Kaanapali Kai

Arthur Jack Snyder’s original course design was refreshed by Robin Nelson in 2005. A popular alternative

to the Royal Course, the Kai is golf in paradise.

“The Kai is such a lovely course,” Igne said. “I love all of the holes because I can reach them, and there are so many wonderful views and flowers everywhere.”

Randy was of a similar opinion: “I am playing wedges into a lot of these greens. There are a lot of scoring opportunities for me here. I love it!”

Robin finished work on the Kaanapali Kai Course in 2005, and the praise hasn’t stopped since the course reopened. Like the Royal Kaanapali Course, the Kaanapali Kai Course was also totally revamped. All of the greens have been changed to Tifeagle hybrid bermudagrass, which produces a much faster and smoother putting surface, and the course also received all new cart paths and tees.

The design changes were more prolific on the Kaanapali Kai Course, too. Hole No. 1 was changed from a par-5 to a par-4 that now has increased birdie potential and is where one will find rubber trees, false kamanis, brilliant royal poincianas, and even cattle egrets.

When Randy and Igne reached the No. 2 green, they took in the views of Lanai and Lahaina harbor while overlooking Hanakaoo Park. As Inge was setting up to play her approach on No. 4, she saw a francolin at her feet. “What a cute bird,” she thought as she got ready to play her shot toward the Sugar Cane Train’s trestle. “Gosh,” she said aloud. “Look at those mountains behind the green!”

“Awesome,” Randy replied.

As they made their way higher up the slopes of the West Maui Mountains, red-crested cardinals, sandpipers, and mynah birds dashed from the Norfolk Island pines on the 6th, to the jacaranda tree on No. 7, a hole made much easier for Randy and Igne by Robin Nelson.

”This is one of the most enjoyable holes to play,” Robin explains. “The tee shot must be hit as far left as possible to open up the green and to stay away from the huge bunker fronting the green on the right. On a Kona wind day,” he adds, “the long hitter will be attempting to drive the green. Golfers playing No. 7 will have a tendency to want to hit it over the bunkers to shorten the distance to the green, but the way to play the hole is toward the left,” he said. And that’s exactly where Randy’s tee shot wound up.

As they headed in, after taking in the view of Molokai on No. 9, Randy and Igne enjoyed the remaining holes and marvelled at the firecracker plants, African tulips, and octopus trees that blended in with the blooming bougainvilleas and plumerias as they made their way toward the clubhouse.

“Hey!,” Igne said to Randy, as they quietly made their way past a black-crowned night heron on the Kaanapali Kai Course’s No. 18 hole, “Can we watch the sunset on that 5th hole by the beach?”

“Why not?” Randy replied, as his second shot on 18 landed safely on the putting green. As he putted out on their 36th hole of the day, Randy’s ball veered by the edge of the cup. “I’d like to see that,” he told Igne. “Let’s head over to five and wait for the sunset.”

“Then we can go shopping at the Pro Shop?” she asked.

“Sure,” he replied.

WEST MAUI