5/5 Stars – A High-Handicapper's Take on Pure Hawaiian Golf

Played the Emerald Course today and it completely lives up to the reputation. As a 20-handicapper from Southern California, I found the course conditions to be absolutely immaculate. The fairways were pristine and wide enough to keep me in play, though the greens were definitely rolling a bit faster than what ... » More

5/5 Stars – A High-Handicapper's Take on Pure Hawaiian Golf

Played the Emerald Course today and it completely lives up to the reputation. As a 20-handicapper from Southern California, I found the course conditions to be absolutely immaculate. The fairways were pristine and wide enough to keep me in play, though the greens were definitely rolling a bit faster than what I am used to back home in SoCal.

The service here is phenomenal. The entire staff was incredibly warm and welcoming right from the start, and our starter, Duncan, was particularly helpful. Since it was our first time playing the Emerald, he took the time to give us some valuable course gouge before we teed off. The pace of play was excellent because they were actively sending players out as twosomes. We finished all 18 holes in a brisk 3.5 hours, keeping the course completely uncrowded and allowing us to move at a great pace while soaking in the ocean views.

The operations here are incredibly dialed in, starting with a unique quirk at the practice facilities. They have dedicated driving range carts that they transfer your clubs into so you can go practice. The range was hitting off real grass today, though mats are an option on other days. The facility also features a massive, two-tiered practice putting green with plenty of target pins instead of traditional holes, plus a dedicated chipping and bunker area. Once you finish warming up, the staff seamlessly transfers your clubs right back into your regular course cart.
For a quick bite beforehand or at the turn, there is a convenient pop-up grill serving fresh grilled Wagyu hot dogs, cheeseburgers, chips, and drinks.

The cart experience itself deserves a shout-out. One thing that absolutely irritates me at other courses is an overly sensitive GPS geofence that locks up your cart the second you step out of line. Whoever programmed the boundaries at the Emerald took the time to do it correctly. It keeps you out of places you shouldn't be going without being overly sensitive and annoying.

As for the course layout, it features some truly memorable holes. It starts right away at Hole 1—a downhill par-4 playing straight into a jaw-dropping view of the Pacific Ocean. On the back nine, you get to play a massive, highly unique double green shared by the 10th and 17th holes.

For my fellow high-handicappers, keep two major things in mind:
First, watch out for the elevated, up-sloping greens. If you don't take enough club to get all the way up onto the surface, you will easily bleed strokes watching your ball trickle right back down the hill to your feet. Second, the greens have a strange break to them. This happened not only to me but also my golf partner—we both had multiple putts that looked dead-on line for the cup, but they would somehow "just miss" at the very end when the exact same putt would normally drop in on any other course.

On the value side, they treat you right by handing you a premium metal Wailea Golf water bottle to keep. You can fill it throughout the course with fresh drinking water, which cuts down heavily on plastic waste and leaves you with an excellent souvenir.

If you are renting, they set you up with a brand new Callaway Quantum set, and the rental package nicely includes a Wailea golf ball pouch along with 6 logoed balls to keep. If you want to skip rentals and just grab an extra souvenir, the pro shop has a massive variety of Wailea gear to commemorate your trip. Just be forewarned on the pricing: a single sleeve of Wailea-logoed Titleist Pro V1 golf balls will run you a steep $29.

Even with the tricky greens and premium gift shop pricing, it is a phenomenal experience and an absolute must-visit on Maui.

Just keeping it in play,
The Late Starter
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Played Native Oaks on 10/27. Last week of Cart Path Only.

Course is in really nice shape. Greens do have a bump here and there, but coverage is good, and I suspect after the maintenance month ends they will cut them smooth. Greens are soft as well.

Fairways are very plush. Rough is thick and nasty. A bit too nasty for casual golf, as the group in front of us s... » More

Played Native Oaks on 10/27. Last week of Cart Path Only.

Course is in really nice shape. Greens do have a bump here and there, but coverage is good, and I suspect after the maintenance month ends they will cut them smooth. Greens are soft as well.

