A Hawaii golf vacation can be the trip of a lifetime, and
with a little careful planning you can get in more great
golf at more fantastic courses than you ever thought
possible. Each island has it’s own gems, and there are many
incredible golf courses that have managed to fly under the
radar but are nevertheless great values and spectacular
golf. Here’s a sampling of some of the awesome tracks to
play on your next Hawaii golf vacation, island by island.

Hawaii - A Hawaii golf vacation to the big island is
normally characterized by lush green tracks sitting
precariously atop incredible lava flows. The black lava
provides stark contrast on many courses on the big island,
some of the more popular being Mauna Lani, with it’s two
courses testing your wind skills; Mauna Kea, built by
Laurance Rockefeller and designed by Robert Trent Jones,
Sr., this is a classic resort with golf experience to match.
The sister course Hapuna is well worth a play as well.
Another well-known and great course is Waikoloa Golf Club,
sitting amidst lava flows and petroglyph fields.

Maui - A Hawaii golf vacation without a stop in Maui would
be akin to visiting France and ignoring the Eiffel Tower.
Golf on Maui is exquisite, and here are some of the best. My
favorite is Kapalua, particularly the Plantation course,
home of PGA Tour’s Mercedes Championship. If you can make it
past several blind tee shots and drop dead vistas on every
tee box, you’ll be back again and again. Other Maui tracks
definitely worth a look include Wailea, a gem of a course;
Makena, a bear of a course, and Royal Kaanapali, home of
several LPGA and Senior events in the past. Also don’t
overlook Pukalani, upcountry and on the slopes of an extinct
volcano, probably Hawaii’s best golf bargain. Last but not
least, another great value would be the Dunes At Maui Lani,
a links course deserving of a round during your next Hawaii
golf vacation.

Kauai - A stop here for golf will necessarily involve some
of the more legendary names in Hawaii golf courses.
Princeville Resort, and specifically the Prince Course,
designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., has been rated the best
course in Hawaii almost continually since it opened in 1990.
The Hyatt Regency Poipu Bay Resort combines luxury and
tradewinds to mount a challenge to any level golfer; and
Kauai Lagoons Ki’ele course, a most daunting jack Nicklaus
design. Kauai is a another must stop for any Hawaii golf
vacation.

Oahu - Two must see courses on Oahu would be Turtle Bay Golf
Resort on the North Shore, specifically the Arnold Palmer
course. The Senior tour visits as well as any golfer in need
of a challenge. Also worthy of consideration is Hawaii Kai,
a short but windy course located eleven miles ouside
Waikiki.

Lanai - One more stop on your dream Hawaii Golf vacation
would have to include the Experience at Koele, designed by
Greg Norman and Ted Robinson. Unlike many other Hawaii golf
courses, this course is located in a rainforest and you get
the feel that you’re in a nature preserve, with wild game
roaming the lush vegetation surrounding the fairways. The
Experience At Koele is precisely that: an incredible
experience.

Wherever you choose to plant your tee for your next Hawaii
golf vacation, these are choices that you can’t go wrong
with. Just try and keep your eye on the ball!

Keith Thompson is a golfer in love with Hawaii, and he runs
http://hawaii-golf-vacation.golf-vacation-deals.info

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If you are a golfer looking to take your golf vacation in a tropical paradise, then a Hawaii golf vacation on Kauai will fit your plans to a tee.

Kauai is the fourth-largest, northernmost Hawaiian island and boasts the most beaches per miles of coastline. What really makes the island special - besides its world-class golf courses - is that ninety-seven percent of Kauai remains undeveloped. Because of this, Kauai is known as the “Garden Island”.

Golf courses on Kauai are not just a pretty postcard image to send home to friends and family. Golfers will find that Kauai golf courses utilize this natural beauty to produce challenging layouts along with amazing backdrops. Course designers like Jack Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones Jr. seamlessly meshed fairways and greens with tropical valleys, ocean cliffs, lava formations and rock gardens to produce beauty and beast.

Course designers also took advantage of the pacific climate. Many long par fives become reachable to golfers who lack Tiger’s power by making the most of the northeast tradewinds that are ever present on the Hawaiian Islands. However, this advantage can quickly become a disadvantage. When these tradewinds reverse direction and become Kona winds, those long holes become very long holes.

Beauty and challenges are not the only traits Kauai golf courses have going for them. The golf world also recognizes the island for its high quality of golf. Three of the top five golf courses in Hawaii are on Kauai. In fact, Kauai is not only known for some of the best golf courses in Hawaii but also in the world. The Poipu Bay Resort Golf Course is home to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and is rated as one of the top eighteen golf courses in the United States. Princeville Resort and Kauai Lagoons Golf Club also received awards and high rankings from Golf Digest. High-handicappers should have no fear however, as golfers of all skill levels will find a playable golf course on Kauai.

The proximity of many world-class golf courses to each other is another reason a Kauai golf vacation is so enjoyable. Because travel time is short to each of Kauai’s golf courses, golfers will be able to get in a couple of rounds and still have time to enjoy many of the island’s outdoor activities. If you love hiking, biking, snorkeling, surfing and other outdoor activities, then this is the island for you. At a minimum, plan a visit to the Waimea canyon or trek to the top of the Makawehi Lithified Cliffs. Then at the end of the day enjoy a drink on one of those fabulous Kauai beaches.

With the perfect year-round climate for golf, first-class accommodations and golf resorts, world-class golf courses and undeveloped tropical environment; a Kauai golf vacation is the perfect golf vacation.

Discover more Kauai golf courses and Kauai golf information at our site. Enjoy your Kauai golf vacation.

Copyright 2005 Evans Putman - http://www.PerfectGolfVacations.com All Rights Reserved. Reprints allowed see below.

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