Designer: Arnold Palmer/Frank Duane (1975)
Location: Lahaina, Hawaii
History: Opened in 1975 alongside the now defunct Village Course, Kapalua Resort’s Bay Course was designed by Arnold Palmer and Frank Duane. Hugging the Maui coastline, the course opened to rave reviews and began hosting the PGA’s Kapalua Invitational in 1982. In 1983, Greg Norman got his first win on American soil at the event. In 1987, the Bay Course hosted the World Cup of Golf won by Welshmen David Llewellyn and Ian Woosnam. Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore designed Kapalua’s Plantation Course in 1991 and the two courses shared the Kapalua Invitational until 1997. In 2008, the Bay Course hosted its last major tournament, the Kapalua LPGA Classic won by Morgan Pressel. While the Plantation Course now commands most of the national attention, the Bay Course is still award-winning:
- #19 Best Course in Hawaii – Golf Digest (2025)
- #24 Best Course in Hawaii – Top100golfcourses.com (2024)
Conditions: 7/10, The conditions at the Bay Course were overall solid, but not quite as good as the Plantation Course with slower greens and shaggier fairways.
Value: 2/10, Nothing in Hawaii is cheap, and this includes the golf. The Bay Course will set you back about $250 and isn’t nearly good enough to warrant a price like this.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Championship 72 6600 72.7 137
Championship/Regular 72 6294 71.4 135
Regular 72 6051 70.4 132
Resort 72 5686 68.3 126
Resort/Forward 72 5414 71.7 129
Forward 72 5119 70.2 124
Hole Descriptions: I never questioned whether I married the right woman, but if there ever was a doubt, it quickly was erased on our honeymoon in Maui. We stayed in Kapalua for four nights and I had already played the famed Plantation Course earlier in the week. This was enough golf for me on the trip, but we had a free morning the day before our red eye home and my new wife suggested I play the other course and she’d ride with me. I honestly didn’t know Kapalua had another course until we arrived at the Resort, but I was more than happy to see it on our last day in paradise!
Designed by Arnold Palmer and Frank Duane in 1975, the Bay Course predates the Plantation Course and does honestly feel a bit dated. While the architecture here is nothing to write home about, the Bay Course does have some things going for it. For starters, it tips out at only 6600 yards and is much more playable for higher handicappers than the beastly Plantation Course. And although still expensive, it is about half the price of its sister course, offering a cheaper option for locals and Resort guests. Lastly, it too provides wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean and the nearby island of Moloka’i. It also takes you down to the coastline (something the Plantation does not), culminating in the spectacular par 3 17th playing over the Ocean. While this isn’t a course worth traveling to Hawaii to see on its own, it is still a fun resort course and worth a play for the above reasons. It seems the Resort also feels the architecture is outdated and is currently in the process of renovating the course with David McLay Kidd. The potential is there to build something special here, and I hope they are able to pull it off!
The Bay Course opens on the opposite side of the road from the clubhouse with a 355 yard par 4. Playing from an elevated teebox, this is a dogleg right with a fairway rising out of the valley and turning right around a large right bunker at 240 yards. This approach plays uphill and somewhat blind towards a large, left-to-right sloped green defended by bunkers short, long, and right.
The 2nd hole is the shortest on the course as an 162 yard par 3. This is a gorgeous one-shotter with an infinity green and the Pacific Ocean in the background. The putting surface itself is fairly flat and four bunkers line the green short, left, and long.
At 453 yards, the 3rd hole is the longest par 4 on the course and also one of the best holes. Playing steadily down the side of the mountain, this hole features a blind teeshot to a fairway that turns slightly left around 280 yards. There’s a large left crossbunker at 230 yards and OB and houses down the right the entire way. This approach continues downhill towards a two-tiered green with a narrow front portion lined by deep bunkers on either side.
The 4th hole takes you across another street and back up the mountain with a 527 yard par 5. Featuring somewhat of an awkward teeshot, this fairway turns right immediately at about 200 yards with tall trees creating a “field goal” effect near the beginning the fairway. The fairway slopes left-to-right the entire way and a large bunker stretches from 205 to 245 yards down the right side. The remainder of the hole plays considerably uphill and culminates in a back-to-front sloped green surrounded by five bunkers.
The 5th hole is an interesting 408 yard par 4 that initially plays straightaway with a fairway lined by Cook Pines and a bunker down the right at 230 yards. At about 285 yards, the fairway runs out and a small creek bisects the hole, possibly forcing longer hitters to take less than driver. This approach plays over the hazard to an hourglass-shaped green off to the right. This putting surface is subtle and lined by mounds and bunkers on either side.
