Question:
Ask the driver for a refund on your lesson fees–Ka’anapali is almost due west from the airport at Kahului. :-) Due south takes you to Kihei, Wailea (home of other good courses) and Makena.
Ka’anapali is west of Kahului as the crow flies, but I was driving and Highway 380 goes south, through the valley between Halemahina and Haleakala towards (but not into) Ma’alaea. When you get to Highway 30 you start out going south, but eventually wind up going north as the road follows the curve of the coast around West Maui, towards Kapalua. TTBOMK, there is no direct road link over Halemahina or the West Maui Mountains to Ka’anapali. 
FYI, I understand that Lahaina and Ka’anapali are considered West Maui and that South Maui is Wailea and Kehei, but on maps Ka’anapali is on the southwest side of the island and Kahului is on the north side. That is what I was referring to, rather than local convention. In truth, Ka’anapali is actually farther north than Kahului, but is on the leeward side of the island, while Kahului is on the windward side. Halemehina, the smaller dormant volcano the forms the eastern portion of Maui receives more rainfall (400+ inches per year) than anywhere else on earth. Halemahina lies between Ka’anapali and Kahului, in the West Maui mountains. The eastern part of Maui is dominated by Haleakala, at about 11,000 feet roughly twice as high as Halemahina.
Damn, I realized I had mistakenly written ‘eastern’ instead of ‘western’ after I had posted it. I was hoping no one would notice. :-O — Dan Driscoll Member – NCGA RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html RSG Roll Call http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=driscolld
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What can I say about Maui? If you have been there you already understand, if you haven’t there’s no way I can adequately describe it. #18 at the Plantation Course is one of the most widely recognized golf holes in the world, playing 663 yards from the championship tees and 585 from the regular tees. On TV it looks incredibly long and the area around the green looks like 3 or 4 football fields. Well, TV can be deceiving! Yes, the hole is very long, but it plays downwind and it is severely downhill. I played from the white tees and hit what I thought was going to be a only a middling tee shot. However, I did get my ball over the ridge and it caught the downslope. After checking the yardages, we determined that I had hit my very first 400+ yard tee shot, 407 to be exact. 
I had 178 yards uphill to the middle of the green, but flew a 6 iron over it. I just could not convince myself that I could hit a 7 or even an 8 iron 180 yards uphill. But with the wind the 8 iron would have been the correct club. I remember the second shot as downhill as well.
It is downhill if you are little farther back or on the right side. I was in the rough on the left side, right next to the water hazard/ravine. That area is just a little below the green. I believe it is the lowest point on the hole that isn’t in the water hazard. BTW, while #18 gets all the publicity, #17 is higher than #18 and IMO is actually an even more impressive hole. #17 is a 470 yard par 4, downwind and downhill, although not as dramatically as #18. But because it is much higher, the views are even more incredible. I liked 17 better because as I remember, it has a natural wide ravine that needs to be carried on the 2nd shot. My tee shot was 6′ from the ravine, and it was an 8 iron in from there. Made me feel like I am a long ball hitter, which I’m not.
If your tee shot is along the left side your second shot will be downhill, over the water hazard/ravine. I was on the right side, even with the hazard, but below the green. The guys I was playing with were both on the left side and were a good 30 feet above where my ball was. I can’t wait to go back and try again! Go between Nov and Feb. The views are even better from the 17th tee when the whales are splashing in the backround.
We’re looking at the Feb/Mar ‘04 time frame, but want to make sure we avoid spring break. — Dan Driscoll Member – NCGA RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html RSG Roll Call http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=driscolld
Response:
It seems to me I heard somewhere that DJD wrote in article What can I say about Maui? If you have been there you already understand, if you haven’t there’s no way I can adequately describe it. We arrived late morning last Thursday, collected our bags, picked up the rental car and were on our way to our hotel (the Royal Lahaina Resort) in Ka’anapali in short order. The airport is on the north side of the island and Ka’anapali is on the south side, but it is only a 45 minute drive and you get a quick lesson in Maui geography along the way.
Ask the driver for a refund on your lesson fees–Ka’anapali is almost due west from the airport at Kahului. :-) Due south takes you to Kihei, Wailea (home of other good courses) and Makena. Halemehina, the smaller dormant volcano the forms the eastern portion of Maui receives more rainfall (400+ inches per year) than anywhere else on earth.
Halemahina lies between Ka’anapali and Kahului, in the West Maui mountains. The eastern part of Maui is dominated by Haleakala, at about 11,000 feet roughly twice as high as Halemahina. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The rain falls incredibly heavy in the north face, but there is very little rainfall on the south face and the change in climate is very obvious as you drive south. Except for wind and wave surfers, the north side of the island tends to be more business and government oriented, while the south and east are the tourist areas. I did take my own clubs and played 3 rounds on the trip. The 1st was at the Ka’anapali Tournament (North) Course on Saturday afternoon. I think a Senior/Champions Tour event is or was played on this course. The front side is par 37 (3 par 5s) and is very open, while the back is par 34 and is somewhat tighter. I played the front pretty well and made the turn with a 41. But the backside has smaller greens and I only hit 2 of them, which cost me dearly as I finished with 90. In what would turn out to be the dominating theme of my golf on Maui, lack of familiarity with the greens was the cause of my collapse on the back 9. Ka’anapali is a pretty course with some very nice views, but not particularly difficult, except for the greens. My only complaint about the condition of the course was the bunkers. They use a volcanic sand that is imported, but the last shipment was apparently delayed and there was very little sand in the bunkers. I skulled 2 bunker shots because the club bounced off the ground under the sand, costing me at least 4 shots.
