Maui Golf
As you walk up to the first tee, your chosen driver in
hand, you take a deep breathe and look around. Could it be? Are you actually
playing golf in Maui? Somehow the greens are greener, the ball is whiter and
the sky is clearer. You take a few practice strokes and watch the ball sail.
You are starting your first round in the living man’s paradise.
It is little wonder why Maui is considered to be the world’s premier
destinations for golf. With gorgeous weather all year and fifteen courses to
choose from, you are bound to find something you like. If you are a die hard
golfer looking to satisfy even your most primal need for challenging play
and beautiful lay outs, try the Valley Isle.
Here’s a quick tour:
The Wailea Golf Club in south Maui has three courses, all 18 holes and all
par 72. The easiest of the three is the Blue which has open fairways. Of
course, easy is a relative term this course has 74 bunkers and four water
hazards. Next, there is the Gold Course. It was been named as one of Golf
Magazines top ten in 1993 and has lava rock walls. Then there is the Emerald
Course, this has the most beautiful view of the ocean and Haleakala. It is
also home to the signature 553 yard, 5 par downhill slopes, which is very
challenging in its own right.
The annual Wendy’s Champions Skins Game held at Wailea’s Gold course is two
days packed of action. With the past and present golf pros like Jack
Nicklaus, Arnold Paler and Gary Player along with Raymond Floyd and Lee
Trevino, you are in good company when you play this course.
When Robert Trent Jr. designed a couple of championship worthy courses on
Makena, he wanted to make sure it was going to be a challenge. So, he made
them complete with deep slopes and fast greens. This is going to be a
challenge for sure, but the good news is that there are virtually no strong
winds on these courses so your ball should stay straight and true.
If you go west to Ka’anapali, you will find to more courses with 18 holes
each. The North course is home to one of Hawaii’s most difficult finishing
holes. It has two bunkers on the left and a water hazard to the right. This
is one hole you are going to have to be careful of. With these credentials,
it is easy to see why they host a Champions PGA Tour stop, aptly named the
Ka’anapali Classic.
The Bay, Village and Plantation all call the Kapalua Resort home. The bay,
with its opening shot on the fifth hole, has you shooting your ball over the
Oneloa Bay. This is easily one of the golf world’s most spectacular visuals.
Tiger Woods and Ernie Els along with Davis Love III and Vijay Singh have
played in the Mercedes championships, which is an annual event at the
Plantation Course.
The great thing about golf in Maui is that no matter your skill level, you
will find a course to fit your fancy and playing level.