The 6th feels like a hole from the Plantation Course as a 220 yard monster par 3 playing over a hazard the entire way. This is a pretty one-shotter with a large, undulating green defended by bunkers on every corner except back left.
The 7th and 8th holes run parallel to each other as shorter par fours playing along the side of the hill. At 345 yards, the 7th is the shorter and more memorable of the two playing downhill with gorgeous water views. This is an interesting dogleg right that bends this direction around 200 yards with large bunkers down either side of a narrow fairway. This green is fairly subtle and lined by additional bunkers left and short.
The 8th hole plays back uphill and is a fairly forgettable hole at 349 yards. With trees down the left and a right bunker at 220 yards, this hole is otherwise straightforward with little danger. The green slopes back-to-front with a single bunker short left.
The 9th hole runs back down the side of the mountain and plays shorter than the scorecard says at 539 yards. This hole begins with a blind teeshot and a 240 yard forced carry to find a generous fairway. Crossbunkers run down either side at 335 yards and are only really in play for the longest hitters. Reachable in two with a good drive, this approach continues straight downhill towards a shallow green defended by a false front and bunkers left and long.
Despite my playing partners’ complaints that the 10th was unfair to higher handicappers, I thought it was the most interesting hole on the course architecturally. At 371 yards, this par 4 features a decent forced carry over a hazard to a split fairway separated by a ravine. The right fairway is wider and gives you a better angle, but features two bunkers down the right between 220 and 270 yards. This approach runs uphill towards an elevated, back-to-front sloped green to the left of the ravine. Large bunkers defend the green on either side and short.
The 11th hole is the most forgettable of the course’s five strong par threes and plays a bit longer uphill over a creek at 192 yards. This flat, narrower green is lined by large bunkers left, long, and right.
The 12th hole runs parallel to the 4th as a straightaway 552 yard tree-lined par 5. Although this is the longest hole on the course, it plays extremely downhill for most of the way, offering plenty of extra distance. The approach plays back up out of the valley towards a wide, shallow green surrounded by six bunkers.
After a quick ride across the street again, the 13th hole is another par 5 at 504 yards. Featuring a semi-blind teeshot back up the hill, this fairway is on the generous side and lined by a right crossbunker at 245 yards. This green is subtle and wide, with two large bunkers on its front corners.
The 14th hole is a nice 372 yard par 4 that finishes alongside the 18th and takes you back to the clubhouse. This hole begins with a downhill teeshot to a tree-lined fairway that slopes hard downhill and right-to-left. A back-to-front sloped green sits off to the left, defended by bunkers short, left, and long.
The final loop of holes plays across another road beginning with the 189 yard par 3 15th. This is a pretty one-shotter with fantastic ocean views in the background and a diagonal back-to-front sloped green defended by three large left bunkers.
The 16th hole takes you even closer to the coast as a 357 yard dogleg left par 4. A somewhat awkward architectural hole that makes up for it with beauty, this fairway bends 90 degrees to the left at around 245 yards with a large bunker on the inside corner of the dogleg. Unless you can really hit a hard hook here, I recommend a lay-up to avoid running through the fairway. This approach is more straightforward and plays to a back-to-front sloped green sitting right on the edge of volcanic rock and defended by a bunker short.
At long last, you’ve reached the the Bay Course’s most famous hole, the par 3 17th. At 205 yards, this dramatic par 3 evokes images of Cypress Point’s 16th playing over a rocky inlet and ocean the entire way. While this back-to-front sloped green is a large target, bunkers line short, right, and long and this teeshot is fairly intimidating.
Unfortunately, the course couldn’t end at 17 and finishes with a rather disappointing closer in a 500 yard par 5. With an uphill teeshot to a razor-straight fairway angled to the right, this hole features ugly netting down the left the entire way and a right bunker at 200 yards. There’s no real danger on the second shot and longer hitters can reach this large, flat green in two.
General Comments: The Bay Course features its own clubhouse and practice facilities and the 270 degree driving range is certainly better than the Plantation Course’s range. Cart is included in the greens fee and the course is pretty much unwalkable, with large distances between holes and wild elevation changes. Pace of play was not great, but that’s okay for most Resort guests on “island time.”
Verdict: While it lags behind its sister course architecturally, Kapalua’s Bay Course is a cheaper, more playable option and features similar stunning water views. As it currently stands, this is a nice resort course, but has the opportunity to become great if David McLay Kidd’s renovation is a success.