The Golf Fanatic's Guide to Hawaii

Even though I'm still trying to consistently break 100, I always love learning about different courses. This guide is beautifully photographed, has great information, and makes me yearn to try my luck at some of the most beautiful courses in the world. If you want to golf in Hawaii, this guide is a MUST! Shawn Messonnier DVM [...]

My husbamd is definitely a golf fanatic - practices his swing in the mirror, always looking for the latest equipment, Golf Magazine subscriber, etc. I got him this book for his birthday, and he read it every night on his bathroom throne for 3 weeks straight. I highly recommend it based on his reaction, especially if you're a woman looking for a good holiday gift for your man. I looked at the book, too, since we're going back to Hawaii this winter, and I was pleasantly surprised at how readable it is and how useful the info was for me. I don't really play, but I drive the cart for my husband when we go on vacation. The details about which courses have the nicest views, which are the best bargains, when/where you need to stock up on snacks/drinks, were very helpful. But it was the golf descriptions that really did it for my husband. All the other guide books devote a few paragraphs to golf, and usually cover only the expensive resort courses. He finally has a book that gives him all the details on every course. The author must have lived in Hawaii, because he uses a lot of local color throughout. And he's funny, too. Highly recommend this book. My husband is hoping he'll do one on Myrtle Beach or Arizona next.

I'm not sure I qualify as a golf "fanatic", but I sure do like this book. It's easy to read, has a lot of helpful information and maps, and is filled with beautiful photos. One of the things I appreciated was that Mr. Fryklund didn't just include the exclusive courses, but also wrote about the better municipal golf courses. From my experience, some of the resorts are a bit pricey. The public courses tend to be more reasonable, and the author lets us know where to find them, and what to expect when we get there. Of course, if I feel like a "splurge", he makes recommendations about those, too. The book is terrific and may just turn me into a golf fanatic yet!

In the foreword to this book, the top-notch Tour pro says that "one of the great things about Hawaii (is that) there are so many courses to enjoy that Golf Fanatics are literally spoilt for choice." Author Bryan Fryklund has taken on the "task" of playing Hawaii's 50 best courses and providing us with insider info on them, including tips from pros at each course. He supplies basic facts like yardages and bunker counts, but then goes into depth on several of the key holes, warning us about prevailing wind direction and deceptive angles, etc. It's the type of "local knowledge" that helps save strokes. Fryklund even provides a summary of the top menu choices at each course's 19th hole! The photographs by Jen Reeder capture the beauty for which golf in Hawaii is famous. They also brought back memories for me of a couple of enjoyable experiences I had there, giving me a chance to relive the "triumph" of not winding up in that gorgeous blue water on the 15th at Mauna Lani South. I showed this book to a golf fanatic friend who thumbed through it and said, "So this guy got to play all the best courses in Hawaii for this book? How do I get that job?" However he got it, Bryan Fryklund has delivered a book that should be in the collection of everyone who loves golf.

This book does a great job highlighting several of the better courses in Hawaii. It includes a variety of courses, with tips and details to help any golfer get tee times with ease. It's a great resource for a golfer who travels for either business or pleasure. Maps and course write ups make it easy to identify courses and location. The photography is superb, as is the book's production quality. This collection of golf courses is very well-researched with concise and procise reviews.