Geography aside, thanks for the report and it sounds like you had a great time. :-) — Don
Response:
I had my best score here (88) and I got the Maui resident rate of $28, including cart. Between the price, my score and the incredible views I’m not going to quibble about the greens. :-)
Gotta love that Kama’aina rate, eh? With all my relatives out there, you’d think I’d take more advantage of that, but only one of my cousins golfs. I keep hoping my folks develop their property on Maui. :) The grain and speed variations of the greens I played on Maui were far more pronounced than on any course I have played in Florida. Additionally, the greens on Maui are much firmer than Florida or most California courses and the ball simply doesn’t check-up or stop.
I definitely remember that from playing the Village Course. Glad you had fun! I should’ve had you pick up some Azeka ribs for me in Kihei on your way back to the airport. Haha! jeff — Jeff Chung SF Bay Area Golf Course Reviews http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/golf1.htm
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – After checking the yardages, we determined that I had hit my very first 400+ yard tee shot, 407 to be exact. I had 178 yards uphill to the middle of the green, but flew a 6 iron over it. I just could not convince myself that I could hit a 7 or even an 8 iron 180 yards uphill. But with the wind the 8 iron would have been the correct club. That sounds like true RSG yardage to me. Glad you had a good trip. Kenny
It was the uphill part on the 2nd stroke that fooled me. — Dan Driscoll Member – NCGA RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html RSG Roll Call http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=driscolld
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What can I say about Maui? If you have been there you already understand, if you haven’t there’s no way I can adequately describe it. #18 at the Plantation Course is one of the most widely recognized golf holes in the world, playing 663 yards from the championship tees and 585 from the regular tees. On TV it looks incredibly long and the area around the green looks like 3 or 4 football fields. Well, TV can be deceiving! Yes, the hole is very long, but it plays downwind and it is severely downhill. I played from the white tees and hit what I thought was going to be a only a middling tee shot. However, I did get my ball over the ridge and it caught the downslope. After checking the yardages, we determined that I had hit my very first 400+ yard tee shot, 407 to be exact. I had 178 yards uphill to the middle of the green, but flew a 6 iron over it. I just could not convince myself that I could hit a 7 or even an 8 iron 180 yards uphill. But with the wind the 8 iron would have been the correct club.
I remember the second shot as downhill as well. BTW, while #18 gets all the publicity, #17 is higher than #18 and IMO is actually an even more impressive hole. #17 is a 470 yard par 4, downwind and downhill, although not as dramatically as #18. But because it is much higher, the views are even more incredible.
I liked 17 better because as I remember, it has a natural wide ravine that needs to be carried on the 2nd shot. My tee shot was 6′ from the ravine, and it was an 8 iron in from there. Made me feel like I am a long ball hitter, which I’m not. I can’t wait to go back and try again!
Go between Nov and Feb. The views are even better from the 17th tee when the whales are splashing in the backround. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – — Dan Driscoll Member – NCGA RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html RSG Roll Call http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=driscolld
Response:
After checking the yardages, we determined that I had hit my very first 400+ yard tee shot, 407 to be exact. I had 178 yards uphill to the middle of the green, but flew a 6 iron over it. I just could not convince myself that I could hit a 7 or even an 8 iron 180 yards uphill. But with the wind the 8 iron would have been the correct club.
