August 2007
A cure for cabin fever
The Island of Maui is a great place to golf—even during the winter months
Canadian winters can often be long and arduous for golf fanatics. To shake off the winter blues this year consider planning a stay and play golf vacation on the beautiful Island of Maui, Hawaii.
Maui, also known as the Magic Isle, is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands. There are 16 golf courses located on the island and with year round average temperatures ranging from 24 to 29 degrees Celsius; Maui is a Utopia for golf.
If you are looking for world class accommodations look no further than the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa. This stunning beachfront property is located on 40 acres of the southwest shore of Maui and is considered by many travelers and locals to be the premier resort on the island.
As you check in you will be greeted with a warm “Aloha” and a brightly colored lei of fresh flowers will be placed around your neck. When you enter the lobby you will be overwhelmed by the vaulted ceilings, open air concept and the multi million dollar art collection featuring grandiose sculptures and art work by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Fernando Bottero, Fernand Leger and several other acclaimed artists from Hawaii and the Pacific Rim.
There are 780 guestrooms in the hotel, including 52 suites. The luxurious and spacious guestrooms average 640 square feet and are beautifully appointed. Each room features a private lani, Italian marble bathroom with oversized tub and complimentary internet access. Twice daily housekeeping services are a special treat along with fresh tropical flowers tucked into your towels.
The resort is a playground for keiki (children) and adults alike. The main activity pool is a tropical water park beckoning you to explore. A series of water slides, waterfalls, and a current laden steam has guests meandering their way through nine separate pools including a “baby beach” complete with sand for infants and toddlers. For those looking for privacy and relaxation, the adult only Hibiscus Pool is offers quiet and serenity.
Maui is a perfect family destination. However if your children do not plan to tee it up with you the resort offers Camp Grande, a 20,000 sq. ft. Children’s Resort. While you are rounding the horn your child will be busy on nature walks, and taking special workshops such as lei making, Ukulele lessons and t-shirt dying.
After the round you can kick back and relax in the award winning Spa Grande. Your treatment will begin with access to the Roman Tub, saunas, waterfalls, Swiss Jet Showers, a Japanese Furo and five specialty baths including mud, seaweed, aromatherapy, papaya enzyme and a Hawaiian mineral salt followed by a complimentary loofah scrub.
As for dining there are 8 restaurants available onsite serving gourmet fare, with the feature establishment being a “floating” seafood restaurant named after Hawaii’s state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a.
Guests of the Grand Wailea have special booking privileges at both the Wailea Golf Club and Makena Golf Courses.
The Wailea Golf Club, owned by Canadian golf powerhouse Golf BC, offers three championship courses, the Old Blue, Gold and Emerald. The original course on property is the Old Blue which opened in 1972. This course hosted an LPGA event and stretches out to 6,765 yards from the tips. Considered a true Hawaiian resort course, Old Blue features spectacular views of the ocean and volcanic slopes, generous fairways, fountains, serene lakes, exotic flowers and coral sand bunkers.
Perfect for the vacationing golfer, there are opportunities to score well but hazards placed in landing areas and a variety of elevation changes make this course both challenging and picturesque. In the winter months keep an eye on the Wailea coast, especially from the 16th tee box, for breaching humpback whales.
Undeniably the most difficut track of the trio is the Gold Course, former host of the Wendy’s Champions Skins Game. Legends of the game, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Gary Player, to name a few, have had repeat appearances at this delightful course.
Considered a “thinking player’s” course, it is imperative to know the yardage off the tee to landing areas and your carry distance at the Robert Trent Jones II design. Measuring over 7,000 yards, this course is accented by undulating fairways, well bunkered greens and elevated tees that will definitely challenge your shot making.
The GPS on the cart is invaluable if you are playing it for the first time and the palm trees and spectacular ocean views are sure to make you a repeat customer.
To round out the threesome is the Emerald course, also a Robert Trent Jones II design, opened at the same time as the Gold in 1994. Jones decided to mold the Emerald into a softer design, more forgiving with few forced carries and a minimum of four to six tee boxes on every hole to ensure golfers enjoy the round from the appropriate yardage.
The Emerald course has won awards for its “women’s friendly” track enabling newer golfers an opportunity to play the game without feeling beat up, and pushing experienced players by allowing them to tee it up further back. Your round will be a fun filled game on a lush course amongst tropical flowers and fragrances.
Not to be missed on site is the expansive and well stocked award winning pro-shop along with the clubhouse restaurant serving a variety of local and international inspired delectable dishes.
