MAUI - A sandy surf lover's best friend
By Chris Baldwin

Beaches come first in Hawaii the way Mickey Mouse comes first in Orlando and bad waiter service comes first in Paris. You cannot think of one without the other. People dream about the beaches of Hawaii and obsess over finding the perfect one to lounge away a vacation on. Even golfers. It doesn't matter how crazed you are about chasing that little white ball around the fairways, how determined you are to squeeze in as much Hawaii golf as possible, you're going to have to factor in beach time.

It doesn't matter if you despise the beach the way Bill Belichick apparently despises tailors. You may not especially care for sand in your toes, but someone in your party (probably several someones) will. "Non-beach people don't come to Hawaii, man," a local told me when I innocently asked for some non-beach activities. "They go to places like Wyoming." It's true, too. You eat brunch on a restaurant on the beach. You golf on courses that skirt or hug the beach. You return to a resort hotel on the beach. You go out and see a luau on the beach. All while everyone's lying out on the beach. Yes, the beach is going to be pretty important on your Hawaii golf trip. Just slightly behind oxygen. So you'd better get it right. For golfers that means finding the best beaches close to the best golf. Which means you need to speak up - before your annoying save-the-whales sister-in-law or ex-surfer dude friend pipe up about some hidden secret sand near a tucked-away waterfall on The Road to Hanna (i.e. the middle of nowhere, where there's no chance Jack Nicklaus ever roamed).

Luckily, it's not that hard to find primo Hawaii beach near the golf courses you want to play. Especially in Maui - the hot Hawaiian island of the moment, which is not as congested and commercial as the Big Island, and not as isolated and possibly boring as the smaller ones. The trick is coming up with the best possible combination of beach and golf, though. It doesn't do you much good if you're on beautiful sand with pristine water if the nearby golf is horrid, or if the beach is cluttered, dirty and choppy while the par-5s sing. In fact, try that second combination with a non-golfing spouse and see how quickly the trip goes downhill. Your marriage will look like Flavor Flav's career almost before the towels hit the sand. To avoid that, here are the best beach and golf combinations in Maui:

Kapalua: This West Maui town, which was created by a resort company, carries the rep of being a little bit off the beaten path. In reality, it's actually a pretty convenient spot that makes you feel like you're far from the hustle and bustle while being within a quick drive of it. Tourist trap Kaanapali is a 15-minute trip, tops (and that's if you obey Hawaii's often ridiculously low speed limits). Thankfully, when you're in your rented Kapalua villa, condo or just-renovated Ritz Carlton room, it seems like you're three galaxies away from that glorified mall zone, though. Kapalua's beach and golf are as satisfying a combination as strawberries and cream, too. Make that one-of-a-kind strawberries plucked from a nearly deserted wonderland island and a rare vintage of Dom Perignon. Kapalua Bay was deemed the "Best Beach In the World" by readers of Conde Nast magazine, and the other four beaches all within a two-mile radius at Kapalua are nobody's sand slouches either. These beaches are beautiful with clear blue water and great snorkeling conditions. For the golf, you only get The Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort, a bold, showy course out in its own world that makes you feel like you're playing a PGA Tour course every hole (it is host to the Mercedes-Benz Championship) and The Bay Course at the resort, which has two holes right on the ocean - and, well, two holes right on the ocean. Plantation is the play here - on a recent two-week trip through Hawaii, it was the best-conditioned course on Maui, and it wasn't that close - with Bay as a decent sidekick and the beaches king of all.

