Article Surfing Archive

If you plan to golf Maui you're in for the treat of your links career! More top-flite choices await you than almost any other island destination. Whether you are a scratch golfer or the only way you get near par is with an eraser, there is a Maui golf experience waiting just for you!

With near perfect year-round weather averaging 75-85 degrees, who wouldn't want to golf Maui? You've seen many of the courses on TV: The Kapalua Plantation course, home of the Mercedes Championship; the Wailea Gold course, home of the Senior Skins Game; and Kaanapali North, host to a Champions tour event. But the best part of all is that you can experience the exact same courses Tiger, Phil and Ernie challenge. All of Maui's golf courses are in great shape year round, and there is no bad time for a Maui golf vacation. Try some of the lesser known but no less spectacular courses such as Makena South, Pukalani, and the Dunes at Maui Lani Golf Course. Almost every course offers stunning views of both the ocean and Mt. Haleakala, so keeping your eye on the ball is your foremost challenge here!

My favorite is the aforementioned Kapalua Plantation course, home of the Mercedes Championship. (Some are now calling it the Stuart Appleby Annuity, as he has captured the tournament the last three years over stellar fields.) Stretching over 7000 yards, with large fairways and greens, one can be tempted to think that you'd have plenty of opportunities to score. This is the where Plantation gets you. If you manage to ignore all the incredible Maui views you see from every tee box, you still have quite a challenge ahead of you. There are several blind tee shots, and the sloping fairways can make those wide landing areas a lot narrower a lot faster! The same with the greens, though while large, definitely favor the golfer who can target his or her landing areas, relative to the hole placement. So while subtle, thee challenges add up along with your score if you're not careful. All that said, you go away loving it and scheduling your next round.

So if you're coming to Golf Maui, be advised you'll be subjected to gorgeous vistas, great weather, world-class accommodations, delicious Asian Rim cuisine, and quite possibly the best vacation you've ever had. We just thought you should know. As for myself, every year I look forward to the time I get to golf Maui!

Copyright 2006 Keith Thompson