Maui is unique to the rest of Hawaii because it is actually made up of the remains of two volcanoes linked together by a valley or isthmus formed by the receding sea. Hence the name “Valley Isle.” The Dunes is the only golf course in Hawaii built on naturally occurring dune terrain.

Minimal earth-moving occurred when The Dunes was designed, which was a departure from the modern-day American course architecture that has ruled for much of the last century.