As golf vacation season tees off, Traveler.com brings you great resources to plan your Hawaii golf vacation. Do you want to learn which Hawaii resort courses to avoid, how to find great resort housing deals, and more?
Book Hawaii golf vacations
Best Hawaii golf package companies
coming soon...
Best Hawaii golf school vacations
David Leadbetter Golf Academy; renowned golf instructor, hosted at Wailea Golf Resort
Kapalua Golf Academy; a Top 25 Golf School; Jerry King named Best Teacher in Hawaii several recent years
Top Hawaii golf vacation deals
Great Hawaii golf vacation deals coming soon...
Hawaii golf courses and resorts
Lanai golf courses
Challenge at Manele; 7,039 yard, par 72 Jack Nicklaus Signature course with dramatic cliffside holes
Experience at Koele; 7,000 yard, par 72 set at 2000 feet in the mountains overlooking Maui and Molokai; Greg Norman and Ted Robinson's course simply "Wow's" golfers
Hawaii (Big Island) golf courses
Kona Country Club; breathtaking Kona Coastline views from its Mountain and Ocean courses; set on the Pacific among black lava rock and with stunning mountain views
Waikoloa Golf Club; Beach course; a Robert Trent Jones, Jr design and Kings course, a Tom Weiskopf and Jay Moorish design
Maui golf courses
The Dunes at Maui Lani Golf Club; set in Maui's Central Valley amid huge, rolling sand dunes
Wailea Golf Club; a Hawaii classics for golfers of all abilities
Gold course; the longest and most challenging
Emerald course; most scenic and spectacularly landscaped
Blue course; the original
North Course; on the slopes of Haleakala routing around ancient Hawaiian rock walls and lava flows
South Course; Robert Trent Jones, Jr design currently closed for renovations, but sure to please soon
Kapalua Resort; 36 great holes with a Four Seasons Resort
Plantation Course; Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw masterpiece; "Best Resort Course in Hawaii" by T&L Golf
Bay Course; strong course; host of the LPGA Classic
King Kamehameha Golf Club; landmark 75,000 sq ft Frank Lloyd Wright clubhouse; private club, but try to test a membership
Kaanapali Golf Resort; home of the Big Break Kaanapali and the Champions Skins Game
Pukalani Country Club; set higher and therefore cooler; well-maintained enjoyable course
elleair Maui Golf Club; highly popular with panoramic views
Oahu golf courses
Ko'olau Golf Club; spectacular jungle setting at the base of mountains; a wild experience considered the toughest course in the US with a slope of 152
Luana Hills Country Club; sister course to Koolau in a valley, but with a similar wild jungle setting
Turtle Bay Resort Golf Club; 36 holes; Top 10 in Hawaii with Arnold Palmer and George Fazio courses
Ko Olina Golf Club; Top 75 Resort courses in the US by Golf Digest
Kauai golf courses
Princeville at Hanalei Golf Club; ranked #1 courses in Hawaii and Top 50 in US
Prince golf course; Robert Trent Jones, Jr design; Top 50 in US
Makai golf course; in a multi-million dollar renovation; closed through summer, 2009
Puakea Golf Course;
Kauai Lagoons Golf Club; Top 10 most playable courses in America by Golf Magazine
Secrets and Tips for a Hawaii golf vacation
Hawaii Golf Courses that Should Have Been on Barack Obama's Golf Vacation
I sure hope President Obama's cabinet members advise him better on the Hawaii golf courses to play on his Hawaii golf vacation.
Before Christmas, Obama played at Olomana Golf Links (olomanagolflinks.com) and the private Mid Pacific Country Club (mpcchi.org); one on Christmas Eve.
These two Hawaii golf courses have some appeal — Olomana is a short but sporty course, and Mid Pac's first eight holes were designed by Seth Raynor in the late 1920s — and Obama likely played them because of their proximity to his rented house, but there are better options.
As Obama's Chief of Shaft, I'd recommend Ko'olau Golf Club (koolaugolfclub.com). While its 152 slope rating has helped it become known as one of the toughest Hawaii golf courses, its location at the base of the Ko'olau mountain range and its lush, jungle-like setting with deep chasms and waterfall views make it one of the most beautiful.
The Best Maui Golf courses to Play
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 are advised in the April issue:
"Don't waste your time or money playing Old Blue...It's neither well designed nor scenic. The course, on par with many a well-maintained muni, is littered with condominiums. At $155 for Wailea Resort guests [$185 for the general public] Old Blue may well be one of the most overpriced courses in the United States."
The two Maui golf courses at Makena (makenagolf.com) are good, too, and offer more "serious" golf, but, based on our multiple visits, the conditions are not as consistently good as Wailea.
Featured Courses - Wailea
by Michael Castello
Wailea is a Maui paradise for the avid golfer, with abundant ocean views and a classic design by Robert Trent Jones Jr. 
My entourage and I set out on a partly cloudy day to play this amazing course. I had heard many great things about the "Grand Lady" of Maui and had looked forward to this golf adventure for months.
Wailea has three distinct courses - Emerald, Gold and Blue. The Emerald course is rated one of the "best new courses" by Golf Magazine and Golf Digest, as well as "one of North America's most women-friendly" by Golf for Women.
