and its a fun track. Plantation is next level and immerses you into the drama of Maui with it's incredible wide fairways and valleys, maybe 2 sub-standard golf holes on the course. Plantation I've played a couple times and I've gotten paired up everytime. Played Emerald at 3:00 for the discounted price and had the course to ourselves. I would recommend looking into King K as it's underrated course on Maui. You get a different vibe since you are up in the hills for that one, great views of downtown, Haleakala, Wailea, Lanai, all of it. Hit up Tin Roof after your round at King K, $16 for some of the best Poke on the island. 

[Lobby]

I hear Maui Wowie is always good

[ESOX ZO]

On 6/29/2023 at 11:54 AM, Lobby said:

I hear Maui Wowie is always good

Smells good too

[roarkerandall]

Alright, booked the Plantation course. I have time for another round. I'm debating between Royal Ka'anapali and the Bay course. Royal is closer to where I'm staying and cheaper, so I'm leaning towards that as a warm up for the Plantation course. 

[tad950]

Ka’anapali is just fine. King Kamehameha is private, but has a couple tee times early for the public. Distant views of both sides of the island. Kahili is on the road leading to King K. Pretty decent. But I’m not that discerning. I’m just happy playing golf anywhere in Hawaii.

 

If the wind is howling at Plantation, I would try for another day. 

Edited August 4, 2023 by tad950

[tad950]

Fingers crossed that the wildfires won’t affect/isn’t affecting your trip to Maui. Terrible situation there now. Stay safe.

Edited August 9, 2023 by tad950

[sharkiesj]

Heard 3 thousand tourists trying to leave Kahului are stuck at the airport.  Nowhere to go

[roarkerandall]

Well that trip did not go as planned. I was safe the whole time, so no real concerns. Was in Lahaina the night before the fire, walked front street and all. Very strange to know it's not there now. We happened to be on the south side of Maui when the fire happened (drove by Lahaina an hour or two before it started, and didn't see anything), we were never able to get back to kaanapali. Clubs/luggage/etc are all stuck in the hotel. We ended up sleeping in our rental car for a few nights before we got out. Unfortunately I don't have high hopes on getting our stuff back any time soon. It's a real mess there and our stuff is the least of their concerns. 

[southpaw72]

13 minutes ago, roarkerandall said:

Well that trip did not go as planned. I was safe the whole time, so no real concerns. Was in Lahaina the night before the fire, walked front street and all. Very strange to know it's not there now. We happened to be on the south side of Maui when the fire happened (drove by Lahaina an hour or two before it started, and didn't see anything), we were never able to get back to kaanapali. Clubs/luggage/etc are all stuck in the hotel. We ended up sleeping in our rental car for a few nights before we got out. Unfortunately I don't have high hopes on getting our stuff back any time soon. It's a real mess there and our stuff is the least of their concerns. 

Glad you’re safe and have a positive perspective all things considered 

Edited August 15, 2023 by southpaw72