One visit to Kapalua is not enough.

Maui is a second home to so many Canadians at this time year so we expected it would be tough to get airline and accommodation options. However, to our delight and surprise, Vancouver's Harmony Airlines, a relative newcomer on the Hawaii route, not only had space but also a direct flight from YVR to Maui, bypassing the dreaded island transfer from Honolulu.

We prefer to hang out at a small villa or condo, preferably on the northwest side, somewhere between Kaanapali to Napili and away from the crush of Kehei where most families tend to go. A phone call to my friend Ginny at White Rock Travel, who is a golf specialist and knows Maui like the back of her FootJoy golf glove, and we were hooked up at a little place called The Mauian at Napali. A quick trip to stock up on golf balls and we would be on our way.

This being my 17th trip to Maui, (I love saying that) I know you need wheels to get around the island, and if you rent at the Kahului airport you'll pay more than if you rent elsewhere. A little extra effort using the Internet and you can save $150 USD on a weekly rental, and you'll need it because golf is not cheap on this island.

Even the old standby courses such as the resort at Kaanapali will set you back $140 US and be prepared to use your knock-down shot game as the wind on the northwestern side is always a factor. For this reason, most golfers head south toward the Waliea and Makena Beach courses that are more protected from the wind and offer better odds against the occasional rain that can hit the north coast. That being said, you haven't golfed Maui until you've been to Kapalua and played the Plantation Course.

Built on the northwest side of Maui's smaller volcanic mountain, 5,700-foot Puu Kukui, designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw were challenged to transform what was once a working pineapple plantation field into a world class championship golf course with signature holes such as the 18th, a jaw-dropping 663-yard par five which features a stunning 100-foot vertical drop thrown in for good measure. Surprisingly though, the Plantation Course is considerably friendlier to high-handicappers than say some target courses in Arizona. With wide fairways, and many with huge downslopes, you have to work hard to spray shots off course and those tightly cropped fairways give your ball the extra 'run' that adds yards to your woods. Just stay away from the four canyons that line the course. I prefer to run my ball up on many of the greens as they are always hard and unless you can make your ball stick, expect a lot of sand in your shoes by the end of the day.

Our accommodation at the Mauian is a small owner/operated resort with just 40 rooms (small suites actually) built sometime in the 1950's, very well kept and very affordable at around $190 per night for two people in the high seasons and just 10 minutes down the road from Kapalua. This is a bargain when compared to the rack rates of the big resorts, which can be as much as three times more per night.

I was itching to hit the links but the other two courses at Kapalua were clogged with corporate outings as part of the main event. Like Pebble Beach, the Mercedes Pro-Am attracts more celebrity eye-candy than just about any tournament on the tour. Now I'm the kind of guy who would rather play golf than watch golf, particularly a bunch of Hollywood amateur wanna-be golfers (editor: with no slight intended toward Kelsey Grammer) pushing the ball around, but given that my partner was going to do a reef dive the next day I thought I might as well give the Pro-Am a go.

Suzy's dive started at 7:30 AM on the other end of the island so I found myself being unceremoniously dumped off at the main gate (which was still closed) at 6AM. Not only was the course closed, it was still pitch black so I aimed myself toward the only light I could see and that turned out to be the volunteer tent. There were Mercedes cars everywhere. It seems everyone was driving one as a courtesy car, from players right down to the sign carriers.

I walked in to the volunteer tent like I belonged there and worked up the nerve to dive in to the complimentary coffee and sticky buns while waiting for the gates to open. After I was sure I'd established myself as one of their own, I tried to up the ante and hustle into the course with some of the volunteers. No luck. So after being courteously but personally escorted out of the tent by security I made the long trek to the front gates.

The entrance to the Mercedes is half way down the first fairway just by the tee box set up for the amateurs. Waiting for the ropes to drop so I could cross and make my way to the 1st tee box I realized that the first group was already on the tee led by none other than the young Spaniard, Sergio Garcia.

Back in 2000 I'd had the pleasure of getting to know Sergio when he visited Northview Golf & Country Club to play Vancouver's Air Canada Championship during his rookie years. I'd given him a guided tour of Vancouver's nightlife, (including a stop at the place where Ben Affleck made some unwanted headlines). How a guy can stay out all night and then go out and shoot a 67 with nothing more than a shower and a shave is a testament to youth and talent.

"Hey Vancouver!" he yelled out. "How you doing, man?" He then motioned for me to join his group to walk and visit. In his group were the usual compliment of corporate types and one very un-corporate looking member of the group, none other than the rocker Alice Cooper. I've seen Alice in concert, but up-close and personal I can see why he needs all that makeup. Mind you, he's in really good shape for his age as is his game.

We walked and talked for a few holes before I broke off and headed for the breakfast tent, picked up a few souvenirs and then made my way back to the course to catch Vijay who would be teeing off at the fifth hole by then.

By mid-afternoon it was time to head down to the grandstand at 18 to watch the groups coming in on that killer 663-yard par five. Stuart Appleby certainly has this hole figured out and made a journeyman par, but what was really impressive was actor Greg Kinnear, who managed to par the hole after a healthy tee shot that ran more than 300 yards because of the slope, followed by a 3-wood to within 70 yards of the green. The pin was in a nasty position, located in the far left corner which is more suited to a Sunday pro placement, however, Kinnear managed to get his chip shot to stick about 12 feet from the hole with a 56 degree wedge. A couple of putts later and he was walking off with a solid par compared to most other amateurs who crawled off with doubles and triples.

So how did I get the dish on Kinnear's finishing hole? Read on.

The Pro-Am was starting to wind down and I so was I. My game plan was to wander back to the Kapalua Hotel's lobby bar for a beer and a burger, some more people-watching, then a slow walk back to my digs down the road.

As the army of valets were kept busy parking the hundreds of Mercedes loaners that were pulling up to the hotel I spotted (2005 Canadian Open Champion) Mark Calcavecchia and his family at the front door. Just inside at the desk, Golf Magazine and part time Golf Channel colour man Tim Rosaforte was checking in. Sitting in the lobby bar preparing to go out to dinner was Sergio, joined by Greg Kinnear and fellow actor Craig T. Nelson, who was sporting a ponytail for an upcoming movie.

"Hey, Vancouver" beckoned the always smiling Sergio as he motioned for me to join them in the empty chair. That's when I had the chance to ask Kinnear to share how he'd made his way around the 18th hole for his par. He didn't need to be asked twice. He was as pumped as any amateur golfer would be after a great round.

For me, golf has always been magical. Where else can you have this kind of experience for the price of a beer and bragging rights that you can dine out on for at least a year?

By the way, a twilight visit to the Kapalua Hotel lobby is a must, even when the Mercedes is not there. A walk through the floodlit flower gardens and the multiple restaurants with their hanging plants, pools and spas makes you realize why Mercedes chose this resort as the home course for their signature tournament.

The Kapalua Resort is certainly unique, being attached to three championship courses -- the Arnold Palmer Village course; the Bay course that hugs the shoreline of Kapalua Bay; the mountainous Plantation Course, particularly just after it's been set up for the pros at the Mercedes -- each designed for a different golf experience.

Almost makes you want to break the bank just for the bragging rights of saying you stayed and played at Kapalua. For me, it is enough just to play Kapalua and enjoy the privilege of my affordable stay at the little place down the road.