No Laying Up - Golf Podcast 1106: What Happened At Kapalua?
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Jan 7, 2026 Mark Rolfing, a veteran golf broadcaster and course developer, offers insights into the alarming water shortages affecting Kapalua and the future of PGA Tour events. He shares the historical context of water needs on the island and discusses a shift towards minimalist course designs. Water historian Jonathan Lee K.K. Schreuer elaborates on the Pu'ukukui watershed and the legal complexities surrounding local water use, emphasizing the public trust doctrine and the impact on various community needs. The future of golf in West Maui hangs in the balance.
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Shared Water Source And Triaged Irrigation
- Kapalua’s Plantation and Bay courses draw from the same Pu'ukukui watershed and share a single ditch-fed supply.
- Management prioritized the Plantation course, diverting water away from the Bay course to keep one course viable.
Lawsuit Is Infrastructure Versus Drought
- The legal fight centers on whether the ditch infrastructure failed or whether drought legitimately reduced streamflow.
- TY claims infrastructure problems; MLP says extreme drought and restricted diversions are to blame.
Rolfing’s Early Warning And Frustration
- Mark Rolfing warned the PGA Tour in March that Maui faced a major water problem but felt initial tour responses downplayed it.
- He described a rapid shift from "everything's fine" to closing the course within months.
