[Matt_Ward]

Played the Robin Nelson designed layout called The Dunes at Maui Lani and have to say it is one of the finest courses I have played during my trek to the Islands.

The layout begins rather slowly with two so-so par-4's but the pace picks up considerably with the neat short par-3 3rd at 145 yards and then follows with a strategic quality hole in the par-5 4th at 525 yards. The tee shot is well protected and the player is given the option of shaping a draw off the tee in order to run out to the most favored landing zone. You simply can't miss it left for there is jungle on the side -- ditto with the right.

The next few holes are rather ordinary but things escalate with the superb uphill par-5 9th at 545 yards. The drive is given adequate room and there is a power boost area out at 250-260 yards. The green is neatly situated on the top of a long rise and the smart second play is to play wide left in order to provide a better opportunity for a third. The green looks like it can be hit in two shots but you have to simply bust two shots with more than enough loft to do it.

The next three par-4's are grand stuff. Here the property takes center stage and Nelson has provided a solid mixture of holes and green dimensions. The trio starts with the 474-yard downhill 10th hole. The fairway falls away briskly and the key is not to miss the landing zone. The green is well done as well as it sits above the fairway landing area.

The uphill 11th at 417 yards is an absolute gem of a hole. The green sits way above the fairway and is protected by a solitary bunker that adds so much to the hole. The green is quite small and pity the player who is either too short or too long with their approach.

The downhill par-4 12th at 425 yards is also well done. Here the player can opt for the big tee shot but the wiser course is to hit less club because the fairway does run out at about 260 yards or so. The green is again well done as it is small and well repel any less than thorough approach.

Nelson has created a series of different holes as you close the round. I really enjoyed the combo of the short par-4 14th at 350 yards -- a new tee pad is also being created to add a few more yards. The green is blind and it forces the player to be a bit more creative from just 100 yard or less to the hole.

The downhill slight dog-leg left par-4 15th at 425 yards is another first rate hole. The hole has a solitary tree guarding the left side of the fairway and the player must decide at the tee to either stay short of it or be bold and swing a draw around it. Either way the green is just over a barranca and is well contoured.

The Dunes at Maui Lani doesn't have the marketing hype like Hokuli'a or Kapalua but if one heads to Maui then a date with The Dunes is a definite must IMHO. With just a bit more creativity on the early holes the course could be even better.

[Joel_Stewart]

Matt:
Nice review.  I haven't played it but have heard good things about this course.  I've always wondered if they did have natural sand dunes since it doesn't sit close to the water? Also I believe the green fees are much more reasonable than some of the other big name courses?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Matt:
Is this a real estate development course or a stand alone course?
Steve

[Tom_Doak]

Matt:

Robin Nelson is one of the nicest people in the business.  I haven't seen much of his work but I'm glad you liked this one.

Isn't this the course which was done in two parts owing to financial troubles midway through?  If so, maybe the "creativity" which was lacking on some of the early holes was actually "money."

[Brian Noser]

This was the course I played when I visited the Islands. The course was a great suprise. I played it cause it was much cheaper that anything else around glad to have played it.

Check out the web site

www.dunesatmauilani.com

[Joel_Stewart]

The web site answers many questions, yes it has housing.

Robin is a lurker on GCA, perhaps he can comment about Tom Doaks question.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tom Doak,
Robin Nelson is the best guy to get thrown off of a plane with.

That is, to this day the funnest flight I have ever been on in my life. The puddle jumper from North Bend to Portland after Archipalooza I. Brad Klein had the pilots page me to call Rees Jones! Robin and I also got caught by the attendant passing a flask back and forth to one another; nearly got thrown off the plane and they refused to serve us alcohol on the rest of the flight. Meanwhile, Tom Paul ran them out of Merlot, while Ran had to act as a political diplomat between Horizon Air and the rest of us. I think Ian Andrews was even on that flight, as well as others I'm drawing blank on right now. I would say that the plane was at least 45% people from Archipalooza, the rest, just normal customers, and I'm sure they'll remember it too!