Fairways are very plush. Rough is thick and nasty. A bit too nasty for casual golf, as the group in front of us spent a LOT of time searching in the rough for a ball. Then they'd find it, and hack it forward 50 yards only to have to search again. Made for a long 5 hour round, but it was a gorgeous day and I did not mind hanging out and enjoying the sun.

Thumbs up for Native Oaks, they have made remarkable improvements in recent years.

Drove back by Castle Creek (reopening in 2027 as Mossy Creek GC), and you could see the greens were sanded and being worked on. Let's hope they work some magic there and get that course back to playable.
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Great customer service from pro shop to the starter. Decent walk, couple of climbs on the back 9, but nothing too bad. Greens were rolling fast and true, easily best part of the course. For an IE course, bunkers were not hard packed even while dew sweeping and very playable. Course really shines on each hole on approach and around the greens. A few chewed up tee boxes, #17 espe... » More

Great customer service from pro shop to the starter. Decent walk, couple of climbs on the back 9, but nothing too bad. Greens were rolling fast and true, easily best part of the course. For an IE course, bunkers were not hard packed even while dew sweeping and very playable. Course really shines on each hole on approach and around the greens. A few chewed up tee boxes, #17 especially, but overall didn't take away from the quality of the course. Very underrated. Best value is on the weekday, or if you can book a weekend round far in advance. Otherwise, tough to pay the full rack rate.
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Rode the blues this morning 10/26/26 in group 1b with buddies John, Ron and Matt as a part of the Golfmoose/Vivid/Gk event. Weather was around 79 for a high with about a 10-15mph breeze. Really nice golf weather. Our Pop was just under 5 hrs as the event had about 120 players.

Nice practice area where the driving range is right next to two seperate putting greens. Snack... » More

Rode the blues this morning 10/26/26 in group 1b with buddies John, Ron and Matt as a part of the Golfmoose/Vivid/Gk event. Weather was around 79 for a high with about a 10-15mph breeze. Really nice golf weather. Our Pop was just under 5 hrs as the event had about 120 players.

Nice practice area where the driving range is right next to two seperate putting greens. Snack bar open. Carts did not have GPS but were very comfortable.

Conditions were above average to very nice.

Greens were in great shape and the highlight of the show. I love putting fast pure greens and these fit the bill. Probably an 11 on the stimp. Holding irons very nicely. Lots of undulations and swales here at WR. Rated a 9.5/10

Fairways were lush with nice padding and were not as green as the beautiful lush rough. Rated 8/10

Rough was mainly green and lush throughout but still playable. Rated 8/10

Was in 2 greenside bunkers and 3 fairway bunkers that were all raked and in good shape. Rated 7.5/10

Tees were in above average shape mainly all level with nice coverage.

Layout is fantastic especially the back nine. Every hole on the back nine is stellar.

WR offers mid size fairways with many bunkers and hazards into sloping undulating green complexes that tend to be on the larger side.

A must play if you get a chance to!
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Played today. Windy at start but warm after 9 holes. POP was not good for the 1st 9. We asked the marshal to wait on 10th hole to make a lazy 3 some to let us play through. Then things picked up.

We had a little wind to start but died down as soon as it warmed up.

They aerated a few weeks ago and the greens are great. Hold shots, release shots and chip/putt ... » More

Played today. Windy at start but warm after 9 holes. POP was not good for the 1st 9. We asked the marshal to wait on 10th hole to make a lazy 3 some to let us play through. Then things picked up.

We had a little wind to start but died down as soon as it warmed up.

They aerated a few weeks ago and the greens are great. Hold shots, release shots and chip/putt really well.

Tee boxes all playable.

Fairways had been cut and the wind had dried them out nicely so great roll, lies and coverage on all of them.

Traps had all been cleaned and no complaints from any of us on how they played.

Rough had been cut down so it was playable and you really have to be wild to go OB on the course. But plenty of trees are on the course and the do come into play on some holes.

Good customer service in the shop and with the starter who had things moving smoothly.

Only bad thing was I did not have time to have a bkfst sandwich and coffee for $6.

Good course for Veterans and Sr players as the walking price is $21 and $35 with cart. I think civilians pay $45 w cart and all military personnel have their own rate.

Recommended if you are in the area.
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