Kapalua Resort has two simply breathtaking layouts at its disposal - the premier of which is the Plantation Course - and it's the dream of many a golfer to tee it up there one day.
Framed by the Pacific ocean and many of Hawaii's other 137 recognized islands, Kapalua's location on the slopes of the West Maui Mountains offers up dramatic views from virtually every hole.
Measuring at a maximum of 7,596 yards, the site of the PGA Tour's season-opening event - The Sentry - can be reduced down to either 7,284, 6,701, 6,077 or 5,181 yards depending on your ability level. As a result, all amateurs can fulfil a bucket-list ambition and complete 18 holes there.
The Plantation Course was originally co-designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw - the same pair who breathed new life into Pinehurst No.2 - and opened in 1992, undergoing a significant restoration in 2019 following Xander Schauffele's success at The Sentry. Those alterations made for extremely low scoring the next time tour pros returned, and 2022 saw a bumper year in terms of broken records.
Cameron Smith knocked it around in just 258 shots (-34) on his way to winning to clinch the 72-hole record, while Jon Rahm (third round), Justin Thomas (third round), and Matt Jones (fourth round) all managed rounds of 12-under in the same year to secure the 18-hole low.
Speaking of breaking records, the Plantation Course has regularly been the site of the PGA Tour's longest-ever drives as a result of its steep and sloping 18th hole. In the third round of the 2002 Mercedes Championship at Kapalua, Tiger Woods’ drive was recorded at 498 yards. The 15 longest drives of that season were all recorded on that hole during that round, but all those drives were later excluded from the official records.
Of the 10 that have stood, four took place on the Plantation Course - including the longest official drive in PGA Tour history. In 2024, Max Homa smoked one a whopping 477 yards down the seventh during round three of The Sentry. Homa's record eclipsed Davis Love III's 20-year record by just one yard.
The season before, Ryan Brehm managed just 455 yards on the 18th hole which secured him eighth on the list of big hits. In the same year as Brehm, Luke List rocketed a drive 459 yards down the seventh to put himself sixth.
So, if you're looking to break your all-time record for longest drive down these wide fairways, then it might be worth considering a trip out to Hawaii. But, fair warning, a tee time at Kapalua's Plantation Course is not among the cheapest PGA Tour green fees you will find. Although, they are very easy to sort if you have the required funds.
You only have to visit the Kapalua Golf website and click on 'book a tee time' - much the same as you would at many other venues. From there, you can reserve your tee time anywhere between one and 90 days in advance. It must be noted, though, that reserving tee times from between 31-90 days in advance require golfers to pay what the resort calls an "upcharge fee" - standard rate plus 15%.
A standard tee time at any time of the week - aside from 'Sentry Season' (December 23 - January 10) when premium pricing is in effect - is currently $469 per person. Otherwise, tee times can be reserved from $539.35pp. The price does not change depending on the number of golfers per tee time, nor the time or day on which you play.
If you would like to stay at Kapalua Resort and take advantage of both the Plantation and Bay Courses, the Aloha package offers two rounds at the latter and one at the Plantation from $949 plus tax. Additional rounds at the Plantation Course can be booked from $429 plus tax on a different day, or from $249 plus tax on the same day, but that is space dependent and does not guarantee another full 18.
