Need special golf vacation ideas

[rdoty]

I promised my daughter that next year for winter break we'd go someplace warm for golf.  She's currently attending the University of Nebraska and she's such a good girl that she deserves something really special.  We're best friends and she's my favorite golf partner...even though she can beat the pants off me.  I'd like to arrange a 14-16 day vacation beginning about Dec 28 - Mid Jan.  I'm hoping that some of the members on this forum might provide some good insight based on experience.  I'm completely open to destinations...the only requisites being that I'd like to play a minimum of three good courses multiple times,and the accommodations are upper class.  I've put an arbitrary cost limit of no more than $15000 including air fare.

I've considered places like Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Hawaii.  I even looked at New Zealand but was shocked at the prices so I think that's out.  Hawaii is appealing because of all the other activities available but I fear that during that time of year the courses are crowded.  Costa Rica has the other issue...seems there is nothing else to do except play golf and bird watching.  I checked into Brazil but not a lot of good courses...and most are 9-hole and 6-hole (hmmmm, this green looks familiar). I haven't been to any of these destinations so I don't have anything to go on except what I find on the internet and the rating system is more confusing than helpful - typical for a given course goes from "Great, best ever" to "This place sucks, I'll never come back".

Sooooo guys, help me out.  I want to come back with a smile on my daughters face!

[Lefty-Golfer]

I promised my daughter that next year for winter break we'd go someplace warm for golf.  She's currently attending the University of Nebraska and she's such a good girl that she deserves something really special.  We're best friends and she's my favorite golf partner...even though she can beat the pants off me.  I'd like to arrange a 14-16 day vacation beginning about Dec 28 - Mid Jan.  I'm hoping that some of the members on this forum might provide some good insight based on experience.  I'm completely open to destinations...the only requisites being that I'd like to play a minimum of three good courses multiple times,and the accommodations are upper class.  I've put an arbitrary cost limit of no more than $15000 including air fare.

I've considered places like Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Hawaii.  I even looked at New Zealand but was shocked at the prices so I think that's out.  Hawaii is appealing because of all the other activities available but I fear that during that time of year the courses are crowded.  Costa Rica has the other issue...seems there is nothing else to do except play golf and bird watching.  I checked into Brazil but not a lot of good courses...and most are 9-hole and 6-hole (hmmmm, this green looks familiar). I haven't been to any of these destinations so I don't have anything to go on except what I find on the internet and the rating system is more confusing than helpful - typical for a given course goes from "Great, best ever" to "This place sucks, I'll never come back".

Sooooo guys, help me out.  I want to come back with a smile on my daughters face!

I would say look at Casa De Campo in the Dominican. they have 2 top notch courses(teeth of the dog and Dye fore)  and a 3rd good one on the resort, there is also a private club right down the road you can reach via golf cart if you want. it is an outstanding place to stay for period of time. Will be taking my wife there next winter for a couples / golf trip with several friends. they have a beach club an what not so you don't have to golf every minute. if you go make sure you visit the Marina they have a large shooping area, some bars and restaurants - can't wait to back.

[rdoty]

Thanks Lefty (I'm also a "lefty" although I've switched to "righty" twice - just can't make up my mind!).  I'm collecting as much info as I can - probably won't make a choice for a couple more months.  I need to find out what the actual dates are for my daughters winter break.  I may be leaning a little to Hawaii (Big Island) but Dominican, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica all sound interesting as well.  With about twelve days "in country" it may boil down to extracurricular activities.

[k-troop]

Hawaii isn't that crowded, depending on where you are.  Popular Oahu courses can get really crowded around Christmas, but after New Years weekend everything reverts to normal.  Regardless you can always play on weekdays.  If I were going, I'd consider these two options--

Option 1:  Hawaii (Maui-Lanai).  Spend the bulk of your time on Maui, where there are half a dozen fantastic courses.  Take a 3-4 day side trip to Lanai, which has two phenomenal courses and is only a 45-min ferry ride away.  Plus in early January you'll see plenty of whales.

http://thesandtrap.com/products/four-seasons-lanai-the-experience-at-koele/reviews/4200

http://thesandtrap.com/products/four-seasons-lanai-the-challenge-at-manele-bay/reviews/4199

Option 2:  Cabo San Lucas.  Rent a fully stocked villa in Pedegral or down the Sea of Cortez coast.  There are 10 phenomenal courses within a 30 minute drive of Cabo San Lucas.

[dave s]

Hawaii without a doubt.  Wife and I were in Maui last year over Thanksgiving.  Weather was great, golf even better.  There is so much more to do there than just golf, too.  Hana trip, Black Sand Beaches, whale-watching excursions, fantastic resort hotels, other islands.  Would be a great trip for you and daughter.

dave

[Hardballs]

I'm not sure what prices are like from the states, but Marbella in Spain is a golfers paradise! There is approx. 55 courses within this region, some of them world class that have staged Ryder cup and Spanish opens inc valderrama, San roque, le Quinta, montemayor, to name just a few, we go January for some quality winter golf and it's awesome! The weather is perfect, not hot, no wind, just warm and cool in the evening.

