HONOLULU (KHON) — State leaders say they’re scrambling to try to keep the PGA’s Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua. Or at the very least, keep it in Hawaii. Meanwhile, the landowner involved in the dispute is open to giving up the land.
As members of Hawaii’s golf community discuss the industry, the question looms – what’s going on with Kapalua? And will it be ready for the PGA’s Sentry Tournament of Champions in January?
“When we face this challenge of potentially losing an event, it’s really sad for Hawaii,” said Wesley Wailehua, Aloha Section PGA & Foundation Executive Director.
Kapalua’s Plantation Course is currently brown because of water restrictions put on the area. Everyone involved in the tournament is cautiously optimistic.
“I think our owners’ commitment to continue to host the tournament is tremendous,” said Alex Nakajima, Kapalua Golf General Manager. “And it’s something that we all look forward to, and I think the whole state look forward to the exposure.”
“When you see the beauty of Kapaula, the whales coming out of the water, and everything that’s attractive about that tournament, it makes a lot of people say we’re going to Hawaii,” said James Tokioka, Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism Director.
Maui Land and Pineapple, which owns the land where the water comes from, announced Wednesday that it is looking into potentially selling or leasing the land. But it’s just conducting a study. And there’s no timeline for a decision.
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In a statement, Race Randle, CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. said:
“For more than a century, MLP invested in and responsibly managed critically important water infrastructure in communities across Maui. Our evaluation and marketing of certain assets for sale began in early 2025. We remain committed to the responsible stewardship of our precious resource. With Maui facing severe drought and growing demand, it is our responsibility as stewards to evaluate opportunities that can grow capacity for community benefit and strengthen water security across the island. Our goal is to ensure these critical systems continue evolving to meet the challenges of a changing environment and serving Maui for decades to come.”
TY Management, the company that owns Kapalua Golf Course, said in a statement:
Instead of helping the community that depends on their water, Maui Land & Pineapple is spending its energy announcing months-old business maneuvers to offload responsibility at a crucial time of need. This announcement does nothing to solve the immediate crisis. It wastes time and resources on MLP’s own interests while doing little to address the urgent needs of residents, farmers, and businesses.
This is not a solution — it’s a distraction. MLP’s “strategic review” is simply a plan to consider selling or leasing the Ditch and related infrastructure — too little, too late. It is not an acknowledgment of the years of neglect and misconduct detailed in the lawsuit.
MLP was entrusted with a critical public resource. Instead of maintaining and improving it, they allowed it to deteriorate — leaving the community without reliable access to water. Now, after failing to live up to that responsibility, they want to sell it off.
With this latest announcement, MLP has again shown that privately governed water systems are fundamentally at odds with the duty of a true public steward. People’s livelihoods and futures are on the line, and MLP’s focus should be on fixing the system now, not scheming how to escape responsibility. The people of Maui deserve better.
Meanwhile, state officials say they’re doing what they can to save the Sentry.
“If that doesn’t happen, then you know, are there other options in Hawaii to keep the Sentry in Hawaii until we can resolve the issue in Kapalua if it doesn’t go there,” said Tokioka.
“I’m hoping that it’s a moment in time and not a long-term decision for golf,” said Wailehua. “Because Maui will certainly be impacted if that’s the direction they decide to go.”