[Grayrock]

Does anybody know of an island retreat where I can find the 5 S's necessary for R&R? Those 5 S's would be sand, surf, scuba, Sporting Clays and Sour margaritas! I'm trying to plan an impromptu vacation for this fall and want to go tropical- like Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Caymans, etc. Are there any SC courses in places like this that I can access? Cabo San Lucas is another possibility.

[art_vandalay]

Here is the perfect place. It's not in the Carribean, however, but in Hawaii on the island of Lanai. I've been hunting on this small island a couple of times and played their world-class Sporting Clays course once.

There are two five-star hotel/resorts on the island. The Manele Bay Hotel is located at a picture perfect white sand beach that has to be one of the worlds best.
www.manelebayhotel.com (http://www.manelebayhotel.com)

http://www.manelebayhotel.com/manele/images/mb-home-bg1.jpg

If you can believe it, hotel at Manele Bay isn't the best one on the island. This is the best one on Lanai, the best one in Hawaii, and by far the nicest, classiest, and most enjoyable I have ever been to: http://www.lodgeatkoele.com

http://www.lodgeatkoele.com/koele/images/lk-home-main.jpg

The Lodge at Koele is simply stunning. A five-star resort nestled in the mountains of a beautiful Hawaiian island with a population of only 2,500 people. Nothing else like in in the world.

Page describing their Sporting Clays facilities: http://www.lodgeatkoele.com/koele/act-clay.htm

http://www.lodgeatkoele.com/koele/images/lk-act-bg45.jpg

I cannot begin to tell you how amazing this place actually is. I stayed there for one night because that was all I could afford.

[Grayrock]

Thanks. That has moved to the top of my list. Maybe this time next year I'll be dreaming of getting lei-ed on Lanai. Start saving now!

[Grayrock]

My fault- was not listening to the wife- she was interested in the 5 S's for 2004- So I have a year plus to plan and save. I thought she meant 2003- that's a relief. The Lodge sounds great. How long did it take you to get there? What did you do there?

[art_vandalay]

Lanai is a small island about thirty miles from Oahu, the island that Honolulu is on. I live in Honolulu and on a clear day can see Lanai from the side of Oahu that is closest to it. It is only a 15 minute flight from Honolulu. You will have to fly in to Honolulu International Airport (HNL), then hop on a commuter flight to Lanai.

Lanai has only two five-star hotels (the ones I mentioned), and a small dumpy hotel called Hotel Lanai. There isn't much in the way of night life, the hotels are the only places where people are up after dark. They have their own bars and dancing. The days, however, are packed full of things to do. Sporting Clays, off-roading, snorkeling, golfing, horseback riding, etc. There is a ferry that has daily service between Lanai, Molokai, and Maui, so you can make day trips to those islands and return to Lanai for the night. Being on a boat while seeing those three islands is the best way to see them. Lanai, Molokai, and Maui form a triangle that is Maui County, so when you are on a boat going from one to the other, the views are stunning. I can't emphisize this enough: you and your partner MUST be outdoor-loving people, you must rise at first light, make full use of every day, and by night you will be too tired for any nightlife past 9 PM.

It will be the vacation of a lifetime.

One other thing: stay at the Lodge and go to the beach at Manele. There are vans that make regular trips between the two.

[ysr_racer]

Maybe someday :(

http://starbulletin.com/2001/05/06/travel/story1.html

[Preacherman]

ysr_racer, from your linked article:
Rapp has managed Lanai Pine Sporting Clays, the only resort course in Hawaii, for 412 years.
Now THAT'S experience!!! :D

[ysr_racer]

Now THAT'S experience!!!

Yhat's why he's so good at it :)

[Mannlicher]

thats out of my price range. Guess I 'll have to stick to shooting over the old Trius 73 out at my friends farm.