A lawsuit has been filed after irrigation water was cut off to the famed PGA Tour course in Maui, leaving the turf parched.
Kapalua Resort in Maui, Hawaii – site of two courses and the annual home to the PGA Tour’s The Sentry to start each season – has announced it will close both courses for at least 60 days because the taps were shut off on irrigation water for nearly a month.
The Plantation Course and the Bay Course each will close Sept. 2. The Plantation, designed by the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is ranked by Golfweek’s Best as the No. 2 public-access course in Hawaii and is the No. 49 modern course in the entire United States. That course is the home to the PGA Tour event.
The Plantation Course is famous among golfers who watch the Tour pros tackle its extreme elevation changes each January, its palette of greens and blue with whales just offshore providing must-watch TV for viewers in cold climates on the mainland. Currently the grass is near death as Maui is in a severe drought.
Water is normally provided to Kapalua through a ditch owned by Maui Land & Pineapple Company, according to a report on MauiNow.com. State officials curtailed the passing of any water through the ditch in late July, which is classified as a Tier 4 restriction. That was loosened Aug. 23 to Tier 2 restrictions, meaning a 40 percent reduction in normal irrigation water.
Kapalua’s ownership group, TY Management Corporation – led by Japanese billionaire Tadashi Yanai, the founder of the company that owns clothing retailer Uniqlo – has sued Maui Land & Pineapple over the water being cut off. Maui Land & Pineapple told MauiNow.com that it is simply following state mandates.
The resort operators plan to close the courses for a minimum 60 days to alleviate any damage and attempt to nurse the parched turf back to health. The PGA Tour has not announced any changes to its plans to conduct the season-opening The Sentry at Kapalua in January.
Below is a full statement from Kapalua general manager Alex Nakajima:
Aloha Kapalua Golf ʻOhana,
We want to share an important update with our valued guests and community. Beginning September 2, 2025, The Plantation Course and The Bay Course will be temporarily closed for a minimum of 60 days as we work to restore turf health after prolonged irrigation restrictions.
This decision was not made lightly. While water restrictions have recently been downgraded to Tier 2, the prolonged period under Tier 4 – zero irrigation – caused significant stress and damage to the courses. Closing at this time will allow us to begin careful recovery and restoration so the courses may once again meet the standards of playability our guests deserve. Under the current Tier 2 restrictions, which allows for 60% irrigation, our team is making every effort to restore golf course conditions to the highest level to host The Sentry PGA Tournament in January 2026.
While the golf courses rest, much of Kapalua Resort remains open to welcome you. The Tennis & Pickleball facilities, the Bay Course driving range, Plantation and Bay golf shops, Taverna and the Plantation House Restaurant will all remain OPEN.
We are so grateful for your patience, understanding and aloha as we navigate this challenging time together. Our decision to open on November 1st or at a later date will be announced on October 15th. We are deeply grateful for your continued support, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the courses as soon as conditions allow.
With gratitude,
Alex NakajimaKapalua Golf
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