KAPALUA, Hawaii – It’s tough being the sister course to one of the most scenic golf layouts in the world, a course that rests high on many bucket lists. Ever since Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw converted a former working pineapple plantation into the Plantation Course that opened in 1991, Kapalua Resort’s Bay Course knows what it’s like to be Dye’s Valley at TPC Sawgrass or the East Course at Winged Foot. It’s a bit like being Khloe Kardashian.
In October the Bay Course celebrates its 50th anniversary, and the Arnold Palmer/Francis Duane design is ready for a facelift that is intended to make it as beloved as the Plantation.
“There’s so much potential at the Bay Course. We are going to open it up and unlock it,” said Alex Nakajima, general manager at Kapalua Golf and Tennis. “When it’s done, we’re going to have two great courses.”
In this day and age, it’s become a prerequisite to have not one but (at least) two exceptional courses to be considered a top golf resort. An official announcement hasn’t been made, but Golfweek has learned that David McLay Kidd, who designed Bandon Dunes among other notable courses, is scheduled to lead the renovation. Plans are to shut the course down and begin construction this summer if the paperwork can be approved. Given the wildfires that devastated this section of West Maui some 17 months ago, there are some that oppose a golf course being given approval to do construction, but in addition to the installation of a new irrigation system that is needed, the plan also is to reduce the acreage of turf that needs to be watered significantly.
Offering panoramic views of the Pacific and nearby Molokai and Lanai in the distance, the Bay Course originally opened as a par-71 layout of 6,831 yards. After previous modifications, it plays to a par of 72 and measures 6,600 yards. The course was the original host of professional golf tournaments at Kapalua. In 1982, it hosted the first Kapalua Open, which was renamed the Kapalua International and became a fixture of the Tour’s “Silly Season” in December. The event moved to the Plantation Course in 1991 and evolved into the home of the Tour’s season-opening event in January, now known as The Sentry.
The Bay Course likely will be closed for 18 months, and when it reopens it is expected to be better than ever.
“The Bay Course is the start of our storied history, and it has been a great venue for both tournament and resort play over the years,” Nakajima said.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: kapalua-bay-course-renovation-david-mcklay-kidd
