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Ladies and Gents,
I am planning a trip to Hawaii this winter. It is not primarily a golf vacation, but I will be getting a few rounds in and some practice time. I do not want to have to travel far to get to a golf course, not far at all. Any recommendations on where to stay for this convienience? Also, what is the must play golf course of Hawaii? THanks

i don't know a thing about golf in Hawaii, though I do know victory, the admin here, lives there! maybe try dropping him a PM! Good luck!

Stay here, play golf here . . . that is if you are going to Maui.

http://www.grandwailea.com/

Is there an island in particular you will be visiting? They all have different courses but I would say Maui and the Big Island probably have the best ones. Those two islands are also better if you are looking for more of a relaxed getaway. Let me know which island or islands you plan on visiting and I will be sure to recommend some courses and other activities for you.

Well, let me break down Oahu first for you because that's the island I know best. When it comes to Oahu, no course will really be that far away.

WAIKIKI

The most popular place to stay is in Waikiki and that's probably the hub of all tourist activity here. A lot of the hotels are on the beachfront but even if your hotel isn't, you won't be more than a 5 minute walk from the beach. Problem is, Waikiki beach is overcrowded. On the bright side, the surf in Waikiki and on the South shore is very tame, especially during the Winter. It may be too tame but I'd rather have it that way for someone learning to surf.

If you're not coming for golf, Waikiki would probably be the best place to stay on Oahu, especially if you're vacationing with a shopper or two. There are a bunch of places to shop in Waikiki and at nearby Ala Moana Center. There's also Ward Centre right by Ala Moana. They are both a 10 minute bus ride from Waikiki.

The problem with Waikiki is, there won't be many golf courses (that you'd want to play) nearby. There's Ala Wai which actually runs along the skyrises of Waikiki. It's labeled the "busiest golf course in the nation" and I don't doubt that one bit. It's convenient for residents as it is right in town and the green fees are inexpensive but if you're here visiting, I'd definitely skip Ala Wai. The other course nearby is Waialae Country Club, home to the Sony Open. This is the most exclusive private club in Hawaii. I thought it was impossible to get on unless you knew a member but a friend of mine did visit last year and got to play Waialae through the concierge at the Halekulani (a money is no object hotel). I'm sure if you stayed at the Kahala Mandarin (another money is no object hotel), someone there could get you a tee time at Waialae. Other than those two, there aren't many courses near Waikiki.

COURSES TO PLAY

Ko'olau - The first "must play" course that comes to mind is Ko'olau. They used to call themselves "America's toughest course" based on slope rating but they recently cut a lot of vegetation away and made it "easier." It's still a tough layout and it's purely target golf. I'd bring a lot of balls. Also, if you play this course, you'll want to make sure the weather for the past few days has been good. Even if it's dry in Waikiki, it may be raining at Ko'olau but if there's rain in Waikiki, it's surely pouring at Ko'olau. If the weather is nice, this would be the first course I would recommend.

Turtle Bay - There are two courses over at Turtle Bay, located on the North Shore of Oahu. There is also a hotel there. It used to be a Hilton but I don't know who runs it now. It's also an option for a place to stay outside of Waikiki. I would say it's a 45 minute to an hour drive from Honolulu. During the Winter time, this area will be quite interesting as the surf here is World famous. Just last week, the surf reached as high as 25 to 30 feet. If you're only going to play one course there, I would suggest the Arnold Palmer course. If you choose to stay in Waikiki for a week, I would actually recommend staying a couple of nights at Turtle Bay. It will get you away from the city and there's a lot of good sightseeing to do there.

Ko Olina - This is another "out of the way" resort/golf course. The hotel Ihilani is probably the 3rd best on Oahu (behind Halekulani and the Kahala Mandarin) and features a world class spa. Ko Olina golf course is probably one of the nicest golf courses on the island. Most of the golf courses on Oahu are actually on this side of the island so you'll actually be within 20 minutes from about 10 or more golf courses. Other than Ko Olina, I would highly recommend Kapolei golf course which is nearby.

Sorry this was so long but I really tried to run over as much as I could. Again, if you can give me more specific details about your trip, I can give you more detailed information.

Cool. Thanks Victory. I'll get a more specific plan and let you know.l This info is great, as I know nothing about Hawaii.

Thanks. When you get more specifics down, let me know. I know I detailed Oahu but if I were you, I would really go to either Maui or the Big Island or even both. If you have enough time, Oahu would be a good bet in addition to an island like Maui. I know most visitors looking for "Paradise" seem to like the outer islands better because it's not so urban.

I went to Maui on my honeymoon and I eventually will go back. Back then I didn't golf, but just driving past some courses I had to stop and admire them.