That sounds like true RSG yardage to me. Glad you had a good trip. Kenny — Kenny Stultz – Troll and SPAM intolerant RSG Rollcall: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=stultzk "Golf is the only sport where a precise knowledge of the Rules can earn one a reputation for poor sportsmanship"
Response:
What can I say about Maui? If you have been there you already understand, if you haven’t there’s no way I can adequately describe it. We arrived late morning last Thursday, collected our bags, picked up the rental car and were on our way to our hotel (the Royal Lahaina Resort) in Ka’anapali in short order. The airport is on the north side of the island and Ka’anapali is on the south side, but it is only a 45 minute drive and you get a quick lesson in Maui geography along the way. Halemehina, the smaller dormant volcano the forms the eastern portion of Maui receives more rainfall (400+ inches per year) than anywhere else on earth. The rain falls incredibly heavy in the north face, but there is very little rainfall on the south face and the change in climate is very obvious as you drive south. Except for wind and wave surfers, the north side of the island tends to be more business and government oriented, while the south and east are the tourist areas. I did take my own clubs and played 3 rounds on the trip. The 1st was at the Ka’anapali Tournament (North) Course on Saturday afternoon. I think a Senior/Champions Tour event is or was played on this course. The front side is par 37 (3 par 5s) and is very open, while the back is par 34 and is somewhat tighter. I played the front pretty well and made the turn with a 41. But the backside has smaller greens and I only hit 2 of them, which cost me dearly as I finished with 90. In what would turn out to be the dominating theme of my golf on Maui, lack of familiarity with the greens was the cause of my collapse on the back 9. Ka’anapali is a pretty course with some very nice views, but not particularly difficult, except for the greens. My only complaint about the condition of the course was the bunkers. They use a volcanic sand that is imported, but the last shipment was apparently delayed and there was very little sand in the bunkers. I skulled 2 bunker shots because the club bounced off the ground under the sand, costing me at least 4 shots. On Sunday I received an invitation from a local to join him at Pukalani Country Club (really a daily fee), which is the only course on the slopes of the larger volcano, Haleakala, on the western side of the island. This course is fairly inexpensive and is not a ‘resort’ course by any stretch of the imagination, it is more like a nice muni. The basic design is pretty nice and the views are stunning. The wind blew what is almost a perpetual cloud cover off of Halemehina and this was the only time during the trip that we could actually see the top of the smaller volcano. The only problem was that the greens had been aerated just 10 days earlier and were still recovering. But this actually helped me, as it significantly reduced the affect of the grain and evened out the speed. I had my best score here (88) and I got the Maui resident rate of $28, including cart. Between the price, my score and the incredible views I’m not going to quibble about the greens. :-) My last round was the best, in everything except score. I played the Kapalua Plantation Course on Tuesday afternoon (twilight rate). I had a very good ball striking round, but the lack of local knowledge and the greens caused me no end of trouble. The greens at Kapalua are larger, faster and break more than any other course I have ever played. The fairways are pretty generous, but there is just a very narrow strip of rough before you get into what I think is elephant grass. The elephant grass is cut 2-3 feet high and is impossible to play out of IF you can even find your ball. But the course was in excellent condition and the views were simply breathtaking. I started out pretty well, parring #1 and #2, but then the wind kicked up and I started missing greens. The good news is that I only 3 putted once, the bad news is that I only hit 4 greens during my round. 
#18 at the Plantation Course is one of the most widely recognized golf holes in the world, playing 663 yards from the championship tees and 585 from the regular tees. On TV it looks incredibly long and the area around the green looks like 3 or 4 football fields. Well, TV can be deceiving! Yes, the hole is very long, but it plays downwind and it is severely downhill. I played from the white tees and hit what I thought was going to be a only a middling tee shot. However, I did get my ball over the ridge and it caught the downslope. After checking the yardages, we determined that I had hit my very first 400+ yard tee shot, 407 to be exact. I had 178 yards uphill to the middle of the green, but flew a 6 iron over it. I just could not convince myself that I could hit a 7 or even an 8 iron 180 yards uphill. But with the wind the 8 iron would have been the correct club. BTW, while #18 gets all the publicity, #17 is higher than #18 and IMO is actually an even more impressive hole. #17 is a 470 yard par 4, downwind and downhill, although not as dramatically as #18. But because it is much higher, the views are even more incredible. I finished the Plantation Course with what I considered a very respectable 94. I also feel that now that I have some local knowledge I will be able break 90 (from the regular tees) the next time I play there, even if my putting and short game aren’t any better. About golf on Maui: the greens (and fairways) of most courses in Hawaii and all on Maui are various Bermuda grass hybrids. Since I had played a number of times in Florida, I thought I would be able to adjust to them fairly quickly. BZZZZT! Wrong! The grain and speed variations of the greens I played on Maui were far more pronounced than on any course I have played in Florida. Additionally, the greens on Maui are much firmer than Florida or most California courses and the ball simply doesn’t check-up or stop. At home I can routinely stop the ball pretty quick even with my mid irons and can sometimes back it up with my wedges. But on Maui the only time I was able to stop the ball within 6 feet of where it landed was on a flop shot into the wind from 20 feet off the green that fell straight down. You must also factor in the wind, which not only has a significant affect on tee and approach shots, but can and does affect putts. I hit over a dozen 300+ yard drives while I was there, 2 with my 3 wood. I also failed to reach the green from 120 yards with a well struck 7 iron, crushed a 5 wood that only went 140 yards and hit over a green from 160 yards with a 3/4 swing lob wedge. I actually struck the ball pretty well during all of 3 rounds, but because I was not prepared for the wind and speed and firmness of the greens, I kept hitting the ball to the wrong place or making the wrong shot selection. I pitched when I should have played bump ‘n run, chipped when I should have putted from off the green, etc. I don’t think I made a single putt longer than 8 feet and virtually every single time it was because I misjudged the break. Putting downhill, down grain was bad, but much worse was putting uphill, against the grain. Unless you play those greens regularly you will almost always leave your putts into the grain short, often VERY short. I can’t wait to go back and try again! — Dan Driscoll Member – NCGA RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html RSG Roll Call http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=driscolld