Free Gift Bag

First of, if you’re in Maui then don’t plan a tee time for Saturday. Instead, plan on being one of the first 100 people to show up at the Dunes at Maui Lani and get a free gift bag. All the club manufacturers (except TaylorMade) will be on hand to do club fitting and club demos. There will be live entertainment and food too. And the best part is that there will be mini-lessons and clinics for the whole family. Register at PlayGolfAmerica for this event.

Things other than golf can be expensive in Hawaii. Be sure to carry a discount card around to save up to 40% off accomodations, food, shopping, etc. Click here if you don’t have one yet.

Also on Maui is the Mercedes Championship where the PGA kicks off the season. It is played on the Plantation Course in Kapalua, the hardest of three courses. The Bay Course boasts asignature hole, a par 3 over the ocean while the Village Course winds its way through pineapple plantations.

Not so Big Hawaii Golf

Hawaii golf doesn’t have to be expensive but you do have to know where to book your tee times and where to play to get the most value. Most people who plan to play in Hawaii expects to play next to the ocean. If you watch the Mercedes Championship that plays through the Plantation Course in Kapalua every January, it is easy to get seduced by the ocean holes that the TV cameras tend to pan through.

On the Big Island, there are a number of very nice courses to play on including Hapuna Prince, Waikoloa Beach and King Course. To play these courses, be expecting to pay in the upwards of $195 per round. If you have your heart set on playing Waikoloa, plan to play after 11:30am where the sun may be a little hotter but the fees come down to $105. 

The course I recommend on Big Island to play at is Makalei. Its regular rate is $89 per round but on EZlinks, you can sometimes get on for as little as $27.30 per round including a power cart. Playing Makalei is very interesting and scenic. Bring your camera because there are a lot of peacocks and other birdlife there. The course is not close to the ocean but from the highest point (over 2,000 feet above the sea), you can look around the landscape and see the ocean.

After hitting towards the Pacific Ocean from the driving range, hole # 1 is an uphill torture. Luckily you have a power cart, otherwise climbing the first hole will kill you. With a slope of 143, Makalei isn’t a simple course. There are a lot of hazards including lava tubes and cinder cones that will eat your errant balls. And there’s water and foliage everywhere. Make sure you bring your best game there.