Great Golf Resorts for Your Family this Summer

   
       Its the time of year when most families plan their summer vacation. For many golfers, the summer vacation is also the time you have to put away the clubs and go too the touristy destinations and  those family and kid friendly activities, when you would rather be out on the golf course.  This year why don't you mix it up, add some golf to your family vacation.  Here is a list of great world class golf resorts, that are located near popular family vacation destinations and offer great family friendly amenities and special programs and discounts for your kids to play golf with you.  Here is a list of some of the best resorts, and some of the programs they have to help your kids develop a love for the game that will allow your entire family to enjoy an activity that will provide a lifetime of enjoyment and memories: plus you will also have a great vacation.

    

Walt Disney World: Orlando, FL.
       Along with its four theme parks, two water parks, and two dozen resorts, and myriad shopping and dining, Walt Disney World also offers 4 golf courses.  Disney's golf facilities are operated by Arnold Palmer Golf Management.  Lessons include 45 minutes of private instruction, including video analysis, golf club rental, and shoe rental.  All ages are welcome, and juniors 17 and younger enjoy a lower rate.  In addition, there are junior summer golf camps for kids ages 8 to 13 which includes instructions on the basics of the game and on course instruction.

 Pinehurst Resort: Pinehurst, NC.
        The historic Pinehurst Resort is more kid friendly than you may imagine.  Family-friendly amenities include spacious suites, great swimming pools, age specific kids' clubs, and a fabulous pricing plan where kids 12 and under stay, eat, and play golf for free when accompanying a paying adult.  In the summer, the same deal extends to youths 17 and younger.
       The resort has established 5 of its 8 courses as family courses, with special family tee markers on the courses.  The golf club offers special family tee times, and junior tee times, as well as lesions and clinics.  In the summer Pinehurst offers a "Family Fairways" package, that encourages families to play golf together.  Kicking off every afternoon at 4pm, Family Fairways includes free golf club rentals for the entire family, a one hour beginners or or refresher clinic, unlimited range use, and a round of golf on the Tom Fazio designed championship course number 8.

Omni LaCosta Resort & Spa Resort: Carlsbad, CA.
       The Omni LaCosta Resort offers two championship course set against the background of the Pacific ocean in stunning Carlsbad.  Kid's can take part in the resort's TOUR Academy Junior Golf Program, whose instructors include past and present touring pros.  The program is available to all kid's 7 to 17 in full -day and half-day experiences for all ability levels.  In addition to golf, the resort offers tennis, a world class spa, and pools and water park.

Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, Kauai, HI.
       The Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach is a family-friendly resort on 800 beach acres that features the single largest swimming pool in Hawaii.  The adjacent Kauai Lagoons Golf Club offers ocean and mountain vistas set in a lush Hawaiian setting.  The golf club offers the "Family Fore-Some Special",  for around $100, a family of four can play nine holes on the inland Waikahe Nine Course.  The price includes greens fees, cart and rental clubs for up to 4 players, with a maximum of 2 adults.  Juniors from 6 to 17 can play for free anytime on the Waikahe Nine Course when accompanied by a paying adult.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort: Kiawah Island, SC.
       From family tee times and junior club rentals to kids' activities to junior lessons, the Kiawah Island Family and Junior Golf Program delivers for families.  Four of Kiawah's five courses have junior tee markers during the summer.  The Tommy Cuthbert Learning Center at Turtle Point holds clinics for junior age 8 to 17, and two-day junior golf camps for intermediate players age 12 to 17.

Want the Ultimate Golf Vacation? Take a Cruise!

        

       My husband has really developed a passion for the the game of golf.    He is always telling me about some golf course we should play when we are planning a vacation.  Lately we have been discussing a return visit to the state of Hawaii, and of course his criteria for what island to visit depends on what course he has been reading about or seen on the Golf Channel.  If you or your significant other are as golf crazy as my husband;  imagine yourself in Hawaii  teeing off on a course that winds through mango forests, lagoons and along ocean cliffs.  Sipping drinks at the 19th hole as you watch a Maui sunset.  Walking in the footsteps of Tiger Woods at Poipu Bay surrounded by acres of oceanfront beauty.  Or lining up a putt with with the peak of Kaua's legendary Bali Hai in the distance.  If the idea of playing some the playing some of the greatest golf courses on the different islands of Hawaii sounds like a dream vacation to you, ( or even if you just want to visit the different islands), then I have the perfect trip for you.  In addition, the entire trip will take a week of your valuable time.

       Norwegian Cruise Line offers offers golfers a fantasy vacation with their Golf Hawai'i program, aboard their ship Pride of America. The ship sails year round from Honolulu on 7 night cruises to the Big Island of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai.  While the cruise itself is great and economic way to experience the islands of Hawaii, the Golf Hawai'i program allows your golfer to indulge their golf fantasies on some of the world's most fabulous courses.  Norwegian's Golf Hawai'i lines up the perfect the perfect golf and their world famous Freestyle Cruising vacation - and you don't even have to bring your clubs.  

       For one all inclusive price you get a great cruise on a ship that offers tons of things for the whole family to do, in an relaxed atmosphere where you do not need to bring formal wear or be fixed to a set dining schedule.  For the golfer, the cost of program also includes paid green fees, carts, and priority tee times at some of the top golf courses in Hawaii, and the opportunity to play rounds on the islands of Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, and the garden island of Kauai.  In addition, the program includes prepaid transfers between ship and courses, certified golf instruction with a trained golf professional on board the ship everyday of the cruise.  The ship also offers a sophisticated golf academy experience using V1 Digital Coaching system to help improve your game during your vacation.  The ship also has a complete Pro Shop were you can get all of your golf gear, and includes complete Nike Golf club and shoe rentals.  As the official cruise line of the PGA TOUR and the Champions Tour, Norwegian also offers special Guided VIP golf excursions with personalized expertise that are not available to the general public.

Some of the over 30 Courses on four Hawaiian Islands you have a chance to play includes; Ko'aolau Golf Course on O''ahu, rated as one of the "Top 100 Courses in the World" by Golf Magazine.  With views of cascading waterfalls, tropical rainforests, and winding ravines.  The scenery is stunning and the course a challenge to all.  On the island of Maui you can play a round at the Plantation Golf Course; home of the PGA Tour's Mercedes Championship.  On Kaua'i try the Poipu Bay course, a beautiful championship course that has been home to the PGA Grand Slam since 1994.  What ever course on any island you choose to play, the course will challenge you as much as the scenery will take your breath away, and leave you with a golf experience you will never forget.  

       So if your looking for the ultimate golf vacation, and do not have a great deal of time, this may just be for you.  In addition, for the non golfers in your life, the islands offer something for everyone, from surfing, to beach to mountains, in some of the best weather and on some of the best islands on the planet.  From the golfer to the casual visitor to Hawaii, if you want to experience the best of Hawaii on a great ship, this may be the perfect way to enjoy the perfect vacation.