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DOUBLE
THE PLEASURE
Many golfers heading to the Southeast
coast looking for world-class golf are torn between
two South Carolina gems: The Ocean Course
on Kiawah Island and The Harbour Town Golf
Links on Hilton Head Island. Both courses
rank in the nation’s top 20. A new travel package
means you no longer have to make a choice. The “Best
of the Lowcountry” includes two nights at the Inn
at Harbour Town, as well as two nights at the wonderful
new Sanctuary at Kiawah Island (perhaps the premier
golf hotel in the entire region). You get one round
on each famous layout, plus an additional round
on your choice of one of Kiawah’s four other top
designer courses, as well as a round on one of the
other two layouts at Sea Pines, where Harbour Town
resides. Hearty Southern breakfasts complete the
package, which costs $1,450 per person (double occupancy)
through November 18. The price drops to $960 for
the rest of the year. For more on either resort,
call or visit the Web: Kiawah Island (888.854.2924,
kiawahgolf.com); Seapines (800.SEA.PINE, seapines.com).
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THE
STATE OF GOLF
There’s some great news on the Hawaiian
golf scene at Wailea, Maui’s largest golf community.
A brand new luxury hotel has just opened. The Wailea
Beach Villas is a resort within a resort,
set on 11 garden-like acres of tropical landscaping.
Ninety-eight villas and penthouses overlook stunning
Wailea Beach, and they’re just steps away from The
Shops at Wailea, a popular dining and retail complex.
The units are all 2 to 3 bedrooms and start at 1,900
square feet. The beach villas are an upscale option
best suited for foursomes or families. Call 888.808.8770
or go online to waileabeachvillas.com.
As a second option, Four Seasons just opened
its third Hawaiian resort. Having taken over operation
of the former Manele Bay Hotel on Lanai (the Pineapple
Island), the company poured $50 million into renovating
the original buildings. Rooms at Lanai
at Manele Bay have been completely revamped
to bring every detail up to Four Seasons’ standards.
The restaurant and spa have been redone, but the
two golf courses for guests — the spectacular
oceanfront challenge at Manele and the secluded
and tropical Experience at Koele — and the stunning
beach are still as great as ever. The hotel’s
sister property, the Lodge at Koele in the highlands
of Lanai, is also becoming a Four Seasons and
will reopen this winter after similar extensive
renovations. For more, visit fourseasons.com.
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GOT
YOU COVERED
Travel insurance typically covers
stolen baggage and protects against illnesses and
last-minute emergencies. But free drinks? Travel
Guard International, one of the nation’s
leading travel-insurance providers, has introduced
a golf travel plan that not only covers normal occurrences,
but also protects against once-in-a-lifetime events
— like a hole in one. Golf tradition dictates that
anyone making an ace is obligated to buy drinks
for everyone in the clubhouse, which at today’s
pricey golf resorts can be an expensive proposition.
Surely an industry first, the Tee, Tour, and Travel
policy covers up to $250 in booze reimbursement.
Of course, if you don’t make a hole in one, the
policy also includes 24-hour concierge services
and cancellation refunds for pre-paid golf due to
weather, trip cancellation, and trip interruption.
There’s also trip-delay coverage and reimbursement
for medical expenses and emergency-medical transportation,
and it covers lost, stolen, or damaged golf equipment.
Plans range in price from 5 to 20 percent of the
total cost of your trip. For more, visit travelguard.com.
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FIRST ROUND
If you want to introduce your children
to the game, 52 courses at 36 Marriott golf resorts
have a great program. Marriott’s new Kids Golf-4-Free
allows children up to 15 years old to play for free
when accompanied by a paying adult — but only after
3 p.m. Other hotels have similar promotions, but what
makes Marriott’s unique is a second component: the Free
Instruction program. When accompanied by an adult paying
for a lesson, children up to age 15 receive a free golf
lesson with the same instructor. (The Free Instruction
program is also offered at Marriott’s four Faldo Golf
Institutes in Florida, New Jersey, and California.)
Playing with a parent is a great way for kids to learn
the game. Go to marriottgolf.com
for more.
SIZED FOR KIDS
Wilson, one of the most venerable names
in golf, has introduced two junior sets of clubs that
are perfect for kids and a great way to get them started
on the game. Unlike many children’s clubs, these look
like the real thing right down to the working bag stand
— so kids won’t feel like they’re getting toys. The
Youth Set ($149) is aimed at ages 6
to 8 and includes a putter, wedge, mid-iron, and driver.
Two other sets ($179), one for boys, one for girls,
cover ages 9 to 11. They have a driver, fairway wood,
hybrid, two irons, wedge, and putter. To learn more,
go online to wilsongolf.com.
FIRED UP!
Drivers that let golfers customize the
weighting of the head, so that they can reduce slicing
or hooking, are the next big thing. The V14 Driver by
Vulcan Golf takes an innovative approach
to this hot concept of changeable club weighting. Rather
than using weighted screws or plugs the way other manufacturers
do, the V14 has movable ball bearings.
The club’s unique PowerBall Technology features a
groove cut most of the way around the clubhead that’s
filled with metal balls that are removable and can
be shifted. Not only does this give you precise control
over weighting from heel to toe, but it also lets
you shift weight from the clubface to the back of
the head and vice versa, so you can control the height
of your drives. Besides this nifty gimmick, the V14
is a serious quality club with a 430cc oversized head,
a titanium face, and a stock shaft of UST V2 Proforce
graphite. If you have not heard of Vulcan, you will
soon. The club is $399; for more, go online to vulcangolf.com.
PLAYING WITH MOJO
If you’re tired of your standard head covers, then maybe
it’s time for Voodoo Visions. These
one-of-akind handcrafted head covers may also give your
game a little extra something. The line includes half
a dozen “Golf Warriors.” Each one is hand silk-screened
and is made as a numbered limited edition.
Voodoo Visions’ unique covers are curious, colorful,
and distinctive. Each model is available in two sizes,
for regular or oversized drivers. These golf items
make a great gift for those who want to “Ward Off
the Bogeyman,” Voodoo’s slogan. Covers are $60; for
more information, visit voodoovisions.com.
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