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When it comes to golf course scenery, nothing compares to the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. That's what makes many of the courses on the six islands of Hawaii such a dream for golfers, and why professional tours love the state so much. So, if you've ever wanted to walk the same fairways occasionally played by Tiger Woods, Hale Irwin or Annika Sorenstam - and stay in some beautiful resorts nearby - then Hawaii is your kind of vacation. Plantation Course at Kapalua Maui The course: Home to the Mercedes-Benz Championship, this resort's Plantation Course has hosted the season-opening PGA Tour event since 1999. The pros play the par-73 track from the tournament tees of 7,411 yards, but if your game isn't quite up to that level, try the tees at 6,547 yards. Regardless of where you tee it up, you'll be awed by the ocean and mountain views, as well as acres of pineapple fields that give the course its name. The Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore design features wide fairways and large, fast greens. Deep rough, elevation changes and the threat of trade winds add to the challenge. The resort: The Kapalua Resort is set on 23,000 acres in northwest Maui. It's located between the ocean and mountains and encompasses three bays and two nature preserves. There are two other golf courses on the property, as well as a golf academy and tennis complex, three beaches and a number of accommodation choices, including a 548-room Ritz-Carlton, which reopens in January after a major renovation. Visit kapalua.com. Ko Olina Golf Club Oahu The course: Ted Robinson Sr. designed this course that hosts the LPGA Tour's Fields Open. Water features abound on the 6,867-yard layout, with the wet stuff coming into play on nearly half the holes. Robinson isn't known as an overly punitive designer, and with Ko Olina he created a classic resort course meant to be enjoyed rather than survived. The resort: Located on 640 acres about 20 miles west of Honolulu Airport, the Ko Olina Resort & Marina includes a 35,000-square-foot spa, four beaches, three restaurants and the 413-room JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa. Visit koolinagolf.com. Royal Kaanapali Golf Course Kaanapali Beach Resort, Maui The course: The new home of the Champions Tour Skins Game marks the return of professional golf to the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed course, which has hosted the LPGA's Kemper Open, the Champions Tour's Kaanapali Classic, the Canada Cup and Shell's Wonderful of Golf. To ready itself for next year's event, the 45-year-old course concluded a $13 million renovation last December that included new bunkering and the installation of new turf on the greens. The par-71, 6,700-yard North Course begins at sea level before ascending into the West Maui Mountain foothills. The resort: Located on the grounds where Hawaiian royalty once relaxed, the Kaanapali Beach Resort is enormous, complete with five hotels and six vacation-club condominium resorts. There are two spas, 36 tennis courts, 40 beachfront dining options, a historic trail winding through the resort and, of course, seemingly endless beaches. Situated on the beach and near the mountains, everything from snorkeling and parasailing to hiking and horseback riding tours are available. Visit kaanapali-golf.com. Wailea Golf Club (Gold Course) Maui The course: The former home of the Champions Tour Skins Game, this Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course is the most challenging of the three that comprise the Wailea Golf Club. It measures 7,078 yards from the tips and is hailed for the preservation of the ancient lava rock walls that offer dramatic scenery to the track. More than 200 feet of elevation changes add to the stunning mountain and ocean vistas. The resort: The Wailea Resort is a 1,500-acre master planned community complete with six hotels, including a Four Seasons resort, the Fairmont Kea Lani and the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa. There are also condominiums, villas and private homes, five beaches, a tennis club, dozens of restaurants, multiple spas, high-end shopping and the opportunity to mountain bike down the side of a volcano. Visit waileagolf.com. Hualalai Golf Course Hawaii The course: This facility that hosts the Champions Tour's Mastercard Championship is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course, which means that "Mr. Nicklaus pays very close attention to the maintenance and upkeep," said assistant professional Matthew Hasegawa. Along with immaculate conditions, the pace of play is remarkable because only guests of the Four Seasons can play the course. "We average between 40 and 60 rounds per day, which means you can get in a round in under four hours," Hasegawa said. The pros play from the championship tees of 7,117 yards, but most amateurs settle for the 6,632-yard blue tees. The course begins in a vegetated oasis and winds across lava outcroppings before ending near the crashing surf of the Pacific. The resort: The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu is a 243-room facility that includes 31 suites, a sports club and spa, three oceanfront-dining options and access to the incredible recreation activities of the Big Island's legendary Kona Coast. Visit fourseasons.com/hualalai. Turtle Bay Resort (Palmer Course) Oahu The course: You don't think of kilts or haggis when you think Hawaii, but the front nine of this Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay-designed course feels positively Scottish, thanks to a rolling front nine that plays along sandy beaches. But things get tropical at the turn, as thick pine forests take over. The course, which hosts the Turtle Bay Championship on the Champions Tour and the SBS Open on the LPGA Tour, surrounds a 100-acre nature preserve that is home to many endangered species of Hawaiian birds. The layout measures 7,218 yards from the tips, but it's easily walkable and caddies are available. The resort: Located on 880 acres of Oahu's famed North Shore, every one of the resort's 443 rooms and cottages faces the ocean. In 2006, the resort completed a $70 million renovation, which affected everything from golf course conditions to guest rooms. The resort includes another golf course, as well as a spa and five dining options. Visit turtlebayresort.com. SG |
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