Hawaii Golf Courses in Oahu and Maui

One of my life-fulfilling wishes is to visit Hawaii, especially Oahu, where the entertainment value is high, the beaches and scenery are unparalleled and the golf is plenty.

And so I was excited to be asked as a guest on The Golf Club Radio Show with Danielle Tucker, to chat about the 60th Jennie K Invitational, the condition of Mid Pacific Country Club and Hawaii Golf in general.

As I googled and then clicked on the link to "Mid-Pac" Country Club, as it is called, you can't help but notice the beautiful scenery; crystal blue waters, mountains covered in light, fluffy clouds and sunsets that take your breath away. "Mid-Pac" is both "challenging and enjoyable" as stated on their website but, during our conversations with a few of the golfers prior to their respective rounds, I could see that the emphasis focused on "demanding".

Questioning Jason Amoy, Superintendent of "Mid-Pac" and also a guest on the Show, led me to understand the amount of work needed to make the greens and the course USGA "friendly" as well.

Although "Mid-Pac" is a "private" Country Club, you might be able to contact the Head Professional and obtain a tee time. It's worth a try!

There are many other stunning Hawaii golf courses, so bring your sticks or rent a set because you will have such fun figuring out the trade winds that you will want to play golf every day!

Several such "gems" are the Arnold Palmer and Tom Fazio Courses at Turtle Bay Resort. Located on Oahu's North Shore, Turtle Bay Resort is best known for the LPGA and Champions Tour events held at the beginning of the golf season. Turtle Bay Resort is now also the home of the Hawaii State Open.

NBC Golf Analyst Mark Rolfing stated that "the Palmer Course is the best course on Oahu and Golf Digest listed it as one of the "2009 Top-100 Public Courses in America."

If your preference is to gaze at the amazing Ko'olau Ridge Mountain while being surrounded by a lush, tropical rain forest, plan a visit to the Ko'olau Golf Club. Rated the Number One Golf Course on Oahu by Golf Digest and nicknamed The Worlds Most Challenging Golf Course, tee times are about $130 per person which could be considered a "bargain" depending on how you score!



When planning your Hawaii golf vacation, also consider Ewa Beach Golf Club, which is carved from a forest and considered a 'links' course as well as Honolulu Magazine's favorite, Makaha West Golf Club at Makaha Resort.

If you are not sure that you can get around to 18 holes or you want to play 27, score a tee time at Hawaii Prince Golf Club which offers three interchangeable nines.

For travelers who are considering 'island-hopping' through Hawaii, Maui is considered to be a premier destination for golf. Only a 30 minute flight from Oahu (about 70 miles) it is close enough to travel back-and-forth a few times in order to play some of the courses there.

Morgan Pressel won the inaugural LPGA Classic held at the magnificent Kapalua Bay Course there and is the Resort's host professional. The Ka'anapali Golf Courses are more "must-plays." For those who wish to play golf near a volcano, don't miss "Old Blue" or Wailea Golf Club, at the base of Mt. Haleakala.

I believe that skorts are a fashionable way to dress on Hawaii golf courses and so I think I will reserve the grass skirts for the hula at the Luau party afterward!

Click on the link to schedule your Hawaii tee times.

Tiger Woods Not Alone on Jupiter Island

The 10,000 square foot behemoth on Jupiter Island that Tiger Woods calls home is finally near completion but will Woods feel lonely when he moves back in?

Hardly as he shares the Island with some very high profile celebrities including Celine Dion, Nick Price, Burt Reynolds and Greg Norman. Norman tried to sell his digs last year for $65 million, couldn't find a buyer, dropped his price to $45 million, took it off the market and now has placed the mansion back into circulation for $65 million.

Former Lehman Bros. CEO Richard Fuld used to own digs on Jupiter Island but "sold" it to his wife for $100 after the company plummeted into bankruptcy.

Here is a picture of the old TW "house" and a link to the renovated Tiger Woods estate which includes a 9,500 square foot exercise building, oxygen therapy room (for when the air gets too thin) and two pools. I understand that one of those pools is a "reflecting" pool for when Tiger needs to rethink how his life has changed over the past year.




<=====Tiger Woods' house BEFORE renovation

Click here to see the NEW and IMPROVED Tiger Woods Estate and pictures of Celine Dion's and Greg Norman's digs.

Birthday Gifts for Phil Mickelson, the man who has it all!

For Phil Mickelson's 39th birthday last year, wife Amy presented him with a dinosaur head, possibly a "Tarbosaurus bataar."

What do you give the "man who has everything" as Mickelson called himself?

Before you say "rocking chair", I've come up with gifts that Phil might appreciate for his 40th birthday.

1. One year of assorted Krispy Kreme donuts. Mickelson's favorite!

2. A winning assortment of "goodies" from Callaway. Mickelson has been testing new Callaway equipment and now needs the right driver, swing adjustments and confidence boosters to secure the U.S. Open trophy.

3. Five Guys now Six Guys? Mickelson won the bid to franchise Five Guys Burgers in Orange County, CA. Perhaps a winning shake to go with "the best burgers I've ever tasted"?

5. First tee time with Paddy Harrington and Y.E. Yang at the 2010 U.S. Open? Nah!

A "pairing" with Tiger Woods would be a better gift with Mickelson thrashing Woods and coming out of the shadow of the world's number one golfer.

6. Okay, so we really can't give the gift of The Grand-Slam of Golf to Phil but it would be a great birthday wish. Phil is on his way with this year's Masters win. A little bit of confidence goes a long way.

Probably, the most important birthday wish I could offer to Phil Mickelson is for Amy and mom to make a full recovery. You just can't put a price on good health!