Destination: Honolulu

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Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau

Jan. 13, 2010
By LINKS Magazine

This week, the PGA TOUR island-hops from Maui to Oahu for the Sony Open, the first full-field event of the year. While Honolulu may not have the tropical allure of other Hawaiian destinations, its cosmopolitan diversions are just as inviting for visitors.

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Where to Play
Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course: Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course: It helps to have a military connection at this Billy Bell Sr. layout at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. With a series of holes along the Pacific Ocean, Kaneohe is one of the country's best military courses and is a favorite of the Commander in Chief, who teed it up here during his recent trip.

Ko'olau Golf Club: Located on the far side of the 2,000-foot Ko'olau Ridge mountain range from Honolulu, this jungle layout has a setting that is as beautiful as it is brutal. With a Slope rating of 152 from the tips, it's not a course you'd want to play every day, but definitely worth visiting while in town.

Turtle Bay Resort: If you only have time for one round at this facility on the famed North Shore, pick the one designed by the King (Arnie, not Kamehameha I), which has a linksy front nine and a back nine that winds through a lush jungle and around a wetlands bird sanctuary.

Where to Stay
Halekulani: The name means "house befitting heaven," which is appropriate for this property fronting Waikiki Beach. While the attractions of this bustling area are nearby, guests can find sanctuary in the hotel's pool, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Kahala Hotel & Resort: In the Kahala district, Honolulu's most posh address, this secluded oceanfront hotel is a stylish destination, with 338 chic, cheery rooms and suites, five restaurants and a world-class spa.

Royal Hawaiian: First opened in 1927, the "Pink Palace of the Pacific" is located on Waikiki Beach and is to Honolulu what the Plaza is to New York. The now-private Waialae Country Club layout, site of the Sony Open, was originally conceived as an amenity for the Royal Hawaiian.

Where to Eat
Alan Wong's: Chefs have elevated Hawaiian Regional cuisine to new levels, and one of the best of the genre is Alan Wong, who works with local farmers to create inventive dishes like the ginger-crusted long-tail red snapper.

Chef Mavro's: Owner George Mavrothalassitis is a James Beard award-winning chef whose seasonal take on local ingredients is featured in a food-and-wine-pairing tasting experience worth the flight from the mainland.

La Mer: It may be hard to decide which is more memorable the setting, which features ocean views at this showcase restaurant of the Halekulani hotel, or the food, which melds the flavors of the south of France with local ingredients like Big Island lobster.