Ka’anapali Courses Offer Golfers Both a Hearty Meal or Some Lighter Fare

Whatever you may desire for your daily fill of golf, the Ka’anapali Golf Courses in Maui, Hawaii, have something on the menu that will fill the bill.

Whether it’s a heaping helping of challenge courtesy of the Royal course, or the somewhat lighter fare dished out on its sister layout, the Kai, you and your playing partners will walk away feeling you got exactly what you ordered after your round is over.

While the Kai Course may be a bit “easier” there are still some nervous places where you have to tee it up.

The Royal, which was first served up to the public in 1962, with the design courtesy of architectural chef Robert Trent Jones, Sr., is a true test of course strategy and shot-making from any of its tee markers but in particular from the back blocks, which measure out at 6,700 yards.  Of course, those yards are a bit longer than many of us are used to, considering they’re a sea-level dish meaning you lose approximately five percent distance on each shot.

“The Royal plays more like our championship course; the greens are a little thinner, a little more undulating, a little bit more challenging,” explained Sutee Nitakorn, the PGA Head Golf Professional for both tracks, set dead in the middle of the popular Ka’anapali Beach Resort Area in Maui.

“Then you have the Kai Course, which we describe as our resort-style course.  It’s a little more forgiving, the greens aren’t quite as undulating, so the playability of it is a little bit easier.

“The golfers looking for a little bit more of a challenge are going to gravitate toward the Royal Course while those looking for more of a fun day, so to speak, are going to gravitate towards the Kai Course.”

The Royal course first takes you down toward the ocean before leading you back up into the foothills of the picturesque West Mau Mountains.  Despite the scenic backdrop you need to be aware of the many false fronts on greens this track presents as well as numerous deep bunkers.

Nitakorn agreed that the course that is visible from the roadways around it give many people a false impression of the difficulty out there.

“The Royal Course is sneaky hard,” he said with a sly grin, knowing what the Chef’s Special has in store for those who dare to underestimate this track, which plays to 6,267 yards off the Keo Makamae (white) tees; 5,839 from the Kula (gold) blocks or just over 5,000 from the Pu Koko’o (burgandy) blocks.  Remember though to factor in the shorter yardages most shots fly on these two courses.

The Royal Course played host to the popular Champions Tour Skins Game from 2008 through 2011, with the last champions being the dynamic duo of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.  So even though big names have played this track, it doesn’t mean you have to be a big name player to take it on.

One of the hazards you face on several holes on the Royal Ka’anapali GC is the steep faces on many bunkers around the course which played host the Wendy’s Champions Skins Game.

“The beauty of the Royal is anyone can play that course.  The guy who shoots 100 can have just as much fun as the guy who shoots a 69 or 70,” on the par 71 layout that from the tips has a slope rating of 131, diminishing to 128, 125, and 121 as you move forward.

“The challenges in the course are subtle.  The bunkers are in just the right places, the greens are undulating enough to be a thorn in your side but also enough to enjoy playing it,” noted Nitakorn.

While the greens aren’t as tough to handle on the Kai given their slower speed and smaller breaks, those taking them on have to remember a trick or two as to how to play them properly, the pro pointed out.

“You can move to Hawaii!”  he joked about the trick to reading the greens at Ka’anapali, something this writer will take under serious consideration.  “Nah, I think the best thing to do is learn a little bit about the way the island is built, from the mountainside to the ocean.  Most of these putts are going to break toward the ocean.”

There is also the grain factor here – and no, not the kind that grows on the Prairies – but rather the direction the grass grows.  The tip-off to success with that is looking for the “burned edge” of the cup which is the way the grass generally leans, meaning a slow roll as your ball trudges forward against the grain.

“As you can imagine,” Nitakorn continued, “that has an effect on the ball, Going uphill and with the grain going the opposite way, it may not go with the hill as much.  I’ve seen some putts break literally uphill because of the grain.  A lot of people come here from the mainland and think they can [read greens and] putt but a lot of times they get the opposite of what they think.”

As for club selection, the pro noted the best thing to remember is to always take one, or even two more clubs than you think you need to cover distances.

“The good thing with that,” he quipped, “is you know you’re getting a good, honest distance.  You’ve got to take that into consideration, swallow your pride a little bit.”

Regardless of which course you’re playing in the Ka’anapali area of Maui there are some wonderful ocean views.

While these aren’t the oldest courses on Maui, the Royal is actually the oldest resort-style track in the state of Hawaii.

“The Royal was originally built as nine holes and then expanded to 18 and the Kai followed (in 1976 with a redesign in 2005),” and together they have welcomed all the players to Maui for a long time regardless of whether they are looking to feast on a championship caliber meal or more relaxed, lighter fare.

This great pairing, managed by Billy Casper Golf, can be found online at kaanapaligolfcourses.com.