Parched Kapalua closing for 60 days with PGA Tour's Sentry in mind

Field Level Media|published: Wed 27th August, 19:47 2025

January 12, 2025; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; Andrew Putnam hits his second shot on the 16th hole during the final round of the Sony Open golf tournament at Waialae Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Water restrictions due to drought conditions in Hawaii could put the PGA Tour's season-opening event in peril, after it was revealed this week the course that hosts the event will close for two months to spur recovery.

Kapalua Resort in Maui, Hawaii has hosted the PGA Tour's season-opening event, the Sentry, every January since 1999. But the resort will close to golfers for 60 days starting Tuesday, Sept. 2, to address an extended stretch of water restrictions that has limited the resort's ability to water its Bay and Plantation courses properly.

In a statement released to the press, Kapalua general manager Alex Nakajima said the decision to close "was not made lightly," noting that the decision to reopen on Nov. 1 would be revisited on Oct. 15, pending the condition of the course.

This decision has called into question, for some observers, the viability of the parched course to host the event next Jan. 15-18.

"Our team is making every effort to restore golf course conditions to the highest level to host The Sentry PGA Tournament in January 2026," Nakajima said.

This is not the only way Kapalua is working to restore its courses in West Maui, which has been dealing with drought conditions for two years. Kapalua's owner, Tadashi Yanai, recently joined a lawsuit against Maui Land & Pineapple for allegedly mismanaging a ditch and stream system that transports water to the area.

--Field Level Media

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