Hawaii: A Golfer's Nirvana

By Katharine Dyson

When a rule on your scorecard reads, "All whales, axis deer, and other wild animals are considered immovable obstructions" (Manele Bay, Lanai) you know you're in for an interesting round. So it is in Hawaii, a string of emerald islands so magical it's easy to imagine the local gods playing with their baubles. Here a churning sea cove, there a placid inlet; here a chattering jungle, there the pitted moonscape of a lava flow.

Big Island of Hawaii 
Five of the sixteen courses on the Big Island sprawl along the sunny Kohala coast, their deep lush fairways punctuated by outcroppings of lava. In the Kona area there is the Kona Country Club with two courses and Makalei Hawaii Country Club located over 2,000 feet aboce sea level about five miles from Kona. The North Coast has four courses; the south coast three.

Kauai
The "Garden Isle" has nine playing venues spread along a 20-mile stretch of land. The Prince Course is one of the highest rated layouts in Hawaii as is the adjacent Makai Course.

Lanai
This tiny island of about 2,000 residents, Bob Dole's playground for many years, has two world class resorts with only 350 rooms between the two properties. There are also two top rated golf courses.

Maui 
Maui has 16 courses, 11 associated with resorts, Kaanapali Resorts has 36 RT Jones-designed holes and Kapalua in west Maui boasts three beautiful 18-hole courses situated between the sea and pineapple plantations. In east Maui, there are three courses in Wailea, two at Makena down the coast.

Molokai
There are two courses on this small island: The scenic 18-hole course at The Kaluakoi Resort and Ironwood Hills Golf Club.

Oahu
The majority of the more than 34 golf courses on Oahu except for Turtle Bay's Kuilima links course and Kahuku which are situated on the northern coast, are dotted across the central and southern part of the island.

JAX FAX Travel Marketing Magazine ©