A mountainside par 73 that came back from a dry spell.
The Plantation Course climbs the lower slopes of the West Maui Mountains above Kapalua, with the ocean and the island of Molokai in view from nearly every hole. For 27 years it opened the PGA Tour season each January, and Golfweek has named it the best course in Hawaii fifteen years running. It is also a public-access course: anyone can book a tee time online. The recent story matters for your trip. Drought browned the course in autumn 2025, the Tour cancelled its January 2026 event and has moved on, and the course now runs on a fraction of its usual water. Reports from early 2026 say it is in good shape again, and the club now describes it as open and in great condition.
Kapalua Plantation Course green fees and tee times.
Book the standard rate online up to 30 days ahead. If you want a tee time further out, the premium rate costs the standard price plus 15%. The club’s FAQ says it opens 31 to 90 days before play, but the 2026 rate card says 31 to 60 days, so call if you need a date more than two months out. All tee times carry a 48-hour cancellation policy. A premium booking cannot be cancelled and rebooked at the cheaper rate for the same day once the 30-day window opens. Guests of the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Montage Kapalua Bay, the Kapalua Villas and Napili Kai Beach Resort get a lower resort rate and a 60-day window, but they must book it by phone on 1-877-527-2582 or (808) 669-8044, from 7.30am to 4pm Hawaii time, seven days a week. The kama‘aina (resident) rate needs a REAL ID-compliant Hawaii licence or state ID, so overseas visitors pay the standard or resort rate. A non-playing companion can ride along for US$65 plus tax.
INDICATIVE GREEN FEE · CHECKED NOVEMBER 2026From US$445
Kapalua resort-guest rate plus tax, shared cart included; standard rate US$475 plus tax; premium early-booking rate US$546.25 plus tax. 2026 rates run to 13 December 2026.
Kapalua resort guest
US$445 + tax
Standard rate
US$475 + tax
Premium rate, booked beyond 30 days
US$546.25 + tax
Non-playing rider
US$65 + tax
Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The round, in perspective.
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed the Plantation on old pineapple land, and it plays to par 73 over 7,596 yards from the Tour tees, rated 77.0 with a slope of 144. Most visitors will choose the Regular tees at 6,701 yards or the Resort tees at 6,077; there are seven sets in all, down to 5,181 yards. The ground falls a long way towards the sea, so wide fairways and huge slopes do much of the work. GolfPass singles out the downhill 474-yard seventh, one of the longest par 4s in golf, and the club points to the 18th, where the fairway tilts so hard that long drives keep running. The course record of 61 is shared by Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Matt Jones from the 2022 Tournament of Champions, and Hideki Matsuyama finished 35 under par at the last PGA Tour event here, in January 2025.
Know before you go.
Cart
Shared cart included in the green fee
Booking window
30 days standard; 60 days resort guests; longer at the premium rate
Cancellation
48 hours
Rental clubs
Titleist and Callaway sets for men and women
Rider fee
US$65 plus tax
Weather
No refunds unless the course is closed as unsafe
Dress
Proper golf attire at all times
Make the trip work.
Know what the water limits mean before you go. Kapalua is under a Tier 3 restriction, which leaves it about 40% of its normal water. The superintendent is taking ten acres of irrigated turf out of play, and Kapalua’s Bay Course next door is closed with no date to reopen. In practice you get one course at Kapalua, so build in a second venue elsewhere on Maui. The driving range, the golf shop and the Taverna restaurant are open. Unless a date is fixed and must be secured early, book inside the 30-day window and save the 15% premium. Rental sets are US$95 plus tax with two sleeves of balls, and each player needs their own set.
Kahului (OGG) is Maui’s main airport. Most long-haul visitors connect there through Honolulu or a West Coast gateway. Kapalua is at the north-west tip of the island, roughly an hour’s drive from OGG on the Honoapi‘ilani Highway, which runs round the West Maui coast past Lahaina and Kaanapali. Hire a car: the clubhouse is at 2000 Plantation Club Drive, up the hill from the resort’s hotels and beaches.
Four places on the resort qualify you for the resort rate and the 60-day window: The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua; Montage Kapalua Bay, with two- and three-bedroom villas above the bay; the Kapalua Villas, with one- to three-bedroom units facing the ocean or the golf; and Napili Kai Beach Resort on Napili Bay, just to the south. The Kapalua lodging page also links to Troon Golf Vacations for packages that combine a room with golf. Staying in Kaanapali, about 15 minutes down the coast, gives you a wider choice of hotels but means paying the standard rate.
Make a trip of it.
The Royal Kaanapali course is the natural partner, a short drive south along the same coast, and sells tee times up to 120 days ahead. Wailea’s Gold and Emerald courses on the south shore make a good third day, but plan on more than an hour each way from Kapalua. Away from golf, Honolua Bay, just beyond the resort, is a marine conservation district with some of the best snorkelling on the island when the winter surf is down. Kapalua Bay itself is a sheltered beach for swimming.
Find your season.
The course is open all year, but check the maintenance dates: aeration closed it on 6 to 10 May and 8 to 13 September 2026. The PGA Tour’s January event has moved to Torrey Pines. The LPGA’s LOTTE Championship comes to the Plantation on 18 to 21 March 2027, so expect closures around that week. Winter brings the most rain to the mountain side of West Maui.
Can the public play the Kapalua Plantation Course?
Yes. It is open to the public, and anyone can book online up to 30 days ahead at the standard rate, or further ahead at the premium rate. Guests at four resort properties get a lower rate and a 60-day window, but they must book by phone.
How much does it cost to play the Plantation Course at Kapalua?
The 2026 rates are US$475 plus tax at the standard rate and US$445 plus tax for Kapalua resort guests, both with a shared cart. Booking more than 30 days out costs US$546.25 plus tax. The kama‘aina rate is only for Hawaii residents with a REAL ID-compliant licence.
Is the Sentry still played at Kapalua?
No. Drought forced the PGA Tour to cancel the 2026 event, and the tournament moves to Torrey Pines in San Diego in 2027. Kapalua instead hosts the LPGA’s LOTTE Championship on 18 to 21 March 2027, with a US$3 million purse.
Is the Kapalua Bay Course open?
No. The Bay Course, which hosted the Kapalua LPGA Classic in 2008, remains closed with no reopening date, and its future is in doubt while water is short. A redesign by David McLay Kidd is on hold while the owner deals with the water supply.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
