Princeville Resort
Kauai is, quite literally, like something you see only in the movies. After all, it’s served as the stand-in for unspoiled paradise in such films as Jurassic Park, King Kong and Donovan’s Reef, not to mention Gilligan’s Island.

Kauai’s unique blend of tropical and pastoral beauty also makes it one of the world’s special locations for golf, and that can be seen in the blockbuster that is Prince Golf Course at Princeville Resort at Hanalei.

Sculpted by Robert Trent Jones Jr. from 390 acres of tropical jungle and rolling meadows high above Hanalei Bay, the Prince is a dramatic test of golf, rated by many as Hawaii’s top course. An early, ocean-hugging highlight is “Da Pali,” the par-3 seventh that calls for a 180-yard carry often into the prevailing wind. Then there’s “Eagle’s Nest,” the par-4 12th with tees perched 100 feet above a slender fairway lined by dense jungle. The Anini Stream comes into play on all sides of the green, set in an amphitheater of ferns and tropical foliage. That picturesque hazard is back in view, and play, on the next hole, named “Waterfall,” for the cascading stream that serves as a backdrop to the 13th green.

Though the Princeville Resort is undergoing renovations until April 2009, when it will reopen as the even more royal St. Regis Princeville, Princeville-bound golfers may book the new Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas or the Sheraton Kauai resort.     

Among the day packages being offered by the Prince Course is the “Tease for Two,” which includes a round of golf and a 50-minute massage at the Princeville Spa ($249 per couple). Green fees include a shared golf cart (equipped with GPS), range balls/access to the practice range and use of the spa facilities (including private locker, exercise classes, weight room, lap pool, whirlpool, dry sauna and steam room).

For information on the Prince Golf Course and Princeville Resort, please call 808-826-5001 or visit Princeville.com

 

Waikoloa Beach & Golf Resort
Lava made the Big Island, of course, and it’ll make (and sometimes break) your golf experience at Waikoloa Beach & Golf Resort. It’s quite naturally the defining element of Waikoloa’s two championship layouts along the Kohala Coast: the Beach Course and the Kings’ Course.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the Beach Course winds its way along historic lava flows near Anaehoomalu Bay, offering dazzling ocean views, and the occasional glimpse of humpback whales. Water comes into play on five of the first nine holes, but that’s just a prelude to what’s perhaps the most spectacular oceanfront par-five in Hawaii—the 502-yard 12th. Tee off straight toward the sea, with lava flanking both sides of the fairway, then to a green that’s perched on an outcropping atop the water and framed by coconut trees swaying in the tradewinds.

Lava in a links setting awaits you on the Kings’ Course, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. The 7,000-yard par-72 layout can be a stern test—it hosted a U.S. Open Qualifier earlier this year—but multiple sets of tees give you the option of remaining relatively unscarred by the lava outcroppings throughout. Pot bunkers and even a double green for the third and sixth holes lend the course its links feel, but the views of the towering volcanic mountains close by leave no doubt that you’re teeing it up in a tropical paradise half a world from Scotland.

For more information, call 808-886-7888 or visit WaikoloaBeachResort.com to explore a sampling of golf packages, from the “Endless Fairway Golf Package” of unlimited golf offered by Hilton Waikoloa Village to a three-night, two-round stay at Waikoloa Colony Villas.

Mauna Kea's Makeover
Prince Resorts boasts several of Hawaii’s most beloved destinations, from Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, overlooking one of the Big Island’s best beaches; to the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki on Oahu; to the Maui Prince Hotel Makena Resort on Maui. But this fall the focus is on a fourth landmark property, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, as it prepares to re-open in December following a two-year, $150 million makeover.   

“Our goal is to re-establish Mauna Kea as a sophisticated and intimate luxury hotel offering contemporary accommodations and amenities of the highest caliber, along with our signature tradition of excellent service,” says PRH President Donn Takahashi. The refurbishment focused primarily on the resort’s interiors—including guest rooms, lobby, restaurants and common areas—as well as new retail shops and other amenities, including a spa and fitness center.

Closed since May 2007, for its own tee-to-green restoration under the guidance of Rees Jones, the Mauna Kea Golf Course (above, the par-3 third) will reopen for play in November.

To book golf, set a date to stay at the new-again Mauna Kea or for information on vacation packages at any Prince Resort property, call 866-PRINCE-6 or visit PrinceGolfHawaii.com.