This Week at TravelGolf.com: Oct. 23, 2008

Been thinking about a Hawaiian golf trip? This winter, "Aloha" stands for "bargain"

Few vacation destinations took it on the chin during the summers of out-of-control global oil speculation quite like Hawaii.

Thanks to absurdly priced oil, airfares soared across the world. It meant people were taking their vacations closer to home, leaving Hawaii, one of the most coveted golf vacation destinations out of the loop.

But just a few months later, oil is suddenly cheap again, selling at levels it did before the acronym "S.U.V." became taboo. As a result, you can actually afford to fly to Hawaii again, and it's resorts and golf courses are still ponying up the package deals.

For starters, cheap flights to Hawaii are flooding the Internet.

Head to a travel-deal database like TravelZoo.com, and the prices for flights to Hawaii jump off the page at you. For instance, United Airlines is sending passengers to Maui for as little as $192 each way this winter. Travelocity.com is offering Maui from Detroit for $440 roundtrip. That couldn't get you to Vegas a few months ago.

Not only airfares but resorts and golf courses in Hawaii are offering specials as well. In Kauai, for example, you can play 18 holes of golf on the world famous Prince Course, followed by a 50-minute massage (and trust me, after a round on the sinister Prince, you need a rubdown), for $249.

Or, head down to Poipu Bay and you and a buddy/spouse can receive a round of golf on one of the prettiest courses I've ever seen, plus a night at the ultra-Hawaiian luxury Grand Hyatt Resort along with a breakfast buffet (complete with my favorite, guava juice) for $700.

Anyone who's experienced the magic of Hawaii knows it doesn't take much arm-twisting to be on the next flight out of snowy Chicago for a long weekend - Aloha style.

As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.

TravelGolf.com tabs the best value golf spots in these uncertain economic times

Golf vacationers are looking for more in their trips, for extra value, for a place that delivers more than what's expected. With that in mind, TravelGolf.com has come up with five of the best value golf destinations for these uncertain economic times.

Also: Spotlight on Myrtle Beach's Waccamaw Golf Trail

Mississippi Gulf Coast offers world-class action at the tables and on the courses

On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, no one gets too uptight, and the gambling's more than all right. In fact, readers of TripAdvisor.com rated Biloxi the seventh-best destination in the world for gamblers. Golfers who aren't big gamblers will have fun, too. The area has 22 courses from celebrity architects like Nicklaus, Palmer, Fazio, Love III and Pate.

Also: Get lucky with a Mississippi golf package deal

At home in Columbus, Ohio State hopes to beat Penn State for Joe the Plumber

If you're a Penn State fan coming to Columbus, you'll probably want as little interaction as possible with Ohio State's famously crazed fan base. What better way to find some peace than four hours on an area golf course? And, good news: Unlike OSU's football team, Columbus' golf scene can actually stack up with any of America's metropolitan areas.

Blog: Full disclosure from an Ann Arbor native