The 10th hole on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, Maui.
Jan. 5, 2010
The 2010 PGA TOUR season kicks off at The Plantation Course at Kapalua. Here is all you need to know about the course that hosts the SBS Championship.
| Expert's overview |
| Todd Jones, the head instructor for the TOUR Academy at TPC Sawgrass, analyzes the Plantation Course at Kapalua |
The PGA TOUR opens the new season this week in Hawaii at the SBS Championship played over the idyllic Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort. This is the 11th year that this event comprised of only winners from the previous year's PGA TOUR events will be contested at this venue where scoring is completely dictated by the direction and force of that days ocean breeze. Designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, the course opened for play in 1991.
The 7,411-yard, par-73 layout features extremely generous fairways and fairly large greens. This was a must to allow for the winds that usually blow at 15-30 miles per hour. However, shot placement is still at a premium as slopes and contours dramatically affect the ball once it is back on the ground. The wind's direction also has an impact on playability. The course was designed for the prevailing wind, referred to as the "Trade Wind" (from the North). However if there is a rare Kona wind (from the South) the course can play more difficult as some of the longest holes will play directly into the Southerly breeze.
Traditionally the scoring is very good, with the average winning score of 272, 20 under par. Ernie Els owns the lowest score of 31 under par en route to his victory in 2003. The highest winning score was that of Stuart Appleby, when he finished the 2006 event at 8 under.
That was the first playing of the event since the putting surfaces were re-grassed with Ultradwarf TifEagle. The new Bermuda grass could be maintained at a lower mowing height to allow for a truer roll. Whenever this happens, even the best players in the world experience a learning curve -- but not a very long one, as the winning scores the past three years have been 14 under, 18 under, and 24 under, respectively.
If the winds lay down for a few days, we may see a near record performance in 2010. |
|
| Fast facts |
| Original architect |
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (1991) |
| Par value |
73 |
| Number of TOUR events as host venue |
12 (including 2010) |
| Course ranking |
Ranked 47 (out of 51) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2009 |
| Yardage history |
7,263 yards (1999-2005) |
|
7,411 (2006-present) |
| Grass |
Bermudagrass (tees, fairways, rough, greens) |
| Tournament Stimpmeter |
9.5-10 ft |
| Sand bunkers |
97 |
| Water hazards |
none |
| Course tour |
Click here |
|
| Course record |
|
Player
K.J. Choi
|
Year
2003 |
Round
3rd |
Finish
T2 |
|
| Holes-in-one |
| There has been 1 ace recorded during the SBS Championship in Kapalua. |
|
|
| 2009 Rankings |
| Most difficult hole in 2009 |
 |
The par-4 520-yard 1st "Kapalua," a downhill, downwind par 4 of immense proportion, introduces the character, scale and drama of the course about to be played. An adequate tee shot assisted by the wind and slope should leave a middle to long iron approach to an expansive and welcoming green that slopes from left to right. The difficulty of this hole is more psychological than physical.
2009: 0 eagles, 6 birdies, 96 pars, 21 bogeys, 9 double bogeys, 0 others. |
| Easiest hole in 2009 |
 |
The par-5 532-yard 5th "Cape." A natural, daring par 5. "Cape" slopes left to right all the way. The fairway culminates at a green perched on a peninsula high above the canyon that borders the entire right side of the hole. The nature of the hole entices the player to "have a go" after a fine drive. Aim approaches at the left side of the green. Courage, but not foolhardiness, is rewarded here.
2009: 6 eagles, 80 birdies, 38 pars, 6 bogeys, 2 double bogeys and 0 others. |
|
|
| Plantation Course |
2009 rankings | Last 10 years |
| 1 |
4 |
520 |
4.250 |
1 |
4.127 |
2 |
| 2 |
3 |
218 |
3.114 |
2 |
3.135 |
1 |
| 3 |
4 |
380 |
3.879 |
11 |
3.963 |
9 |
| 4 |
4 |
382 |
3.886 |
T9 |
3.988 |
8 |
| 5 |
4 |
532 |
4.379 |
18 |
4.616 |
17 |
| 6 |
4 |
398 |
3.886 |
T9 |
3.815 |
14 |
| 7 |
4 |
516 |
3.985 |
6 |
4.066 |
6 |
| 8 |
3 |
203 |
3.106 |
3 |
3.094 |
3 |
| 9 |
5 |
521 |
4.561 |
16 |
4.590 |
18 |
| 10 |
4 |
354 |
3.848 |
12 |
3.938 |
10 |
| 11 |
3 |
164 |
2.939 |
8 |
3.000 |
7 |
| 12 |
4 |
420 |
3.758 |
13 |
3.876 |
12 |
| 13 |
4 |
407 |
3.955 |
7 |
4.077 |
4 |
| 14 |
4 |
305 |
3.689 |
14 |
3.831 |
13 |
| 15 |
5 |
555 |
4.598 |
15 |
4.667 |
15 |
| 16 |
4 |
365 |
4.061 |
5 |
3.914 |
11 |
| 17 |
4 |
508 |
4.076 |
4 |
4.075 |
5 |
| 18 |
5 |
663 |
4.545 |
17 |
4.654 |
16 |
|
| Course origins |
Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, The Plantation unfurls across island canyons, native vegetation and panoramic oceanfront plateaus. A shotmaker's dream, players will find that the use of imagination and feel -- along with every club in their bag -- is an asset here. Kapalua means "arms embracing the sea." Kapalua is famous for its three championship golf courses: The Bay Course, The Plantation Course and The Village Course.
|
Surrounding most of Kapalua is one of Maui's active pineapple plantations and a giant stand of one hundred-year-old Norfolk Island Pines (Cook Pines). In 1995, the Kapalua resort established the "Kapalua Nature Society" to coordinate the resort's various environmental programs. This unique organization is managed by Kapalua Land Company, Ltd. and is comprised of resort employees and members of the community.
|
| The Plantation Course was rated No. 56 in Golfweek's 2007 list of America's Best Modern Courses. -- Source: Golf Course Superintendents Association of America |
|
| Tournament course history |
| Desert Inn CC |
Las Vegas, Nev. |
1953-1966 |
| Stardust CC |
Las Vegas, Nev. |
1967-68 |
| La Costa CC |
Carlsbad, Calif. |
1969-1998 |
| The Plantation Course |
Kapalua, Hawaii |
1999-present |
|
|
| This week's Kodak Challenge hole |
HOLE: The par-5, 663-yard 18th at Kapalua
LAST YEAR: The 18th played to a stroke average of 4.545, with players recording 5 eagles, 63 birdies, 53 pars, 9 bogeys and no double bogeys.
DESCRIPTION: The hole around which the rest of the course was formulated, "Home" is an extremely long downhill, downwind par 5. The hole is made reachable in two powerful blows by the assisting winds and slope. The large, receptive fairway and green are difficult to judge owing to the vast panoramas and the scale of the background. Here, the scale and drama are uncommon; the challenge is within reason, while the surrounding beauty is unparalleled.(Click here for Kapalua tour) |
|
PGATOUR.com is part of Turner Sports Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 