Plantation Course Returns From $12.5 Million Renovation: Will It Be Interesting Again?

For whatever reason—climate change altering wind patters, thatch build-up causing balls to run less or players simply not using the ground like they used to—Kapalua’s Plantation course grew increasingly less interesting to watch over the last decade. Granted, it’s peak in 2000 with this PGA Tour epic duel will always be difficult to top…

And there was this radar blip of old school shotmaking from Bubba Watson:

Now arriving on the back of New Year’s Day, the 2020 Sentry Tournament of (Mostly) Champions arrives with big names either sitting out by choice or due to injury, so extra focus will be put on the renovated Plantation Course.

Dave Shedloski reports for GolfDigest.com on early reviews noting the increased difficulty. But we’ll have to wait to tournament time to find out of players simply refuse to use the ground, or if conditions prevented some of the past charm provided by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s first major design.

Some greens also were expanded while others, like at the par-4 seventh and the par-5 15th, were reduced in size.

“The course is even more of a second-shot golf course than it was before,” said Rolfing, who watched closely from the time work started on Feb. 11 until the course reopened on Nov. 23. “There are more shelf areas. The PGA Tour wanted more hole locations. The greens were softened and you have some flatter areas, but those transitions are more severe. That puts a real premium on shot-making like it was more in the earlier days. There’s more strategy than before. You can’t just bomb it off every tee, either, because you want to set up that second shot.”