Six years and counting, I'm still waiting for pictures of this course located in sand dunes on the shores of North Maui. Since the pictures have yet to ever have been sent to me by certain parties....hurrumph, hurrumph! I'll believe it when I see them. (the pictures) Until then, It's nothing more then Matt Ward spreading hype for Robin Nelson in an effort to get me to believe it.

It isn't working!

[Jonathan Cummings]

Tommy - The Dunes is inland and not on any Maui shore.  It's actually a very short cab ride from the Kahului airport up what they call the 'saddle' road - the highway the splits the island in half.  It's on the flight path of runway 9 so the landing 737s are somewhat of a contant irritant to the ambient.

I played Dunes at the recommendation of Yancy Beamer several years ago and was less enthused than Matt.  I found it in dreadful condition with some forced holes on the backside built over exceptionally difficult terrain.  On the plus side it was inexpensive, accessible and architecturally definitely not the 'standard Hawaii fare.'  Matt's memories are fresher so I defer to his more recent analysis but to me while Nelson may be a 10, The Dunes was no more than a 4 or so on the TD scale.

JC

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

In response to Tom Doak's query, that course was Puakea on Kauai.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Someone (other than J above) on the GW panel must have played it and liked it, as it's rated the 8th best in state and 2nd in Maui.

I've been curious lately (since I may be going to Maui next year) what IS the 2nd best course on Maui after K(P)?

[Matt_Ward]

Joel:

The fees are quite reasonable given the nature of how exorbitant everything else is on Maui. The green fees have a really good twilight value after 2:00 PM each day.

Steve:

There is real estate connected to the course but the facility is operated as a privately owned daily fee.

Tommy / Jonathan:

The golf course is better than you might believe. The terrain is quite good and the green shapes / contours are also well done. I'm not holidng the course up to the level of say a Kapalua (my comments coming on that course in a day or so) or to Hokuli'a but it definitely has its moments. It is also a better play than Royal Kunia in my book. On the Doak scale I would give it no less than a five.

[Wayne Freeman]

I agree with these more recent posts. I found the course adequate but far from gem quality.  The wind there is fierce most of the time and when I played last summer, the greens were only fair.. But the price is right.  The best thing about it is that Bill Greenleaf is the head pro for golf instruction there. Bill was the head pro at Sunningdale in New York for many years and is developing a super teaching school and program, and has some fine young players.  He is a very unique person with an incredible passion for life and golf-  take a lesson from him if you can.

[Jonathan Cummings]

Scott - I have to agree with Forrest.  If I were to make a personal ranking of the Maui courses, The Dunes would definitely rank lower than Wailea Gold & Blue courses and probably even Kapalua - Village.  Sandelwood (next door to The Dunes) and The Makena courses are all probably of equal ranking.  

Of the 15 golf courses on Maui, I would put The Dunes no higher than fifth on my personal list.

JC  

[Matt_Ward]

Jonathan:

Surely you jest with putting the Village at Kapalua ahead of The Dunes at Maui Lani!

The Village is a "nice" course in the most basic of senses but it doesn't have the scale and sheer diversity of holes that ones finds with the Robin Nelson design.

I also played Sandalwood and it really isn't at the same overal level.

Jonathan -- I thing you're taking your only visit to The Dunes and being a bit harsh. The turf conditions were quite good when I played although a few of the greens are still in need of some TLC.

Maybe you can explain to me what is sooooooooo deficient with the stretch of holes starting from the uphill par-5 9th through to the 16th?

Thanks ...

[ed_getka]

Matt,
  Glad to hear you liked the course. I've been intrigued to see it ever since I read a few articles on it in the past. Now I can plan on playing Kapalua and The Dunes.

[Matt_Ward]

Ed:

If you're interested in saving a few bucks when you visit either The Dunes or Kapalua I would strongly recommend booking tee times that fall in the twilight period. You can really save some cash doing so -- just be prepared for the death march at both courses as play can c-r-e-e-p along.

[ed_getka]

Matt,
   I don't mind creeping when I'm on Hawaii vacation pace, in order to save some cash. Thanks for the twilight tip. See you in a couple of weeks.

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