[Jason Blasberg]

Add me to on the Kapaula Plantation's a must play bandwagon.  Just one tip:  don't even try to walk, if that's your thing.  Golf is meant to be fun, not a survival test.

 

You boys that say it can't be walked need to hit the gym.  Seriously, I don't think that property can truly be appreciated in a cart.  I played about 4 rounds in 5 days, walked two and two on a cart.  

The other option which I strongly recommend is to take a caddie with a cart and put the bags on the cart and walk most of the way but get a ride for parts.

[Tom Huckaby]

Jason:

Where did I say it COULDN'T be walked?

I love to walk, do so except where it's silly to do so.  And this is one of those courses where it is silly.  Or do you enjoy half mile hikes down the side of one ravine and up another from green to tee?  Or how about a mile across a hotel and a parking lot?  Methinks I got plenty of appreciation of the property NOT having to do those, thank you very much.  That's the point.

In any case, yes, the best option is what you say, ie:

to take a caddie with a cart and put the bags on the cart and walk most of the way but get a ride for parts.

That was not offered when I was there.  There were no caddies, and I played as a single.

TH

[Tom Dunne]

Jason Mandel: That was my experience at the Plantation, too. I went last December--two weeks before the Mercedes--and it was cart-path-only. At times it was definitely a bit of a drag...the cart paths tend to be positioned on the high side of the fairway, and the slope will bring your ball down the side of the hill most of the time. If JAL is going in July, though, this won't be a problem for him.

Of course, the trade-off for this cart-path-only inconvenience is that they weren't sending anyone out after about 12:30 PM or so. The Plantation was in absolutely AMAZING shape. Perfect conditions for golf.

*

As for the Hana Road, self-drive vs. tour bus, my wife and I had a blast doing it ourselves. If you plan on driving it yourself, make ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN to rent a convertible at Kahului Airport. We saw all kinds of amazing stuff (birds, flowers, etc) in the canopy right above our heads that I would imagine people in the tour buses miss. And we alternated driving so that we could each take in the scenery.

[Tom Huckaby]

Yes!  Great points re Hana Road - must be done, and a lot would be lost on a tour bus... a lot of the fun is stopping where you want, not where someone else might.  Allow the whole day and enjoy.

Great idea re convertible, also... darn it, wish I would have thought of that before I went!

TH

[Sean Leary]

I am an ardent walker, and at Kapalua, it would never even cross my mind to consider walking.  Hell, the with walk between 5 and 6, you would have to let a least 1 foursome riding behind you play through...

[Tom Huckaby]

I am an ardent walker, and at Kapalua, it would never even cross my mind to consider walking.  Hell, the with walk between 5 and 6, you would have to let a least 1 foursome riding behind you play through...

EXACTLY!
Offer a shuttle there, and from 9 to 10, and maybe down around 8, and it wouldn't be horrible.  Isn't that exactly what the pros do?

Outside of that, seems to me one would walk there just to prove a point I don't find worth proving.  But many here do... so that's cool.

 

[Tom Dunne]

Sean, I've got to agree. Could Kapalua Plantation be the best unwalkable course in the world? I'm tapping the memory banks to think of a cart course that is better....

[Tom Huckaby]

It's surely the best cart-ball course I can think of.

And I prefer that term.  Call it unwalkable and you can count the seconds before someone like Jason B. or Scott Burroughs steps in and tells you they walked it.  I've come to believe - as is logical - that any course CAN be walked.  The sane just don't bother to try at certain places.

 

[Tom Dunne]

Fair enough, Tom. Cartball it is, rather than "unwalkable". I actually asked for a caddie for my first round, but was told there weren't any available that particular day. Oh well. After seeing the course, I didn't even bother to ask for the second round.  

[JLahrman]

You guys are talking to yourself.  Golf went out of the equation once I saw "nudie beach".

Actually thanks for all the advice, both golf and otherwise.  I do not enjoy the touristy experience (my friend the groom is staying at the Hyatt Regency, I'll be at a Lahaina B&B), so tips for the out of the way activities are much appreciated.

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