Golfing Makena Golf Course

The Maui Prince Hotel
5400 Makena Alanui
Makena, Hawaii 96753
Part 3

by Ed Stone

From the first tee to the 18th green, every hole offers the golfer a challenge. Doglegs, elevated greens, strategically placed sand bunkers, undulating greens or any other obstacle that can be placed on a golf course, the North Course has it! Several of the holes play over or around former lava flows, like numbers 3, 6, 12 and 13. Come prepared to play every club in your bag but know that every hole has its own character. In most cases you will enjoy awesome views of either Haleakala or the Pacific Ocean, sometimes both.

The signature hole for this course is number 14. It is a very narrow 582-yard, par 5 from the “resort tees” and plays pretty much on a downhill sloping elevation like a 200-foot drop from tee to green. For “tournament play,” it is 620 yards. Only the long-hitters can make the green in three and all shots must be in the fairway, since much of the landing areas are sloping to the sides with plenty of rough.

To illustrate how classy this resort and golf course operations are, upon returning to the clubhouse, I was met with a gracious aloha greeting and a very cool and damp Dr. Hoy’s red mango scented towel. This refreshing touch made me feel almost as good as the birdie I made on the 18th hole. The only way to finish a round of golf on a magnificent golf course! To top this, Kirk, Renee and I enjoyed one of the most delicious Ruben sandwiches I have ever tasted. This final event of my visit was at the Clubhouse Restaurant overlooking the number one tee of the South Course with the admiral blue waters of the Pacific in the distance. What a way to spend a day in Hawaii!

Although I did not play the Makena South Course, it is worth mentioning for those wanting to play both courses when visiting the Island of Maui. These 18 holes were opened in 1981 with the current back nine and the lower nine of the North Course being available. It wasn’t until 1993 when both course were ready to take on separate identities. There are only three golf courses on the Island that offer “ocean holes” and Makena South is one of them. Here, numbers 15 and 16 play to and along the ocean respectively. The par 3, 167-yards for resort (188 tournament), number 15 is the signature hole for the South Course. Number 16 is a par 4 playing with the ocean on the left side from tee to green.

PROFILES ON PROS

CONTACTS:

The Maui Prince Hotel
5400 Makena Alanui
Makena, Hawaii 96753
Phone: (808) 874-1111
Toll Free Reservations: (866) PRINCE-6
Fax: (808) 944-4491
E-mail: reservations@princehawaii.com
Website: www.mauiprincehotel.com

The Makena Golf Courses
Phone: (808) 879-3344
E-mail for tee times: gtanaka@mauiprince.com
Website: www.makenagolf.com

For information on the Islands of Hawaii:
www.gohawaii.com
Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau
2270 Kalakaua Avenue, Suite 801
Honolulu, HI USA 96815
Phone: 800-464-2924

Images copryrighted CGA