[rdoty]

Thanks for the replies.  Because I've never planned a trip of this magnitude before - and during the peak season - I'm trying to get answers from one of the travel groups concerning lead times, accommodations, courses, etc.  One big question for k-troop and dave - did you guys make your arrangements through a travel group or on your own?  I've never worked through one of those groups before and I wonder if they pass on the discounts that the resorts advertise.

As far as Spain, that sounds great but I'll probably wait - there's a good chance my daughter might get to study abroad there in two years in which case she'll see a lot of me ;)

[k-troop]

I lived in Hawaii for three years, so I didn't have much trouble making all of my own trip and golf arrangements.  Honestly, everything is right in front of you on the internet these days--you could plan and book the entire trip in a day.  Hawaii is easy.

Again, if you're going 28 December thru 11 January, only your first 5 days are going to be "peak".  Expect to pay more for accommodations and golf during those days, and you'll want to ensure you book your golf during that window early.  From 3 January and on you're actually in low season most places, as the resorts (and courses) all tend to empty out right after new year.  I used to get my best deals at the Four Seasons Lanai in January.

Don't rule out Cabo San Lucas either.  Cabo has an amazing collection of golf courses and is likely a bit cheaper than the other options.  (If you want to limit your budget to $1000/day all in...you can do a lot in that range, but it would also be easy to blow your wad early if you're staying in suites and shelling out $500/day for golf at courses like Makena, Koele, Manele, Kapalua, etc. in Maui/Lanai.)

http://www.cabovillas.com/property_results.asp

Cabovillas is a website that lists villa (private home) rentals from Pedegral to San Jose.  I used to travel to Los Cabos with a group of buddies once or twice a year until we all got married and had kids (sigh....).  We've used Cabovillas a dozen times and always had excellent results.  I entered your dates (28 Dec - 11 Jan) and 2-4 bedrooms; there are several options with ocean views and private pools for $300-$400/night.  They all have full, equipped kitchens so you can relax in the morning, make your own breakfast, have your coffee, etc. (while your college-age daughter sleeps in till 10:00, which is probably going to happen at least a few times).  They'll even stock the kitchen for you, or you can hit the Costco on the way in from the airport.

Imagine an early morning fishing outing with your daughter in a panga boat on the Sea of Cortez.  You catch half a dozen tuna and maybe a dorado and a snapper and are back in the dock by 10:00.  You take in 18 at Palmilla on the way home; the bag drop boys will put your bag of fish in the shade for you and make sure it has plenty of ice.  You get back to the villa about 3:30 in the afternoon, tired and hungry, and your daughter takes in peak sun by your private pool while you cook up the fish y'all caught together that morning.  Sounds pretty freaking awesome to me.

You also probably should consider that your college-age daughter, regardless of how close of friends you are, is going to get a little cramped if she's spending 15 days in a hotel room with dad.

Pedegral is walking distance into Cabo San Lucas, with shopping, dining, and great beaches.  Not as great as Hawaii beaches, but pretty darn good still.  Down the road in San Jose (about 30 mins) is more shopping, more dining, another huge marina, golf, etc.

If I were going to Cabo during that time, I'd book three or four rounds at some of the less expensive courses, and a fishing outing, during the first five days (peak time).  Talk to the bag-drop boys about when to play the other courses, but save the more expensive courses for the second half of the trip when tee times will be easier and cheaper.

[rdoty]

Wow K-troop.  Thanks for all the info.

BTW you hit the nail on the head re the daughter sleeping in til 10:00.  She grumbles a little when I set an early tee time until we're on the first tee...then it's game on!.  (The time zone difference may help in that respect) As far as hanging with dad that's never been an issue (I raised her from birth - she's actually my granddaughter whom I adopted at seven) although I do give her much more space now that she's out of the nest.  If you want the honest truth I'm rolling out of the sack a little later these days too ;)

I had sort of written Cabo off the list because of all the touristy element but I'll give that another look.  I'm still leaning toward the Big Island, maybe breaking the trip up into two destinations, Hawaii and Maui.  Looking at the calendar I'm guessing that her break will go until the 17th so maybe it'll all be off peak.

BTW, the last three weeks in the Denver area have been absolutely fantastic.  Played in January and played 18 today.  The early start is doing great things for my game - hoping to get the hcp down in the low 20's this year. (Only been playing for four years after a thirty year hiatus!)

