King Kamehameha

Named after the greatest king in the history of the Hawaiian Islands, the course at King Kamehameha Golf Club is set in the foothills of the West Maui Mountains. Managed by Troon Privé, it’s an early 1990’s Ted Robinson production that was subsequently renovated by his son Ted Jnr in 2005.

Rick Castillo at the club very kindly supplied us with the following:

The 427-yard 14th is our most challenging hole, where par feels like birdie! This par four normally plays directly into the wind and doglegs left off the tee. Two fairway bunkers capture most errant tee shots that drift to the right but stray further in that direction and you’ll lose your ball in the bougainvillea hedge between this hole and the 13th. A tee shot left of the fairway will get hung up in the rough among the eucalyptus trees, with the ball well below your feet, leaving a second shot that only the brave will elect to play for the green.

With a good tee shot to the middle of the fairway you’ll still have at least 190 yards into the wind to get to a green that is guarded by a pond in the front and water hazard/bougainvillea just left of the putting surface. Many players will under club or not hit a solid shot to carry the trouble so select 1-club stronger than you think and swing smoothly…long is better than short!

Our signature hole is the 559-yard 18th, a beautiful par five that plays downhill from your tee shot, anywhere from 200 to 250 yards out, and usually with the wind, giving you an excellent opportunity to finish with a good score. Big hitters can reach the green in two, but everyone needs to guard against pulling their shots into the pond on the left. From the fairway, the ball may be a little above your feet and with the fairway sloping towards the water you’ll want to aim for the right-side bunker.

There’s isn’t a more picturesque view of our famous Frank Lloyd Wright-designed clubhouse than from your second shot on the 18th fairway so get your camera out! In this composition, you’ll see the beautiful 18th hole, the 74,000 square foot clubhouse with a cascading waterfall behind the green, the West Maui Mountain on the right, and Mt. Haleakala and Ma’alaea Bay in the background – simply a majestic way to finish a round of golf and a wonderful lasting impression of what has hopefully been an enjoyable playing experience.