The drop-dead views and gentle breezes of Maui, Hawaii — known locally as the Magic Isle—have wowed visiting golfers for decades. As the second most visited island in the state, Maui has long been a bucket-list destination for travelers and golf purists alike. Yet after a couple of climate-related double bogeys, the island is bouncing back strong, with 2026 poised to be one of its best years yet.  

Maui is home to 14 golf courses, the majority of which are public, and is part of the 75 total layouts spread across Hawaii’s five-island chain. Architectural heavyweights such as Robert Trent Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have all left their mark here. Dependable weather, jaw-dropping scenery and thoughtfully crafted designs have drawn tens of thousands of golfers annually to this Pacific paradise. 

But over the last couple of years, Mother Nature decided to play through — and that’s never ideal for an outdoor game. In the summer of 2023, a massive wind-driven wildfire destroyed the historic village of Lahaina, killing more than 100 people and reshaping the community forever. 

While no golf courses were damaged, access to the area — particularly the northern part of the island — along with tourism in general, was greatly hindered. Reconstruction is still underway, but access has largely been restored everywhere except for the central portion of Lahaina.

In the fall of 2025, a significant water shortage impacted the PGA Tour’s Plantation Course at Kapalua, temporarily closing the Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore-designed par-73 layout. The issue also forced a one-year postponement of the PGA Tour’s season-opening Sentry Championship, which traditionally features tournament winners from the previous calendar year.

Thankfully, golfing order has been restored. The Plantation Course is once again open and as green and lush as ever, with golfers returning to Maui in strong numbers.

“The message we are now getting out is that Maui is reopened for golfers and visitors of all types,” said Nathan Kam, senior partner of Finn Partners, a Hawaii-based PR firm. Kam, a Hawaii native and avid golfer himself, emphasized the island’s renewed energy.

“The golf and the Aloha spirit here are as great as ever,” Kam said. “We want visitors to come and enjoy.”

With such variety of golf in such a peaceful setting, it is not a difficult invitation to accept.

Thankfully untouched by the recent challenges is the universally recognized No. 1 public course on Maui, Wailea Golf Club.

Wailea Golf Club is home to three 18-hole layouts — the Blue, Emerald and Gold — along with two full-service golf shops and a 12-acre practice facility. Located on the foothills of Mount Haleakala, the courses feature roughly 200 feet of elevation change from top to bottom and deliver stunning ocean views from virtually every hole.

All three layouts are open to the public, welcoming both locals and visitors, and are offered at value-friendly prices—at least by Hawaii golf standards.

With three distinguished courses, superb weather and an ever-present spirit of aloha, Maui’s award-winning Wailea Golf Club serves as an endless playground for golfers seeking not only a memorable round, but a lasting connection to this captivating island.

Ask which course is the best or the favorite and you are likely to receive a variety of answers. The Blue Course, the original layout, was designed by Arthur Jack Snyder and opened in 1972 as the island’s first resort course.

It offers more open sightlines, sweeping views of the West Maui Mountains and, on clear days, even a glimpse of the neighboring island of Lanai.

Both the Gold and Emerald Courses were designed by legendary architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. The Emerald Course opened in 1994 as a par 72 and is widely considered the most scenic of the three. Elevated vantage points provide sweeping views of both the ocean and the mountains. Lush landscaping, wider fairways and a more forgiving layout make it player-friendly, though its elevation can also make it the windiest of the trio.

The Gold Course, also designed by Jones and opened in 1994, shares the same clubhouse and is regarded as the championship test at Wailea. It has hosted the Champions Tour Skins Game and features more demanding tee shots and approaches, with significant elevation changes and well-bunkered greens.

Jones thoughtfully incorporated elements honoring the island’s native heritage into both layouts. Centuries-old lava rock walls known as papohaku were preserved and integrated into the course design, with several of those historic features coming into play on the Gold Course.

If you want to sharpen your game before taking on any of the three layouts, Wailea’s top-ranked practice facility has you covered. The Wailea Golf Academy sits in a stunning setting and offers a wide range of instructional programs. The facility includes a two-tiered grass tee, a short-game area with practice bunkers, a 4,375-square-foot putting green and nearly 3,000 square feet of dedicated chipping and pitching greens.

After the round, the spacious 19th hole provides panoramic views and a strong mai tai, the island’s drink of choice.

Elsewhere on Maui, the Makena Golf Course in the southern part of the island was designed by Perry Dye. In the north, Kaanapali offers 36 holes. The North Course, Royal Kaanapali, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1962, while the South Course, Kaanapali Kai, was designed by Arthur Jack Snyder in 1974 shortly after he completed Wailea’s Blue Course.

Still, no golf trip to Maui feels complete without a round at the longtime PGA Tour host Plantation Course at Kapalua, widely regarded as one of the top layouts in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific region. Designed by Texan Bill Coore and his longtime partner Ben Crenshaw, the course opened in May 1991 and plays to a par 73 thanks to its length and dramatic elevation changes. While the acclaimed architects are known for their minimalist approach, significant earth was moved here to create some of the most dramatic vistas on the PGA Tour schedule.

Because of the extreme elevation changes, a fully charged power cart is mandatory, or at least strongly encouraged. The back, or PGA Tour, tees stretch to 7,596 yards with a course rating of 77.0. Past champions here include Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm — a roll call of winners that continues to inspire amateurs to make the trek to the island’s northernmost edge.

“When golfers come to Kapalua, they are coming for great conditions, stunning wocean views and the chance to play where the pros and legends have played. That’s what we strive to give them every time they are here,” said Kevin Kammien, senior marketing manager at Kapalua.

“They’ve seen it on TV, heard about it or read about the course, and they all want to experience it in person.”

In fact, Hideki Matsuyama’s 2025 winner’s trophy is displayed prominently in the clubhouse lobby.

The opening hole provides a preview of what’s to come. From the back tees, it measures 520 yards, but drives can roll close to 100 yards after landing, depending on wind and slope.

The front nine flows in a circular routing framed by mountain and ocean views, but the visual drama intensifies on the inward half.

The par-4 10th plays straight ahead with mountains rising to the right and the Pacific stretching to the left. The par-3 11th aims directly toward the water, and the 12th bends back with the ocean lining the right side of the fairway.

Every hole on the back nine carries history, famous shots and postcard-worthy scenery. The par-4 17th features towering trees left of the fairway and a dramatic ravine cutting across the approach to the green.

The most famous hole at Kapalua is the par-5 18th, which measures 677 yards from the back tees, playing steeply downhill and often straight downwind. It is a rite of passage for golfers to tee it up from the Tour markers and watch drives chase endlessly down the fairway. PGA Tour players frequently reach the green in two and make eagle, though for most amateurs, the thrill is in the attempt.

Nearby, the Bay Course, which opened in 1975 and was designed by Arnold Palmer and Francis Duane, provides another excellent option. The layout complements the area’s luxury offerings, including The Ritz-Carlton and the intimate Kapalua Bay Hotel.

It is a fitting capstone to any Maui golf trip — a destination rich in beauty and history, resilient in the face of nature’s challenges and ready once again to welcome golfers from around the world.