[trickyputt]

I promised my daughter that next year for winter break we'd go someplace warm for golf.  She's currently attending the University of Nebraska and she's such a good girl that she deserves something really special.  We're best friends and she's my favorite golf partner...even though she can beat the pants off me.  I'd like to arrange a 14-16 day vacation beginning about Dec 28 - Mid Jan.  I'm hoping that some of the members on this forum might provide some good insight based on experience.  I'm completely open to destinations...the only requisites being that I'd like to play a minimum of three good courses multiple times,and the accommodations are upper class.  I've put an arbitrary cost limit of no more than $15000 including air fare.     I've considered places like Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Hawaii.  I even looked at New Zealand but was shocked at the prices so I think that's out.  Hawaii is appealing because of all the other activities available but I fear that during that time of year the courses are crowded.  Costa Rica has the other issue...seems there is nothing else to do except play golf and bird watching.  I checked into Brazil but not a lot of good courses...and most are 9-hole and 6-hole (hmmmm, this green looks familiar). I haven't been to any of these destinations so I don't have anything to go on except what I find on the internet and the rating system is more confusing than helpful - typical for a given course goes from "Great, best ever" to "This place sucks, I'll never come back". Sooooo guys, help me out.  I want to come back with a smile on my daughters face!

Go to Costa Rica. There are tourist trips to live volcanoes where you enjoy hot springs and stinky mud for the ladies skin, and then eat dinner watching lava flow down the mountain. Rain forests and dry forest tours, like the zipline canopy slides seen in the movie "Medicine Man" starring Sean Connery are fun and different. The Pacific or Gulf side offer ocean activities and fisheries so you have 2 oceans to choose from. A travel company can set you up. It may be the top of the top 10 places to check out lately.

[rdoty]

Thanks for the info trickyputt.  I'm slowly putting together a spreadsheet on potential destinations and Costa Rica is still on my list.

[AmenCorner]

I've been to Cabo and Hawaii (Maui, Lana'i), and boy they are hard to beat. Amazing golf, weather, and tons to do otherwise.

[jsgolfer]

I've been to Cabo and Hawaii (Maui, Lana'i), and boy they are hard to beat. Amazing golf, weather, and tons to do otherwise.

Played golf in Maui, April 2013, wish I would've had more time to get over to Lanai.  But the golf on Maui was spectacular.  Heading to Kauai in April, looking forward to hitting the courses there as well.

[AmenCorner]

Played golf in Maui, April 2013, wish I would've had more time to get over to Lanai.  But the golf on Maui was spectacular.  Heading to Kauai in April, looking forward to hitting the courses there as well.

I'm jealous. Kauai is supposed to be the best island in terms of scenery. Lanai was very nice, but arid compared to the other islands. I played the Challenge at Manele (Nicklaus) which is on the coast and quite amazing. Views of the ocean from every hole. Didn't get to play the Experience at Koele (Norman) but walked a few holes including that unbelievable Par 4 (16th I think) which is up in the jungle and drops hundreds of feet from tee to fairway. I was just looking at the pics the other day. Beautiful. But very little else to do on that island.

[jsgolfer]

I'm jealous. Kauai is supposed to be the best island in terms of scenery. Lanai was very nice, but arid compared to the other islands. I played the Challenge at Manele (Nicklaus) which is on the coast and quite amazing. Views of the ocean from every hole. Didn't get to play the Experience at Koele (Norman) but walked a few holes including that unbelievable Par 4 (16th I think) which is up in the jungle and drops hundreds of feet from tee to fairway. I was just looking at the pics the other day. Beautiful. But very little else to do on that island.

I already have a round booked at Kauai Lagoons for the day we arrive, since it is right next to the Airport.  After playing we head to the St. Regis for 4 nights, going to play the two courses next to the St. Regis, can't wait.

[Clambake]

Golf around the St. Regis is more limited now than it used to be. The Prince course closed at the end of December; it will be undergoing remodeling and then going private. The Makai course is pretty good but is more of a typical resort course. I wouldn't bother with the Woods course, as it is only nine holes and was part of the old Makai layout redesigned to be a short smoke course for new golfers and introducing kids to golf. Great beach at the St Regis, though. There is some awesome snorkeling about 200 yards offshore - ask one of the beach attendants to point you to the channel that leads offshore to the better reef.

[jsgolfer]

Golf around the St. Regis is more limited now than it used to be. The Prince course closed at the end of December; it will be undergoing remodeling and then going private. The Makai course is pretty good but is more of a typical resort course. I wouldn't bother with the Woods course, as it is only nine holes and was part of the old Makai layout redesigned to be a short smoke course for new golfers and introducing kids to golf.

Great beach at the St Regis, though. There is some awesome snorkeling about 200 yards offshore - ask one of the beach attendants to point you to the channel that leads offshore to the better reef.

Thanks, that sucks about the Prince course.

[rdoty]

Okay guys, you've pretty much convinced me.  Unless I can come up with a compelling reason to change my mind it looks like I'll focus on Hawaii.  Since this is our first trip there it'll probably be the Big Island with a side trip to Maui (or vice versa.  I've got a few months before I need to make the reservations but what I'm planning on doing is keeping my daughter in the dark until we get on the plane.  Maybe make her think we're going to Texas or Arizona.  Can't wait.

Thanks again for all the info.