Maui Golf Courses

Royal Kaanapali, Kaanapali Golf Resort

This Robert Trent Jones Sr. design measures nearly 7,000 yards, with contoured greens designed to test your putting skill. Featuring gently sloping fairways and spacious greens, the course begins at sea level with a 550-yard par 5.

Watch out for the 18th, which Arnold Palmer called one of the toughest finishing holes he'd ever played. The 449-yard hole is deceptively long and hugs a water canal the entire length of the fairway and green, making accuracy key.

Holes 18 Architect(s) Robert Trent Jones Sr. Year built 1964 Greens Bermuda Fairways Bermuda Range Yes Rental clubs Yes Pro in-house Yes Spike policy Hard

Kaanapali Kai, Kaanapali Golf Resort

Redesigned by Jack Snyder in 1976, this 6,400-yard golf course is a more forgiving play than its big brother. Built on a former sugar-cane plantation, Kaanapali Kai features gently undulating greens and treats golfers to a visual buffet of flora, including hibiscus, bougainvillea and plumeria. Norfolk pines and coconut trees border many of the fairways.

Kaanapali Kai is a thinking golfer's course. Strength comes second here to strategy, making it a great play for both the beginner and avid player.

Holes 18 Architect(s) Jack Snyder Year built 1971 Greens Bermuda Fairways Bermuda Range Yes Rental clubs Yes Pro in-house Yes Spike policy All

Kapalua Resort

Kapalua is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses: The Bay and The Plantation. This in addition to its team of PGA professionals, portfolio of beautiful views and excellent Kapalua Golf Academy is why it's widely considered the "golf mecca of the Pacific."

It's got the awards to back up the reputation: Travel + Leisure Golf Magazine has recognized Kapalua Bay as the best golf resort in Hawaii. And the PGA Tour plays its seasoning opening Mercedes Benz Championship on The Plantation Course.

Holes 18 Architect(s) Arnold Palmer Year built 1972 Greens Bermuda Fairways Bermuda Range Yes Rental clubs Yes Pro in-house Yes Spike policy All Dress code Proper golf attire

Makena North Golf Course

This Robert Trent Jones Jr. design opened in 1993 is one of the most natural golf courses on the island, a place where even the cart paths are tucked away, hidden from view. Jones let the land play an integral role in the design, leaving natural Hawaiian rock walls, gullies and streambeds in place to accent the layout.

The 14th hole is a beauty, with a 200-foot drop from tee to green. As on many holes, the fairway slopes inward, so golfers won't have to spend time searching for lost balls.

Wailea Golf Club, Old Blue course

Jack Snyder designed this beautiful golf course, which offers stunning views of the ocean and Mt. Haleakala. Old Blue can be challenging for scratch golfers, but its wide fairways and large greens are a cushion for less experienced players.

The worst hazards here are visual. From the abundant flora to the volcanic cinder cone Pu'u Olai and glistening Pacific Ocean, where golfers can spot humpback whales during winter, it's hard not to let the surroundings distract you from your game.

Holes 18 Architect(s) Jack Synder Year built 1972 Greens Bermuda Fairways Bermuda Range Yes Rental clubs Yes Pro in-house Yes Spike policy Soft only Dress code Proper golf attire

Wailea Golf Club, Emerald course

This nearly 7,000-yard course is the reason Golf for Women Magazine has given Wailea Golf Cub a Top Fairways Award for the country's most women-friendly golf club seven times. There are four to six tee boxes on every hole, few forced carries and ]comfortable, spacious fairways that offer a bit of breathing room.

Like the Old Blue, the Emerald boasts spectacular views of the sapphire Pacific Ocean and Mt. Haleakala.

Holes 18 Architect(s) Robert Trent Jones Jr. Year built 1994 Greens Tifdwarf Fairways Buffalo Range Yes Rental clubs Yes Pro in-house Yes Spike policy Soft only Dress code Proper golf attire

Wailea Golf Club, Gold course

Host to the Champions Skins Game, the Gold course is the most difficult of the three tracks at Wailea. The course features a rugged design full of undulation, but four to six tee boxes make the Gold, often referred to as a "thinking player's course," accessible to mid- and high handicappers.

This Robert Trent Jones Jr. design has garnered much recognition over the years. Golf Magazine and Gold Digest named it one of the nation's 10 best new resort courses when it opened in 1994. The Maui Historical Society recognized Wailea G.C.'s efforts to preserve prehistoric lava rock walls during construction.

Holes 18 Architect(s) Robert Trent Jones Jr. Year built 1994 Greens Tifdwarf Fairways Buffalo Range Yes Rental clubs Yes Pro in-house Yes Spike policy Soft only Dress code Proper golf attire