Maui

For many reasons, Maui is an ideal choice for golfers when planning a Hawaii golf vacation. In addition to being a favorite spot for honeymooners and romantic getaways, there are few better things to do than play some of the Pacific's most spectacular golf courses.

Maui's topography is dominated by the West Maui Mountain range and the 10,000-foot-high Mt. Haleakala volcano, joined by the Kahului Isthmus, where the majority of locals reside in the main port city of Kahului. No matter where you are on the island, golf is right around the corner.

Maui's peaceful south shore is located at the base of Mt. Haleakala. Islanders have found refuge here for centuries, thanks to a location shielded from the brunt of the trade winds, where the waters are usually peaceful. Today, the sunniest and calmest fairways to be found in all of the Pacific. Wailea Golf Club has three 18-hole golf courses, side-by-side Wailea Gold and Wailea Emerald, both of which are Robert Trent Jones Jr. designs that wind around black lava rock and lush vegetation. Just north is the Old Blue at Wailea, which is a Maui classic and the grandfather of resort golf on the south shore.

The southernmost golf resort on Maui is a few miles down the road from Wailea, at Makena Golf & Beach Resort. Less trafficked than just about everywhere else on the island, true peace and spectacular views are the reward to those who seek it out.

Heading westward from here is the bustling port city of Lahaina, which was once the ancient capital of the islands. Nearby is Ka'anapali, home to a collection of beachfront resorts and two 18-hole courses, including the famed Royal Ka'anapali. Just a few miles up the coast from here are 36 holes of entirely different but equally spectacular golf, the Kapalua Plantation Course, which hosts the PGA Tour Tournament of Champions and Kapalua Bay courses.

In addition to these resorts, daily-fee courses like the Dunes at Maui Lani, Kahili Golf Course, Pukalani Country Club and Elleair Golf course, as well as private King Kamehameha Golf Club, serve up a course for every taste and budget. The best part about the Maui golf scene is the furthest distance between two golf courses, Kapalua and Makena, isn't more than a 90-minute drive, so stay on the island long enough and you can see them all.