A refined Kapalua presents different test to start new year

KAPALUA, HAWAII >> Lush green grass, Pacific blue horizon.

That much about the Plantation Course at Kapalua hasn’t changed for the 34 winners on the PGA Tour last year who have assembled for the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Fifteen players are competing for the first time and won’t notice the $12.5 million refinement project by designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.

What really got his attention was the third hole, which for 10 years has been a driver and a wedge. With a new tee some 30 yards farther back, and facing a stiff trade win, Dustin Johnson blasted driver and reached for a 6-iron.

This refinement was not all about length.

The Plantation Course had grown old enough that it lost its speed from so much thatch in the grass. The idea was for this course to play fast. That would make it more difficult for elite players to control their shots, and make it easier for resort guests who found the course too long because the ball wasn’t rolling as far as it once did.

The course re-opened two months ago. The first big test is the Tournament of Champions.

Because the grass is new, and with ample rain over the last month, the fairways remain relatively soft. That should change over time, but there have been enough examples during practice to let players know what to expect.

Either way, it’s the hardest event on the PGA Tour to play — winning is the only criteria. It’s on the west end of Maui with endless views of the Pacific and the occasional splash of a humpback whale. There’s no cut. Last place gets $64,000.

“You never complain about being in Kapalua,” Kisner said.