Kapalua’s Plantation Golf Course Reopens After Water-Related Closure

After more than two months of closure brought on by Maui’s strict water restrictions, the Plantation Course at Kapalua re-opened to golfers this week, a welcome (and needed) boost for the Maui resort as well as the surrounding community.

The renowned layout, which sits high above the Pacific Ocean on Maui’s northwest coast and hosts the PGA Tour’s annual season-opening event, has been closed since early September as Kapalua Golf’s agronomy team worked to restore turf health following prolonged drought and irrigation limits. The course’s public reopening on November 10 marked a significant step in the intensive recovery effort.

“We are deeply grateful for our agronomy team and the work they have done to bring the course back,” said Kapalua Golf General Manager Alex Nakajima. “As a key contributor to the Maui economy, reopening the Plantation Course means a lot for our community and the 300-plus employees who work at the course and restaurants. We’re thrilled to see golfers back out there again.”

The reopening of the Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design comes after a summer of unprecedented water challenges across West Maui.

Following a period of Tier 4 water restrictions — which meant zero irrigation — Kapalua’s two courses suffered extensive stress and turf loss. Conditions have since improved under Tier 3 restrictions, which allow 40% of normal water use, thanks to consistent maintenance, favorable weather, and a team effort to restore the course’s conditioning and playability.

No Sentry Tournament

Although the PGA TOUR’s Sentry tournament will not be contested at Kapalua in January 2026, a decision made earlier this fall, the Plantation Course is once again welcoming resort guests, tourists and locals, albeit with some limitations. For now, 17 holes are available, with the green on the first hole continuing to recover and players starting their rounds on the second hole. There were similar issues with the 8^th green, but it has already been restored and Nakajima said No. 1 is “on track to be ready soon.”

While the course welcomed its first resort guests back on Monday, the celebration began the previous day when Kapalua invited 60 Maui junior golfers to be the first to play the reopened layout. As part of that event, Nakajima presented a check totaling $117,000 to support local junior golf programs. The support came from funds donated by Tadashi Yanai, president of Kapalua’s ownership group, TY Management Corporation, who stepped up to cover $750,000 in total donations to 10 local non-profits that normally benefit from The Sentry’s PGA TOUR contributions.

“That support is incredibly meaningful for the community,” Nakajima said.

Tee Time Limitations

Daily tee times are limited for the foreseeable future as the course eases back into operation, helping reduce foot traffic on the newly restored turf, which remains under Tier 3 water restrictions. In addition, the Bay Course remains closed indefinitely. As a result, the volume of play is lower than normal for November, but Nakajima said excitement is high at Kapalua, where the resort’s restaurants, shops, and racquet facilities have stayed open throughout the past several months.

“We’ve received so many messages of support over the past few months from golfers around the world — it’s really given us perspective on what Kapalua Golf means to so many people. Our staff is extremely happy to see golfers on the course again.”

Despite the water-related challenges, Nakajima said the Plantation Course has rebounded impressively well.

“The course is back in great shape,” he said. “It’s remarkable how quickly our agronomy team was able to restore conditions — it took a massive, coordinated effort. We switched to a drought-tolerant Celebration Bermudagrass in 2019, and the deep roots we’ve developed over the past six years are really paying off.”

November rates for the Plantation Course are set at $349 for 17 holes (and $399 for the eventual full 18). December pricing will be announced as course health continues to stabilize, with management assessing conditions week-to-week.

Even without The Sentry in 2026, the reopening of the Plantation Course marks a hopeful turn for Kapalua and for Maui’s tourism recovery.

Nakajima said the team’s focus has always been on what it could control — supporting employees, restoring the turf, and preparing for the day golfers could return.

“The PGA TOUR needed to make their decision months ago, when no one could predict how the course would recover,” he said. “We’ve been extremely focused on what we can do here at Kapalua, and reopening the Plantation Course is a big step forward for everyone.”