Maui Guidebook » Golf | South Maui

Wailea Emerald Course

Mark — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:46:29 +0000

Rating: 4.45 out of 5 stars

Considered more challenging than the Blue, and bit less than Gold, this is considered by some to be the most scenic of the three Wailea courses, with an abundance of flowering plants and trees, plus spectacular views. (Honestly, any way you cut it, they’re all very scenic.)

Seven holes on Emerald are held-over from the 1978 Wailea Orange course designed by Arthur Jack Snyder (Designer of Old Blue.) Emerald has large greens and a signature shared green on 10 & 17.

Course Helicopter Flyby & Narrative
(Click for video player popup)

Like her sisters, Emerald is a spectacular course, kept in top condition. Plenty of tee boxes so that all player types can enjoy.

Native Hawaiians called Wailea home long before tourism came to Hawaii, and you can see this in the archeological remnants throughout the course. On hole 14 there is an ancient imu which was incorporated in the original Orange course smack in the middle of a green as an unorthodox (almost minigolf-style) green hazard. In the 1994 Emerald design, better taste and respect for the Host Culture prevail and the archeological remnant has been positioned in a more appropriate manner.

Emerald has also been recognized as one of the most female-friendly courses in the world – the now defunct Golf for Women Magazine awarded Emerald a “Top Fairways Award” for the country’s most women-friendly golf club.

Key Info:
Location: 100 Wailea Golf Club Dr., Wailea
Phone: 888-328-6284
Rating source: Maui Guidebook & golflink.com
Web: http://waileagolf.com/index.php?linksid=13
Price: $80 – $225

View Larger Map

Wailea Old Blue Golf Course

Mark — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:57:53 +0000

Ocean views from every hole.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

In a nutshell: The perfect balance of design, scenery & price in South Maui.
Minuses: Less competitive course than Gold.
Sound-bite: “This is the first time I can honestly say whales were my biggest distraction!”

DETAILS:
The Wailea Old Blue Golf Course has a split personality. One personality is independent, yet playful – and the other is rooted in the past and its strong connection to its sister courses (Wailea Gold & Emerald.) Blue has its own clubhouse and facilities – heck, it even has a more playful and less refined logo when not presented alongside distinguished family members. (And two distinctly different websites: Wailea Golf family website | Old Blue website)

Beautifully landscaped

Perhaps the reason they portray this course both ways is because it does largely live up to either image. It is fun to play. It is beautifully landscaped. It has fountains, flowers, and spectacularly situated views. It is also easier on average players with forgiving, wide fairways and large (although challenging) greens. But it is also meticulously maintained, the service is stellar, and not a pushover course by any stretch of the imagination.

Now sitting between her two sister courses, the more fun and carefree imagery is true to life for Blue and Emerald. If you’re up for a serious challenge, or become easily annoyed when the foursome in front of you (assuming there is one that close) is focused just as much on having a great time as they are on playing the game, you may be more satisfied playing the Gold.

Opened in 1972, one Blue website states that this course was “the first thing built in Wailea.” That is actually not entirely true – native Hawaiian villages once thrived in this area, and you can see evidence of that in the old lava rock walls which were preserved in the construction of the course.

Blue is a classic resort design, built to preserve the character of the “lay of the land.” This course plays with absolutely stunning scenery. When it was built, the natural rocky terrain of sparse and dry kiawe forest was the only confining element to an open palette. You can see the limitless space they had to work with, and the attention to delivering grand views from every hole in the sprawling and meandering design.

Over the years, more resort development has come to the area and much of the vast open space between fairways has been filling in with houses, a sprawling garden-style resort hotel, restaurants, and even two office complexes with retail space have sprung up.

Course Helicopter Flyby & Narrative
(Click for video player popup)

Wailea Old Blue is typically uncrowded and wide open. You can even frequently get a prime tee time booked on the same day.

Also on the course is Maui’s only authentic Irish Pub.

Arthur Jack Snyder design. Barry Helle, General Manager

Key Info:
Location: 120 Kaukahi St., Wailea
Phone: 888-328-6284
Rating source: Maui Guidebook & Google
Web: Wailea Golf family website | Old Blue website
Price: $80 – $160

View Larger Map

Wailea Gold Course

Mark — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:18:35 +0000

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Course Helicopter Flyby & Narrative
(Click for video player popup)

The most challenging of the three Wailea courses, Gold was former host to the Champions Skins Game and opened in 1994.

Gold is part of a trio of Wailea courses – Blue and Emerald are the others.

While this is the most challenging of the three, if you play tough courses, it probably won’t be among the toughest you’ve ever played. That said, it is definitely a course where hitting the fairway is essential, and there are great risk:reward opportunities all throughout the course for better players.

Speaking of risk:reward, there are at least four, and as many as six tee boxes on all the holes – so while the most difficult of the three, it is fully accessible to higher handicap players.

