When measuring the effects of drought on golf, Hawaii might not be the first place that comes to mind, however, with more than 130 islands comprising the nation's 50th state, Hawaii has a multitude of microclimates.
Extreme weather on the island of Maui has resulted in the PGA Tour pulling its 2026 season-opening event, The Sentry, from the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Lahaina. The event was scheduled to be played at Kapalua from Jan. 5-11.
Rainfall totals on Hawaii's second-largest island historically range from 180 inches per year on the windward (upwind) side of Maui and a foot or less on the leeward (downwind) side. The western side of the island, where Kapalua is located, has been water-starved for most of the year.
Located on Maui's arid western coast, Lahaina typically receives about 12 inches of rain per year. About 4 inches of rain fell on the area in January. Since then, the area has received less than 1.2 total inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service, resulting in stringent water-use restrictions imposed by the county's water authority.
The PGA Tour made its announcement that The Sentry will not be played at Kapalua on Sept. 17 after Tour officials made a site visit.
According to the Tour's web site, officials concluded the condition of the Plantation Course had been "significantly compromised" by the drought and water limitations.
"(T)he PGA TOUR has determined the 2026 playing of The Sentry will not be contested at The Plantation Course at Kapalua due to ongoing drought conditions, water conservation requirements, agronomic conditions and logistical challenges," the Tour said in a statement.
No information is available yet on an alternate location for the tournament.
The event was the Tour's season-opening event from 1986 to 2013, and resumed that position on the schedule in 2024. The event has been contested at Kapalua's Plantation Course since 1999.
Early in September, Maui County Water Supply imposed Stage 2 water restrictions, which call for a cease of all non-essential for commercial and industrial purposes, according to the county's rule, which does not specify restrictions for golf.
A Stage 2 water shortage is enacted when anticipated demand in an area is projected to exceed available water supply by 16 percent to 30 percent.
The resort says it has used almost no water throughout September. The results have been predictable, leading the resort to close both the Plantation and Bay courses for play and ending with the Tour's decision to move the tournament for next year.
TY Management Corp., the owner and operator of the Kapalua Resort and its two golf courses, along with a local homeowners association and a commercial farm operation have filed a lawsuit in Maui Circuit Court against Maui Land and Pineapple, a land and real estate development company, that manages a series of ditches and streams that supply the resort and other users in the area with water. The suit alleges that Maui Land and Pineapple has allowed the ditch system to fall into a state of disrepair, leading to a lack of water for users downstream.
The drought in western Maui is so great that a saltwater marsh has changed color. Water at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is saltier than usual because of the lack of rain, and has turned pink because of a bacteria that thrives in very salty water, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Moving The Sentry to a yet-to-be-determined location marked the second time in less than a year the PGA Tour has had to pivot due to extreme weather.
In January, the Tour moved the Genesis Invitational from Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, to Torrey Pines in San Diego due to fires in the Los Angeles area.