Just down the road the Makena Golf Courses boast 36 pristine holes spread out between the North and South Course and it is home to the Hawaii State Open. These golf courses may be one of the best kept secrets in Maui. Perhaps not as well known as other courses on Maui there is often ample space between tee times allowing players to neither feel pushed or rushed on shots. The spacious layout of the courses will have you winding and weaving your way through tropical paradise. You’ll be hard pressed to see other groups on the course through the dense brush giving you the sense that you have the course to yourself.
Take time to admire the scenery. The views on both courses are spectacular, offering panoramic vistas of the deep blue Pacific Ocean, neighboring islands and Molokini, an extinct volcano in a crescent shaped islet. When not distracted by your surroundings the natural rolling fairways, undulating greens, lava rock outcrops, elevation changes and large bunkering will both delight and challenge you. If you have the stamina, play all 36 holes in one day, you won’t be disappointed. For a mid round snack, make sure to grab a tiny loaf of banana bread from the beverage cart, possibly the best you’ve ever tasted.
After your round you will be treated to mango scented ice cold facecloths to refresh you.
Don’t leave Maui without taking a trip to the other end of the island to play Kapalua. In addition to a state of the art golf academy, two stunning courses are on site, The Bay Course and the Plantation Course.
The Kapalua Golf Academy offers private lessons, on course instruction and multi day schools for the golf enthusiast serious about improving their game during their vacation in Canada’s off season. Digital video analysis, strength/flexibility training as well as psychology of playing are sure to help you lower your scores. For the family foursome, junior clinics and instruction are also available.
Once you are ready to hit the links, start out on the Bay Course designed by Arnold Palmer and Francis Duane. This ocean course is resort golf at its finest. It is challenging but not punishing. The course gently rolls down towards the ocean past hibiscus plants and palm trees and the lush tropical foliage, stunning views and well manicured terrain make this course memorable.
The signature Plantation Course is a must play. This Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore design is the home of the PGA Tour season opening tournament Mercedes-Benz Championship. Television does not do justice to the dramatic landscape that the course is laid out on. Spanning across rolling pineapple fields, the massive elevation drops, deep valleys, cresting hills and massive bunkers will challenge every club in your bag. Surprisingly the fairways are extremely generous, that is merely to lull you into submission before the trade winds blow, and blow they will.
It is imperative to check the direction of the prevailing wind and club section becomes a nightmare when the gusts are up. Strategically placed hazards lined with natural grasses will snare your ball and can turn a birdie into a bogey if you let your guard down for even a moment.
Delight in the fact that you are in one of the most beautiful places in the world and don’t take your game so seriously that you forget to look at the azure ocean vistas below. One such sight is the view down the 18th hole. Perhaps one of the most spectacular finishing holes in golf, this 665 yard down hill, often down wind par 5 beckons the long bomb off the tee and has a bailout area for those wanting to go for the eagle.
In addition to phenomenal golf, Maui offers a variety of other activities sure to please all members of the family. One such venture that can not be missed is a snorkel excursion. Maui’s number one eco-tour choice is Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF). The PWF staff is trained, knowledge and friendly. Safety is a priory and the PWF is one of the only companies that have certified life guards patrolling the swimming area in kayaks at all times.
Sign up for a full day adventure to Maui’s most popular snorkel destination Molokini. Swim amongst the coral reef in crystal blue water as you look for over 250 species of fish. After a morning trip to Molokini you will make your way to “Turtle Town” where you can swim with green sea turtles; an experience you will not soon forget. After your adventure you will be treated to a BBQ lunch and unlimited ice cold refreshments.
Upon your return, head into the Maui Ocean Center next door at Maalaea Harbor Village. The Hawaiian Aquarium is a spectacular marine park with over 60 exhibits and hands on activities featuring living creatures and natural environments found beneath the sea in the Hawaiian waters.
Reef sharks, stingrays, green sea turtles, moon jellies, octopus and thousands of tropical reef fish are just some of the delightful inhabitants that will amaze you in their natural setting. One of the most impressive features of the facility is a 54 ft. long tube that runs through a massive tank giving you an unprecedented view of the marine life as they swim by.
After a day on the water or on the links treat yourself to an authentic Hawaiian Luau. Maui’s top rated luau experience bar none is the Old Lahaina Luau. From the moment you walk in you are treated like an old friend. Stations set up around the property exhibit some of the staple Hawaiian traditions. You will watch the sun dip into the sea and then be treated to scrumptious regional fare including the Kalua pig unearthed from the traditional underground oven. The evening is capped off with an extraordinary hula performance that is not only entertaining but richly informative as well.
Maui is a world class stay and play destination that is ideal for couples, families or even for four buddies looking for a getaway. Trade in your winter boots for flip flops this off season and say “aloha” to spectacular sunsets, sun drenched beaches and some of the best views you will see from any golf course on the map.