Exotic And Beautiful Maui Golf Resorts
Our current destination is the Kaanapali Golf Resort that is on the north western side of the island. If you are reviewing the map, you land at the airport at Kahului, at the neck of the island, travel south to the throat and turn right along the face until you get to Kaanapali, shortly after you pass the town of Lahaina.
Maui is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is instantly recognizable on the map because of its shape. It looks like a human head including its shoulders. Maui is one of the most favored destination of the winter-weary Canadians and the northern portion of the United States
There are many lodging along the west coast, close to the golf course; from the exotic Four Seasons Resort to the basic Kaanapali Beach Hotel. My preference is to stay at the Royal Lahaina Resort where every room faces the Pacific Ocean. Royal Lahaina is just a short distance from the pro shop of the golf course.
The Kaanapali Golf Resort operates two courses; the Royal (north) course that covers 6,700 yards and the Kai (south) course 
that measures about 6,400 yards that is more suited for the average golfer. The Royal course hosts the Champions Tour’s Skins Game every year in late January. The north course meanders to the upper level as well as run along the lower sea level; but both courses never lose sight of the blue Pacific Ocean. The grounds are always in immaculate condition as the courses are designed for the average golfers and the roughs are non-existent. The greens are generous with some tricky rolling mounds that will test all aspects of your putting skills. The Kai course, originally designed as an executive course is now a respectable 6,400 yards. It hosted the Golf Channel’s Big Break Kaanapali in 2008.
For a change of pace from your home course, you just need to travel a few miles farther north to Kapalua. Here you have two courses as well; the Bay course (built by Arnold Palmer) and the Plantation course, designed by Ben Crenshaw. The Plantation course is where the PGA tour plays its season opening Tournament of Champions, presently called the SBS Championship. Unlike the Kaanapali courses which are completely flat, the Kapalua courses are extremely hilly, going up and down hill and across ravines and gullies. The fairways at the Plantation course, I understand, is a hundred yards wide and the 18th hole, which is probably the signature hole of the golf course is all downhill and the tee shots of the pros travel about four hundred yards!
On non-golfing days, join the crowd at the Whalers Village. There you can shop, browse through the museum to learn about whales, or watch videos or take guided tours. For meals, there are several gourmet restaurants as well as fast food places. As you recall, we passed through the town of Lahaina on the way up to the golf course. For complete browsing and shopping, this quaint little town is a must. You might start by taking the old Sugar Cane train that now makes a regular run from Lahaina to the resorts of Kaanapali. One of the “must see” sites in the town is the huge banyan tree that is touted as the oldest banyan tree in the world. Off on the wharf, you can watch the many fishing boats coming in; and for the adventurous, there are deep sea fishing boats for hire.
We have covered the northwestern portion of the island that will more than satisfy your extended stay on the island of Maui. This, however, is not the entire story about “golf Maui” as we have just covered a small portion of the island. We need to cover the south and other areas of the island, including the Wailea/Makena area; but this is another story.
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