Destination: Hawaii

They don't call Hawaii paradise for nothing, but better than that, there are several versions of it depending on which islands you visit. Each has its own climate and personality.

If you start with Honolulu and Oahu, you can find a bustling, fast-paced, exciting or tranquil experience within a few miles of each other. You could stay in the city at a high-rise resort, visit one of the world's best and interesting beaches in Waikiki, sample Hawaiian barbecue or other types of fine Asian cuisine at scores of restaurants and dance the night away at some of the state's hottest nightclubs. Or you can venture out to one of the island's resorts such as 36-hole Turtle Bay on the North Shore or the J.W. Marriott Ihilani Resort, which is in short range of several fine daily fee golf courses.

For a totally opposite experience, you can take on the Big Island of Hawaii with its 11 different climate zones, black lava fields and breathtaking resorts and golf courses in the shadow of Mauna Kea on the Kohala Coast. There, you can play a pair of the world's most scenic par 3s, the 15th at Mauna Lani South and the third at Mauna Kea Golf Course, both of which take you over waves crashing over black rocks. Or take in another dozen or so golf courses, each with their own unique topography and vistas.

Maui and the Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course is where the season-opening SBS Championship on the PGA Tour is played. The Bay Course at Kapalua is arguably even more scenic that the Plantation, and Royal Kaanapali, one of two golf courses at the Ka'anapali Resort, has hosted more than 20 professional tour events. Maui is also a hotspot for humpback whale watching. Or you can catch a sunrise atop the 10,000 Haleakala Crater.

Just across from Maui is the small island of Lanai, which has two Four Seasons Resorts. What Lanai lacks in number of golf courses it makes up in quality with The Experience at Koele with its stunning mountain and ocean views and the Jack Nicklaus-designed The Challenge at Manele, set on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

On Kauai, known as the Garden Isle, you'll find plunging ravines, waterfalls, cliffs, canyons and bays. You can hike up the Waimea Canyon or kayak down the Wailua River. You can also get in some spectacular golf at resorts like the renovated Princeville Resort on the north shore or Poipu Bay or the south side's Wailua Golf Course, a municipal extraordinaire.

In any event, you could spend a year exploring the islands and never run out of experiences or great golf. There are plenty of short flights between the islands, so island hopping is never a problem.