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
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
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.
.
.
.