Yes, I am the luckiest girl in the world. I just finished watching the sun rise over Haleakala, Maui’s 10,023-foot dormant volcano. In my line of sight are Molokini, Maui’s tiny crescent-shaped offshore islet, the vast blue expanse of the Pacific, and up north, Lanai.

I’m here in Hawaii with my family, and while cleaning sand out of my kids’ ears and other parts is starting to get old, the natural beauty of this place, the incessantly perfect weather, and of course, the golf, are not.

Tomorrow morning I’ll be teeing it up on my favorite golf course in the world. Life is good.

Meanwhile, I’ve picked up a few tips about playing golf here:

1. Always play in the morning, as early as possible. That’s when the wind is at its calmest and the play is at its fastest. Wait until the afternoon and you risk getting stuck behind a cumulative Ben Crane effect, which only gets worse as tradewinds pick up and people start losing their balls on every hole.

2. Do some bargain shopping. Tee time discounters are all over the place, helping courses fill out their foursomes. You can get up to 50% off your green fees if you go through these guys. That adds up when you’re talking about $150 green fees.

3. If you’re playing three or more rounds, bring your clubs. It’s a pain, to be sure, but rentals can cost $50 a set, and are often less-than-great quality.

4. Just because it’s a resort course doesn’t mean it’s resort-friendly. Think lava gorges, deep jungle ravines, and other features designed to look fabulous while stealing your balls. On that note, bring lots of balls. They cost more out here.

Scotland might be where golf was born, but Hawaii is where golf was perfected. Look for my reviews of Hawaii’s best, coming soon.

The view from Princeville’s 18th green. See what I mean?

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