We're back with a brand new edition of BuzzWords!
 
(Catchy name, right?) 
 
We've got some exciting new changes we're just dying to
share with you.  Starting with this month's sizzling winter issue, we're
officially switching over to a brand new quarterly format with longer, more
in-depth features and more of the latest news and vital insider info (you know,
stuff to do and places to see) you've come to expect from your friends at
BuzzHawaii.com!
 
The Buzz is back, baby!
 
 
Golf Courses Galore
 
Golf enthusiasts take note!  We've added over 40 of the
most popular Hawaii golf courses, both public and private, to our ever-growing
selection of top-quality Hawaii activities!
 
As you probably already know, Hawaii is very much a true
golfer's paradise with absolutely breathtaking mountain and ocean views,
gorgeous weather year-round, and tournament-quality layouts designed by the
world's greatest golf course architects.  Players from all over the world come
to Hawaii, time and time again, to experience some of the finest golfing
anywhere in the world!
 
Home of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, the PGA TOUR's
ultra prestigious opening event featuring a select field of the sport's top
players, and the full-field Sony Open held at Waialae Country Club every
January, Hawaii's golf courses attract the world's best players ? Tiger Woods,
Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, and many more!
 
So what are you waiting for?  Take a look at the golf
courses we've added so far (more on the way!), and book a tee time online with
BuzzHawaii.com!
 
This Edition's BuzzWord ? Vog!
 
Lately, we've been getting a lot of questions about vog, so
here's a quick primer addressing a few of the most frequently asked questions.

 
What is vog?
 
The term itself is a combination of the words ?volcanic?
and ?smog? and describes the uncharacteristically grey, fog-like haze that
sometimes settles upon parts of the Hawaiian Islands.   
 
Where does it come from? 
 
A volcano, and not just any volcano.  We're talking
Kilauea, on the Big Island of Hawaii, one of the most active volcanoes on the
planet, goin? strong since January of 1983!
 
Kilauea emits on average two thousand tons of volcanic
gases every day, and when these gases react with moisture, oxygen, and sunlight
the result, my friends, is vog.
 
Usually, vog only affects the Western coast of the Big
Island due to the prevailing tradewinds.  Less commonly, south-blowing Kona
winds carry vog to other parts of the state. 
 
How does it affect me?
 
To be honest, a lot of first-time visitors to the islands
don't even notice it.  Hawaii's air is pretty clean after all, and vog isn't
nearly as much of an eyesore as the smog you might encounter in big cities
around the world. 
 
Unless you plan on spending a lot of time out on the
westside of the Big Island, (or driving around Volcanoes National Park with the
windows rolled down) chances are you won't have to deal with voggy conditions at
all. 
 
If you do happen to be in the islands when vog-like
conditions persist, for most people, the biggest concern will be the reduced
visibility - after all, you are in the islands to sightsee! 
 
On a more serious note, the long-term effects of prolonged
vog exposure are still being studied (here we're talking years and years of
exposure).  In the short term, folks who are highly susceptible to the stuff
 may experience skin irritation, watery eyes, runny noses, and other, flu-like
symptoms. 
 
If you're an asthma sufferer or have a history of
respiratory and/or circulatory ailments, do your best to stay indoors on days
when the vog is at its worst.  Luckily for everyone, days like these are fairly
uncommon around here.  Never fear, once the tradewinds return, vog rarely lasts
for very long!
 
 
Until next time,
 
The Friendly Folks At www.
 Wish You Well