Kapalua closes 60 days amid irrigation dispute, Sentry at risk

Kapalua Resort in West Maui will close its Bay and Plantation golf courses for 60 days beginning Sept. 2 as resort managers seek to restore turf damaged by months without irrigation, a move that raises fresh questions about whether the famed venue can host the PGA Tour's season-opening event in January. Kapalua has hosted the tournament, now called The Sentry, since 1999.

The closure was recommended by Alex Nakajima, general manager of Kapalua Golf and Tennis, who said Tuesday the courses have not received irrigation since July 25 and are "dying" without immediate intervention. Nakajima said the shutdown will allow staff to remove dead grass, apply a slow-releasing fertilizer with the limited water the property receives and begin careful recovery and restoration. A decision on whether to reopen Nov. 1 will be made Oct. 15, he said.

Course owner Tadashi Yanai, the founder of Uniqlo, joined Kapalua homeowners and a local farm in filing a lawsuit last week against Maui Land and Pineapple Co. Inc., the company that owns the 11-mile Honokohau Stream and Ditch System that delivers irrigation water to the area. The suit alleges MLP "knowingly allowed the Ditch System to fall into a...