Generally, Maui golf is expensive. Not especially so given the greens fees in other West Coast meccas like Scottsdale and Las Vegas. And not at Cabo’s high-end luxury level where fees seem to start at $250 and negotiate up in the Mexican coast’s successful quest to bring in young Hollywood execs and Wall Street players.
Still, if you’re playing golf in Maui, you’re looking at well north of $100 per round.
But there is still one great relative bargain on the island. You can play Kapalua’s famed Plantation Course for $65 after 3:30 p.m. right now and its currently nine-hole sister Bay Course (which has its back nine closed for a renovation that includes all new greens) for $35.
Those would be great deals for courses of this quality almost anywhere. In Maui, they’re almost unthinkable. They’re also very underpublicized.
Kapalua’s staff doesn’t seem all that eager for people to know they can get on Plantation - the host of the Mercedes Championship - for almost one fourth of its full-price, over-$200 regular greens fee.
This is Hawaii too. It’s still light on Maui till almost 6 p.m. this time of year. You might not be able to get all 18 holes of the Plantation in under three hours, but if you don’t dawdle over every putt, you could have a fighting chance. I’m not going to lie and say I played Plantation late in the day (it’s a course where you need to take some time as a reviewer), but I played the full 18 on another course in a little over 2 and 1/2 hours, putting out on 18 in just-enough-light at 6:02 p.m. earlier this trip.
Unlike the Bay Course, which jams up with late-afternoon players trying to get in one last nine for 35 bucks, Plantation tends to be wide open during twilight time too. In fact, you might have a better chance of finishing most of Plantation’s 18 than just nine holes at Bay if you tee off at 3:30 p.m.
| « Island hop on that first Hawaii trip: A Kauai regret | When the sea's a mad drunk, think twice about that Lanai to Maui ferry ride » |
Comment feed for this post
Jason Scott Deegan:
The Accidental Golfer:
Katharine Dyson:
Kiel Christianson:
He fails to mention to readers that the $65 and $35 rates at 3:30 are for NINE HOLES only. Moreover, he fails to note that Bay Course has a par 4 right on the ocean, and a par 3 over the ocean.
Lastly, the name of the tournament played each January is the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Beginnig in Oct. 2008 the Bay Course will host a full field LPGA golf tournament, The Kapalua LPGA Classic.
And the Bay Course still isn't close to being the equal of the Plantation. I didn't say it was bad. It's still not close to the Plantation. And almost every big name course in Maui, except perhaps Dunes by the airport, has ocean holes. The difference in course conditions between the two isn't even close either.
Plantation's in great shape, probably the best shape of any course in Maui, right now. Bay needs some work.
For full stories on both, stay tuned to WorldGolf.com in the coming weeks.
Lastly, everyone calls it the Mercedes or the Mercedes Championship. Only sponsors care if the Benz is worked in.
It is true that you can play until dark
(up to 18 holes)if you pony up the extra
$35 for another 9. Otherwise, rest assured
that you will be removed from the course
after your 9 holes.
Also many people prefer the Bay due to its
friendly playability and ocean holes (of which
the plantation has zero).
As for the "Benz" in the tournament title,
it seems to me that as a journalist you'd
be interested in providing accurate information
to your readers.