The course is rugged throughout, and like its sisters takes advantage of the terrain’s natural contours and undulations. Also like its sister courses, it is built upon land that was once inhabited by Native Hawaiians, and you can see that in the archeological remnant walls preserved throughout the course.

The staff is courteous, professional, friendly and attentive, and the course is meticulously maintained.

Views are absolutely spectacular: mountain, ocean, island & islet – just try and keep your eye on your game

Robert Trent Jones II design. Rusty Hathaway, PGA, Head Golf Professional

Key Info:
Location: 100 Wailea Golf Club Dr., Wailea
Phone: 888-328-6284
Rating source: Maui Guidebook & golflink.com
Web: http://www.waileagolf.com
Price: $80 – $225

View Larger Map

elleair Maui Golf Club

Mark — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:21:10 +0000

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

This course keeps getting better. A great option for occasional to average golfers and/or folks on a budget.

Opened in 1987 as Silversword Golf Club This course has been undergoing many improvements to widen fairways and enlarging greens to make it “more friendly.” They also have a new driving range and new carts with GPS. They also have a great, friendly staff. The course is well kept with great views.

They do allow fivesomes, so that can slow down play ahead of you – although this course is not generally very crowded, so this may not come into play.

A good value compared to most of the resorts, although there are some resort deals lately (Old Blue is a nice upgrade at a close price) that compare in price, but exceed in value.

Key Info:
Location: 1345 Piilani Hwy, Kihei
Phone: 808-874-0777
Rating source: Google
Web: http://www.elleairmauigolfclub.com
Price: $95 – $120

View Larger Map

Makena Golf Course

Mark — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:29:32 +0000

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

Okay, let me preface this by saying the last time I played on Makena is was absolutely spectacular. This is a course that normally gets very high ratings, but I need to pull rating for now, and suggest that folks read what is going on here, and weigh if it is worth the risk scheduling a tee time here right now. (I definitely wouldn’t prepay for anything!)

Okay, a bit of history will make what is going on, and why I’m scared to send you here perfectly clear:

Owned by Makena Resort, the Makena Golf Courses closed their course with ocean holes (the South Course) in favor of developing the land, right around the peak of the real estate bubble. Ooops. Fast forward to end of 2009: owners decide that the investment wasn’t panning out, and so why should they have to pay? So they default on the loan as a maneuver to try and buy the place back cheaper after all the ~~poor suckers~~ investors are finished off and separated entirely from their equity.

As planned, the property went into foreclosure, which recently completed with an order to sell the courses and resort at public auction next month. We’ll see if the guys at the top will actually get the resort back – or if someone from a country that still has money snaps it up at fire sale and finds out the hard way they can’t just come in and run a resort here. (That’s a whole different rant!)

In the meantime, a court-appointed receiver is overseeing the management, the old management company, in the meantime ran like someone dropped napalm on the place (the moment the previous owners plans came to light), and a new (temporary) management company had to be brought virtually overnight. They will stick around for the transition process – and then yet another management company will take over after the sale closes.

This is what Makena South looks like now. An easy chip onto the green. Hope you brough your sand-wedge for putting!

Yikes.

The South Course, which I believe was supposed to be turned into a 9-hole now looks like this: (pic at right.)

The future of how this course will be managed is uncertain, but they are publicly insisting it is “business as usual”, and I have no knowledge that service or maintenance has tanked – but that said, I’m not fortunate enough to be able to check for you on a weekly basis!

The course that remains in play here is what they used to call the North Course. While this has always been a highly rated course, and might otherwise be in a close running to be rated best, I can’t rate this course at all right now because of the transition and horrible choices they’ve been making for both the courses and for Maui. Even before they opted to try and stiff the investors, they chose to lay waste to a course in favor of a “luxury enclave.” (If this were a “Luxury Enclave Review” it might be different – but clearly the priority here isn’t golf.)

Check back to see what transpires – as soon as they have new owner on the ground and have a chance to get everything in order, I’ll update this page.

PS – I was also a little bit disappointed in their “About Makena” page on their website where they call Kaho’olawe Island by the name of another Maui neighbor, Lana’i. (I know it isn’t a geography website, but, guys – hello??)

Opened: 1993, Architect: Robert Trent Jones, Jr., Golf Professional: Kirk Nelson, PGA

Key Info:
Location: 5415 Makena Alanui, Makena
Phone: 808-891-4000
Rating source:
Web: http://makenagolf.com
Price: $59 – $149

View Makena Golf Course in a larger map

Maui Guidebook » Golf | South Maui

Wailea Emerald Course

You may also be interested in:

Wailea Old Blue Golf Course

You may also be interested in:

Wailea Gold Course

You may also be interested in:

elleair Maui Golf Club

You may also be interested in:

Makena Golf Course

You may also be interested in: