What does a Kapalua year look like when it doesn't start with the Sentry? For the first time in 27 years, we found out. The PGA Tour opened its 2026 season at Waialae in Honolulu instead of on the Plantation Course, and the quiet January that followed reset the rhythm of a neighborhood that had built a quarter century of habits around that first week.
By the time the Wine & Food Festival wrapped at the end of June, a second shift had landed. The resort at the mouth of the bay had a new operator. If you live here, the summer of 2026 is less a season than a hinge.
The Sentry's Absence, and What Reopened in November
The short version of the golf story:
| Kapalua fixture | Status in July 2026 | The practical takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Plantation Course | Open for public play | Daily tee times begin at 7 a.m., with a 30-day standard booking window |
| Bay Course | Closed | The Bay Course golf shop, driving range, and Taverna remain open |
| The Sentry | Not contested in 2026 | The PGA TOUR has confirmed plans to end its Maui event |
That is the clearest way to read Kapalua summer 2026. The Plantation Course returned, but the January tournament did not. Those are two separate developments, and combining them can make the situation sound more final than it is.
Public golf returned, but tournament golf did not
The Plantation Course closed on September 2, 2025, after prolonged irrigation restrictions affected turf health. It reopened for public play on November 10, and the current Kapalua Golf update says the course is open and in good condition.
For anyone planning a round, the current golf page lists daily tee times starting at 7 a.m. The standard booking window is 30 days. The same page continues to list the Bay Course as closed, while confirming that its golf shop, practice range, and Taverna are operating.
The larger break with tradition concerns professional golf. The Sentry had been played at the Plantation Course every year from 1999 through 2025. The PGA TOUR first ruled out Kapalua for 2026 because of drought, water-conservation requirements, course conditions, and logistical concerns. After reviewing other possible sites, it canceled the tournament rather than moving it.
In April, the PGA TOUR confirmed plans to end its Maui event. Kapalua is not expected to return to the TOUR schedule in 2027.
So the course has reopened, but the familiar tournament chapter has closed. That difference explains why the fairways can be active this summer even though January felt unusually still.
The unresolved part of the golf story is water
Irrigation is more than background detail here. It is the mechanism that connects the 2025 closure, the loss of The Sentry, and the continued closure of the Bay Course.
The issue involves TY Management, Maui Land & Pineapple, Maui County, state agencies, and community members with different responsibilities and priorities. In February 2026, TY Management proposed investing more than $30 million to acquire and repair Maui Land & Pineapple’s water system before transferring it to a state agency. Maui County was already discussing a possible acquisition, and community members raised concerns about how water should be allocated.
The local reporting on that proposal makes clear that no simple, one-party explanation captures the full situation.
For now, the useful resident-level summary is measured:
- Public play has resumed at the Plantation Course.
- The Bay Course remains closed.
- The Plantation Course is currently reported to be in good condition.
- Dependable long-term irrigation remains an open issue.
That last point is why current operating notices matter more than assumptions based on past seasons. Anyone scheduling golf should check Kapalua Golf directly before making plans.
At the bay, the new name is real, but the conversion is not complete
“The Bay” in this update means The Resort at Kapalua Bay, not Kapalua Bay Beach and not the Bay Course.
Marriott assumed management of the former Montage Kapalua Bay on March 14, 2026. The property maintained the same ownership, remained open, and became part of Marriott Bonvoy. Its local trade-name change from Montage Kapalua Bay to The Resort at Kapalua Bay, Maui, took effect June 1.
That gives the property an interim identity this summer. It is operating under Marriott management, but it is not yet a St. Regis. According to Marriott’s announcement, the resort is planned to join the St. Regis Hotels & Resorts portfolio in 2027 after a renovation.
Marriott has not released enough information to describe the renovation’s exact scope or phasing. It would also be premature to draw conclusions about individual residence ownership from a hotel-management announcement.
The reassuring part is that the resort has continued operating during the transition. Its current Marriott page lists residential-style accommodations, Kapalua Bay beach access, The Spa at Kapalua Bay, pools, tennis, pickleball, snorkeling, and watercraft activities.
Some of the most visible changes are the dining names. The current lineup includes:
- The Restaurant at Kapalua Bay
- The Hideaway
- The Pool Bar
- The Beach Club
- Mahana Market
- In-Residence Dining
The Restaurant at Kapalua Bay now fills the signature ocean-view dining role associated with Cane & Canoe. For regulars, that name change may be the first everyday sign that the property has entered a new operating chapter.
The festival moved earlier and widened its reach
The 45th Kapalua Wine & Food Festival took place June 25 through June 28 at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. The Grand Tasting Gala returned to the Aloha Garden Pavilion on June 27.
The first change was timing. In 2025, the festival ran July 10 through July 13. This year’s edition shifted into late June, so residents accustomed to a July festival weekend saw the calendar move forward by roughly two weeks.
The second change was format. The festival retained its wine seminars, chef demonstrations, dinners, and Grand Tasting, while adding activities that reached beyond the traditional tasting room.
The 2026 program included Pickleball with Whispering Angel, a Death & Co. mixology pop-up and class at Alaloa Lounge, and a Sunset BBQ with Jack Arnold on the Beach House Lawn overlooking D.T. Fleming Beach. These additions brought the festival onto the courts, into the lounge, and outdoors by the coast.
The chef roster included Maneet Chauhan, Antonia Lofaso, Zach Laidlaw, Michael and Bryan Voltaggio, and Ritz-Carlton executive chef Glenn Thompson. Michael and Bryan Voltaggio made their first joint appearance on Maui.
Wine programming also marked the 45th year. Jean-Charles Boisset received a lifetime-achievement tribute, accompanied by a World of Boisset tasting. Other sessions included the “Bubbles & Bumps” Champagne-and-caviar seminar and discussions of sustainable and organic wines, highly rated bottles, and red-and-white selections.
The official festival announcement identified the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College Culinary Arts Program as the primary charitable beneficiary. It also named Aloha Puʻu Kukui, Lahaina Restoration Foundation, Maui Pono Foundation, and the Lahainaluna Boarders Association among organizations the festival has supported.
Official post-event attendance, fundraising totals, and 2026 competition results had not been published as of July 11. The sound takeaway is therefore about the festival’s timing, program, and community connections rather than unconfirmed totals.
Three changes, three different timelines
Taken together, these developments tell a more useful story than any one announcement can.
The Plantation Course is open now, while the future of its long-term water supply remains unsettled. The Resort at Kapalua Bay is open under Marriott management, while its St. Regis conversion is planned for 2027. The Wine & Food Festival has already completed its 45th year, having moved earlier and added more participatory events.
Kapalua is not moving through one clean transition. Its best-known institutions are changing at different speeds.
That is what makes this summer feel unusual. A longtime January tradition is absent. A familiar resort name has changed before the next brand has fully arrived. A festival rooted in four decades of history is testing a broader mix of experiences.
What to watch next
Three updates will tell us how this period develops:
- Bay Course status. Kapalua Golf’s operating notice remains the most dependable source for reopening information.
- Resort renovation details. Marriott has confirmed the planned St. Regis conversion for 2027, but the scope and schedule still need clarification.
- The next festival calendar. The 2026 move into late June was meaningful for local routines, so future dates will show whether that timing continues.
Kapalua rewards careful attention to the details. Mark, Andy, and Kristen have spent decades helping clients understand how West Maui’s resort communities function beyond the headlines. If these changes have started a conversation about a purchase, sale, rental strategy, or long-term stewardship, the Marchello Team is here to help you sort through it calmly and practically.
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