One of the most iconic golf traditions might be coming to an end. The Plantation Course at Kapalua, one of golf’s most iconic and picturesque courses, has found itself in the middle of an ongoing crisis. The announcement by the PGA Tour on how it would be pulling Kapalua’s 2026 schedule has left many fans and golfers disappointed, but the reason for this decision isn’t related to the sport, but something else entirely.

For three decades, The Plantation Course at Kapalua had offered the stage to new talent and old veterans to kick off their season. But now the once iconic golf course has turned into a barren, dried-up, yellow land due to Hawaii’s drought, the strict water conditions from the government, and multiple legal disputes surrounding the course’s irrigation system.  Many fans and golfers are expressing their concerns about the course’s current condition, with many describing it as terrible, highlighting the depth of this issue. 

The issue lies with the Honokohau Stream and Ditch System. This system is almost a hundred years old, is the main source of water for the golf course and its surrounding communities. This is mainly due to how Maui Land & Pineapple Co. (MLP), the system operator responsible for the management of all the water that gets supplied to the course, has neglected its duties in recent times by not taking proper care of the course. 

The golf course owner, Tadashi Yanai, and his team have now taken legal action against Maui Land & Pineapple Co. (MLP) regarding this issue, but MLP has denied all accusations, blaming the environment and the drought as the main issues instead of their own shortcomings in maintaining the course.

Now, Kapalua course’s management has decided to shut down both of its courses completely due to the current condition. The Plantation course shutdown started at the end of September to save the remaining water they have around the course, while the Bay course has been shut down until further notice. The irrigation capacity has also gone down from 60% to 0. Currently, the management has no other choice but to restrict all operations like mowing, reseeding, and fertilization at the golf course, which has resulted in the barren state 

With the Sentry now looking for a new home and an amazing golf tradition broken, and the PGA Tour management actively looking to find a replacement, many fans have expressed their disbelief at the current state of the Plantation course at Kapalua.

Fans shook over the current state of the Kapalua’s Condition.

Kapalua has a very special and nostalgic place in the hearts of golf fans due to how many memories they have tied to the course as the season opener. The nervousness and excitement that the Kapalua course brings are unmatched. Now, many fans have taken it to social media to express their concerns and disappointments with the current state of the course.

One fan summed up the entire emotion of the fanbase, stating, “Kapalua is one of the best courses on Tour, but gotta be honest — in a tension between a luxury golf resort and Native Hawaiians’ efforts to earn a living, the resort isn’t ultra-sympathetic.” This comment highlights the problems outside the golf course as well, talking about how the course is more than just a course, but a source of revenue for the community, and how the community has lost its source of income due to how the course was a resort and a tourist attraction as well.

Another fan commented on the current state of the course, “Stopped by Kapalua today and the course looks totally dead. Can’t fathom how much business this water dispute is costing them.” again highlighting the loss of revenue and income for the local community, now with the loss of their spot of the PGA Tour card, the amount of revenue lost by the community is major which many lead to an even worse condition of the course.

Another fan highlighted on the time it would take to bring this course to it’s former glory, “Oh my!! Oh my!! They have way more money but that would be a 3 to 4 year turn around for my local public courses.”, even with the financial backing that Kapalua might have, with the current state of the course and the general lack of proper water and irrigation system at hawaii, the time for recovery is massive highlight that nature never play’s favioraties 

Many have even expressed their sense of shock through their comments, “Wow, this is terrible,” and “Wow. That’s awful to see.” These comments summarize how the whole community feels about the current state of the course. For decades, Kapalua brought a sense of joy and excitement to the golfing world as it marked a new beginning to the season, and now to see it whiter away has left many players and fans hoping that the course will one day return to its former lush green state under the Hawaii sun