Wailea: The white sand beaches of Wailea Bay are great for walking or lounging, but the surf is often so violent that it's hard to enjoy swimming or snorkeling (but primo for surfing). It's look but don't participate. The golf at Wailea Golf Club's Gold Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones II, measures up as a worthy high-end play, but the other Wailea courses (particularly Emerald Course) are largely overpriced. It's play well, but don't expect to fall in love with any courses. It all adds up to a good location (South Maui is supposed to mean more sunshine, and Wailea is its 90210 zip code with a plethora of luxury resorts and shopping). You can have a great vacation here. Yet it's clearly a step or two below Kapalua. Ka'anapali: This is certainly the most Disney-like section of Maui. It's resort town USA with most of the familiar sights and ice cream shops of home (Stone Cold Creamery anyone?) This can be either reassuring or annoying depending on your vacation philosophy. The biggest problem with both Ka'anapali's beaches and golf courses, though, is finding elbow room. You come here to mingle (which isn't necessarily a bad thing as far as beach scenery). Ka'anapali also tends to draw a younger crowd.

It can be fun to play Ka'anapali Beach Resort's Kai Course and see the tourist-attraction Sugar Cane Train go steaming by right below your green, though. You'll also be playing some holes near a major road. Does the ocean look as impressive when a truck's rumbling by as you tee off?

Then again, third best in Maui beach golf does not qualify as anyone's also ran.
"I laugh when tourists ask me what the best beach in Hawaii is," local Zan Brock said. "I tell them that the worst beaches in Hawaii are better than the best beach they've ever been to back in the mainland.

"Don't even get me started on Florida. You only think those are beaches if you haven't been to Hawaii."

SIDEBAR

Maui-Style Luxury living

Looking for something different from the usual big-brand resort accommodations for your next Maui golf vacation? If you find yourself lingering at the 19th hole because you dread having to navigate your way through acres of cabanas, crowds, and corridors to get back to your hotel room, consider renting a luxury home or villa—a more private, personalized alternative to the mega-resort experience.

Maui-based Tropical Villa Vacations specializes in luxury vacation rentals, offering approximately 60 hand-picked properties across the state of Hawaii, including premium beachfront estates, secluded retreats, and resort villas. In addition to properties in Maui’s prime golf resort areas—Kapalua, Kaanapali, Wailea, and Makena—Tropical Villa Vacations also offers properties on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast, including such famed golf communities as Mauna Kea, Hualalai, and Mauna Lani, and the Poipu area on the island of Kauai.

Tropical Villa Vacations was founded in 1995 by Irene Ann Aroner, who served for many years as Chief Concierge and Consulting Concierge with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in Beverly Hills, Seattle, Maui, Tokyo and other cities in Asia.

“After leaving Four Seasons, I made my home on Maui,” says Aroner, “but I started getting phone calls from friends and past clients asking if I could assist them in arranging luxury accommodations and other travel services in Hawaii. I soon realized there was a need for someone to provide custom travel planning and personal concierge service specifically for the luxury traveler.”

What started as a one-woman operation has grown over the years into a thriving company that now employs a staff of nearly two dozen professionals. The travel world has begun to take notice, as well: in the past two years, Tropical Villa Vacations has been named “One of the Premier Agencies for Hawaiian Villas” by Travel & Leisure magazine, and Aroner has been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the top villa rental agents in the world.

The company is unique in that it was the first vacation rental agency in Hawaii to provide complimentary, in-house, “hotel-style” concierge services. The personalized concierge service might include assistance with such arrangements as island dining or activities (including customized private tours and excursions), childcare services or equipment, limousine or chauffeur service, luxury or sports car rentals, personal fitness and spa services, yoga, surfing or scuba instruction, pre-arrival provisions and shopping service, a private housekeeper, a catered in-villa dinner, or the services of a personal chef. And, oh yes, advance tee times, of course.

“As soon as a guest starts a question with ‘Can you...?’” notes Chief Concierge Yvonne Nitta, “I already know the answer is ‘Yes, we can do it!’”

In addition to its private homes and estates, the agency’s offerings include an exclusive collection of more than a dozen beachfront Wailea Beach Villas, one of the newest luxury developments on Maui’s south shore, available only through Tropical Villa Vacations. These spacious three- and four-bedroom villas make it possible to reserve as many as seven bedrooms for up to 14 guests in two adjacent villas—ideal for families or friends traveling together.

For more info call 888-875-2818 ext. 206, email info@TropicalVillaVacations.com or visit www.TropicalVillaVacations.com.