Golf Vacation Insider» Hawaii Golf Vacations

Be Careful Choosing Packages for Hawaii Golf Vacations (and Other Destinations)

Craig Better — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:19:26 +0000

Here’s the latest example of why you need an unbiased golf vacation advisor in your corner. The other day, I received a press release touting, “the ultimate golf vacation experience” for Maui, Hawaii golf vacations. It described a “world class” Hawaii golf package at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa that included golf on the “legendary” [...]

Stay at the Best Hotel for Less on Your Hawaii Golf Vacation

Craig Better — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:51:35 +0000

Today's tip explains how to get a deep discount at the best place to stay on Big Island of Hawaii golf vacations.

You're probably already aware that the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is the primo place to stay on the Big Island. In fact, it reportedly enjoys the highest occupancy rate of any Four Seasons hotel in the world. Its 243 rooms and suites start at $725 per night.

But, if you're traveling with a group of friends and/or family on a Hawaii golf vacation, you'll be interested to know that you can stay in elegant homes and villas within the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai development, and the cost works out to be much less (assuming you're sharing it).

Kapalua Plantation Course Outshines All Other Maui, Hawaii Golf Courses

Craig Better — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:03:26 +0000

Why is this week the one in which you'll likely have more in common with the guys on tour than at any other time of the year? For one thing, they, too, are getting back to work after some much needed holiday rest and relaxation. For another, they're kicking off the 2009 PGA Tour season this Thursday on a spectacular golf course that you can play on your very own Hawaii golf vacation: the Kapalua Plantation Course in Maui, Hawaii.

Unlike some PGA Tour courses, selected more because of deals with the sponsor or the availability of parking than on merit, the Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore-designed Kapalua Plantation Course lives up to every expectation. It is, hands down, the best of the Maui golf courses you can play, and some would say it's the best among all Hawaii golf courses.

Hawaii Golf Courses that Should Have Been Played on the Current Barack Obama Golf Vacation

Craig Better — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:41:36 +0000

I sure hope president-elect Barack Obama's future cabinet members advise him better than the person who recommended where he should tee it up on his current Oahu, Hawaii golf vacation.

On December 21, Obama played at Olomana Golf Links (olomanagolflinks.com), followed by two rounds at the private Mid Pacific Country Club (mpcchi.org); one on Christmas Eve and one yesterday. If you haven't seen the photos, you can view them

How to Play Maui and Lanai, Hawaii Golf Courses on the Same Golf Vacation

Craig Better — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:13:45 +0000

Two of the best courses you can play on a Maui, Hawaii golf vacation aren't on Maui at all, but on the nearby island of Lanai.

We're talking, of course, about the Jack Nicklaus-designed Challenge at Manele (on the coast) and the Ted Robinson/Greg Norman-designed Experience at Koele (in the island's mountainous interior). Getting to them from Maui is an easier day trip than you might think.

The Best Maui Golf Courses to Play on a Hawaii Golf Vacation

Craig Better — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:09:42 +0000

My wife and I are planning a Maui golf vacation. What are your picks for golf in the Makena and Wailea areas, and which other Maui golf courses are worth seeking out if we rent a car or taxi?

If you have to choose between playing the Maui golf courses at Wailea or Makena, we recommend Wailea (waileagolf.com). And, of its three layouts, Gold, Emerald, and Old Blue, the Gold and Emerald courses are the best bets.

As Golf Odyssey readers will be advised in the upcoming April issue:

Discount Golf Vacations Can Include Hawaii Golf Courses

Craig Better — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:32:15 +0000

You probably don't think of Hawaii golf courses when you're looking for discount golf vacations, but deals do exist. There are, of course, the everyday and deeply reduced kama'aina (pronounced, "ka-muh-EYE-nah) rates, but you had better be able to prove that you're a local if you ask for them.

Aside from that, some of the best deals we've found are available through the Golf Hawaii Card (golfhawaiicard.com).

The Golf Hawaii Card works like other golf passes you may have seen, except for three big differences:

Hawaii Golf Course’s Dramatic Holes in Play at Tour’s Season Opener

Craig Better — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:14:45 +0000

If your handicap index is anything like mine, we’re likely to have more in common with PGA Tour pros this week than any other time of the year. Like the rest of us, they’re getting back to work after some much needed holiday rest and relaxation. And, more importantly, they’re kicking off their 2007 season tomorrow on a spectacular golf course that we can play on our very own Hawaii golf vacations.

The Toughest of the Kauai Golf Courses to Play on a Hawaii Golf Vacation

Craig Better — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:57:58 +0000

If you're lucky enough to be planning a Kauai, Hawaii golf vacation and you'd like to really test your game while you're there, the Prince Course at the Princeville Resort may be exactly what you're looking for. Just be sure to allow at least two rounds to fully appreciate this tough, tropical layout.

While the course rides up and down the cliffs that overlook the Pacific, the holes themselves never really engage with the ocean. Instead, this Robert Trent Jones, Jr., design, which opened in 1990, plays through tropical ravines and thick jungle vegetation with some 65 bunkers, tight fairways, long forced carries, testy trade winds, ample elevation changes, and even a lake to contend with. Technorati Profile

Kapalua Offering $45,000 Maui, Hawaii Golf Vacation Package

Craig Better — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:17:42 +0000

What could be better than starting off the New Year on a Maui, Hawaii golf vacation that includes VIP passes to the PGA Tour's season-opening Mercedes Championships tournament?

How about seven nights in your own oceanfront villa (manned with a personal butler, private chef, and executive concierge), use of a luxury car, and a custom-fit set of Ping irons for you and your traveling companion?