The Ka’anapali Golf Courses are 36 holes of infinite incredible Maui views. Now that’s what the Ka’anapali golf website says but this doesn’t capture the whole vibe of Ka’anapali.
The golf courses with their central location serve as a beacon to everything happening at Ka’anapali. The moment you turn into Ka’anapali, with its numerous resort properties, the golf courses begin calling you. The 1st tee and 18th green of the Royal Ka’anapali course are clearly in view. For me, waiting to play the course until the 4th day of a family vacation was difficult. Every time we ventured out of the Ka’anapali property I saw players teeing off and enjoying themselves at the Ka’anapali courses.
For this NW Golf Reporter, when I (read more about me and my vision for NW Golf Report when it launched in 2022 here) finally teed it up memories were made. My 3rd grade son joined me to play his first 18-hole round. Perfect, sunny weather at 78 degrees greeted us on a beautiful April afternoon. My son loves hitting balls at the range and watching golf highlights but you never know what to expect when the monumental task of completing a full round of golf is assigned. I am proud to say he finished out every hole. Playing the red tees he capitalized on a downhill, downwind tee shot on the back nine to hit his longest tee shot ever. We measured the drive at 136 yards. Another highlight on the back nine was when he hit a wedge from 100 yards to inside 20 feet. Despite his novice play and it being Spring Break season, we played 18 holes in less than 4 hours (check out our final scores in the caption below).
The Royal Ka’anapali golf course features a layout rolling across varied terrain. The par 71 course has 3 fun par 5’s on the front nine and 18 healthy, smooth putting surfaces. Hole 5 was a scenic favorite with the par 4 butting up to Black Rock Pier and Mays Beach. Holes 1, 17, and 18 feature water very much in play and with their location you get the feeling a gallery of resort guests are watching you play. Palm trees and bunkers dot the course and add to the spirit of Aloha.
NW Golf Report covers tournaments at Royal Ka’anapali annually as the Dr. Dennis Thompson Invitational (women) and Ka’anapali Classic (men) collegiate events are both played on the property. In 2025, Washington Huskies Women’s Golf won the team title at the Dr. Dennis Thompson Invitational. In 2015, Ka’anapali made headlines when the Royal course hosted Local Qualifying for the U.S. Open along with final qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open. The Champions Tour played the Kaanapali Classic on site for 14 years. Other events held at Ka’anapali include the Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, the Canada Cup, and the LPGA Kemper Open. Pictures of many of the games legends playing af Ka’anapali are featured at the clubhouse from the course hosting the Wendy’s Champions Tour Skins Game.
In addition to the Royal course, there is also the Kai course to make 36 holes total on property. As a PNW golfing duo from Seattle, my son and I made memories playing at Ka’anapali. After battling gloomy, cold weather in Seattle all winter, being treated to a sunny, golfing paradise in Maui was just what we needed. We made memories on Maui at Ka’anapali and I’m confident you will too.
-Mahalo
Sean Packer, NW Golf Report
Check Out Everything Ka’anapali Golf Courses:
https://www.kaanapaligolfcourses.com
