Maui, August 29, 2025
News Summary
The Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course, home to the PGA Tour’s season opener, faces a 60-day closure due to water disputes and drought conditions. With the course scheduled to close in September for recovery, the fate of the upcoming 2026 Sentry tournament is uncertain, hinging on recovery progress by mid-October.
Lahaina, Maui
Golf’s big opener at Kapalua faces a water-soaked cliffhanger
Golf fans pack their bags and start dreaming of warm winds and panoramic ocean holes every January, but right now there’s a lot of uncertainty hovering over the Hawaiian season-opener. The PGA Tour’s beloved Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort — home to the opening event since 1999 — has been forced into a dramatic pause because of a worsening water dispute and the ongoing drought conditions that have strained Maui for months.
The resort has announced the course will be closed for 60 days starting September 2, 2025 in an effort to stabilize and recover the turf. This shutdown isn’t a typical maintenance window. Course leadership says the turf has been damaged and hasn’t had adequate water for months, prompting the resort’s general manager to push for a temporary closure designed to give the landscape a fighting chance.
What went wrong?
At the center of this mess is a lawsuit filed by the course owner and adjacent homeowners that points a finger at Maui Land & Pineapple (MLP). The complaint says the water delivery system that feeds the course and local properties has been neglected for years, leading to a demonstrable state of disrepair and scarce water. The claim is that mismanagement of the so-called ditch system is a major reason for the shortages.
MLP counters that the problem isn’t infrastructure neglect but raw nature: record-low stream levels tied to ongoing drought conditions and recent environmental shocks have dramatically reduced available water. Those environmental shocks include the deadly 2023 fire that killed more than 100 people and flattened parts of nearby Lahaina, a tragedy that also altered rainfall patterns and local watershed behavior.
How Kapalua plans to triage the course
Under the closure plan, staff will ration the limited water they have. Priority will be given to slow-releasing fertilizer treatments and targeted recovery efforts meant to coax damaged turf back to life, not to keep the course in daily playing condition. The goal is simple: preserve enough of the course so it can host professional competition if conditions improve.
Why the PGA Tour is watching closely
The PGA Tour has the opening event listed on the early 2026 calendar, and it’s a big one on paper: the 2026 schedule features 35 official FedExCup tournaments and nine signature events, and the Kapalua stop — The Sentry — is a signature event with a $20 million purse. The Sentry is currently slated for January 8–11, 2026, but with the course entering a recovery plan in September, the tournament’s fate is very much up in the air.
Tour officials are expected to keep close lines of communication open with both Kapalua Resort and the event’s title sponsor, Sentry Insurance, to track conditions and contingency plans. A likely decision point on whether the course can reopen and be ready for tournament prep is around October 15, 2025, though that date could shift depending on weather and recovery progress.
What this means for players and fans
For players, the loss of Kapalua would remove one of the season’s unique, seaside tests. For fans and travel planners, it throws early-season logistics into limbo: flights, hotels and backyard betting all hinge on whether the course will be playable. Sponsors and broadcasters will also be watching, because shifting an event of this scale on the calendar is a major operational challenge.
The bottom line
This is a fluid situation with several moving pieces: legal disputes over water infrastructure, record-low stream levels tied to drought, the long tail of environmental disaster in 2023, and an aggressive recovery plan that aims to stabilize the turf before winter prep begins. The resort is betting on a bold, short-term closure to increase the odds that Kapalua can still host a marquee tournament in January. The rest of the golf world is waiting for a decisive update in mid-October.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is The Sentry scheduled to take place at Kapalua in January 2026?
A: The Sentry is currently scheduled for January 8–11, 2026 at Kapalua Resort, but the ability of the Plantation Course to host the event is uncertain due to the ongoing water issues and the planned 60-day course closure starting September 2, 2025.
Q: Why is the Plantation Course closing for 60 days?
A: The course is closing so staff can concentrate limited water resources on recovery efforts, including slow-release fertilizer application and rehabilitation work to try to save damaged turf that suffered from months of inadequate water.
Q: Who is responsible for the water problems?
A: The course owner and nearby homeowners have sued Maui Land & Pineapple, alleging the company failed to maintain the ditch-based water delivery system. MLP disputes that claim and says the issues stem from record-low stream levels caused by prolonged drought and recent environmental events.
Q: When will a decision be made about reopening the course?
A: A key decision point is expected around October 15, 2025, when officials will evaluate recovery progress and determine whether the course can be prepared for a tournament in January.
Q: How is the PGA Tour responding?
A: The PGA Tour is monitoring the situation and is expected to remain in close contact with Kapalua Resort and the event sponsor to assess readiness and determine any necessary schedule changes.
Quick Reference Table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort |
| Planned closure | 60 days starting September 2, 2025 |
| Key recovery actions | Slow-release fertilizer, targeted turf recovery, limited water allocation |
| Legal action | Lawsuit alleges neglect of ditch-based water delivery system; defendant cites low stream levels |
| Potential decision date | October 15, 2025 |
| The Sentry dates | January 8\u201311, 2026 (currently scheduled) |
| Purse | $20 million (event listed as a signature event) |
| PGA Tour 2026 slate | 35 official FedExCup tournaments, 9 signature events |
Stay tuned: golf fans and travelers alike should watch official updates as the October decision window approaches. If Kapalua can recover, the Islands could still host one of the most picturesque season openers on the calendar. If not, the early-season landscape for players and fans will have a new chapter to write.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
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Major Maui Golf Course Temporarily Closes Amid Water Crisis
Doral Roars Back and PGA Tour Schedule Gets a Shake-Up
Scottie Scheffler Dominates BMW Championship in Owings Mills
Additional Resources
- Sports Business Journal
- Wikipedia: Kapalua Resort
- Golf Digest
- Google Search: Kapalua Resort
- Golf.com
- Google Scholar: Kapalua water drought
- Huntingdon Daily News
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Kapalua Resort
- Heavy.com
- Google News: Kapalua Golf Course
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