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By
Steve Pike,
PGA.com Senior Writer
09.16.2005
06:59 pm (ET)
The Kapalua Resort on the Hawaiian island of Maui has completed a series of improvements to its famed Plantation Course in preparation for the Mercedes Championships. The season-opening event on the PGA Tour is set for Jan. 5-8, 2006. The Plantation Course, designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, now sports Ultradwarf TifEagle greens, while new Bermuda grass can be maintained with lower mowing heights, allowing for a truer roll on the greens. The renovation project also included a re-contouring of several greens, enabling more hole locations for tournament and daily operations. Additionally, 30 fairway bunkers were renovated to the original Crenshaw/Coore design characteristics and new bunkers were added on Nos. 15 and 16. The teeing areas on Nos. 2, 4, 8, 11 and 17 were expanded and the 15th fairway was reshaped to give players an improved second-shot landing area. Coore and Crenshaw, along with Kapalua Superintendent Craig Trenholme, supervised all renovations of the 7,411-yard, par-73 course, which opened in 1991. The Plantation Course is one of three courses at the Kapalua Resort, the other two being the Bay Course and the Village Course, each designed by Arnold Palmer. In addition to the Plantation Course enhancements, a GPS system was added to the golf carts to provide yardages from anywhere on the course. Other improvements were made to the golf shop, locker rooms and the Plantation House Restaurant that overlooks the first and 18th holes. Copyright 2005 PGA.com. All rights reserved.
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