The Frontier Far and Market comes to town Saturdays July 2, 16, 23 and Aug. 6 and 20 with train rides, inflatable games, balloon artists, a petting area and an open-air market.

You can stay at Keystone all summer long for just $99 per night at the Keystone Inn. Package rate is valid through October 15, and includes free activities, such as golf clinics, beginner mountain bike clinics, fly-fishing clinics, bike rentals, kayak rentals, nature hikes, yoga classes and more. Restrictions apply. Call 800-468-5004 or visit www.keystoneresort.com for reservations or more information.

Whistler, B.C.

Golf Whistler's new Junior Golf Program is aimed at building interest and golf opportunities for kids and parents. In an unprecedented move, all four championship golf courses in Whistler will be adding Junior Tees, and at each of the three village-based courses Kids Play Free all season long if accompanied by a paying adult.

"Whistler is a favorite place for parents and kids, and golf is a great way to bring the entire family together," says Dean Larson, Chair of Golf Whistler and Director of Sales and Marketing for Big Sky Golf and Country Club. "Golf Whistler wanted to put something together that celebrates families and encourages kids to come out and enjoy the game. We think this exciting program will do just that."

Golf Whistler is a collection of signature courses located in Canada's number one golf destination including Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler Golf Club, The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club and Big Sky Golf and Country Club.

Full information is available at www.golfwhistler.com or call toll-free 866-338-4026.

Maine

With striking panoramas surrounding every stroke, a Maine golf vacation comes out a hole in one every time. But here, golf isn't just for grown-ups. Special rates and top-notch instruction for juniors at many of Maine's 120 plus courses means families can putt their way across the state from Portland to Presque Isle and from Boothbay to Belgrade.

What's best is that reasonable greens fees at Maine's golf courses - where else can you play nine holes for ten bucks - make a family golf vacation in the Pine Tree State affordable and fun. Maine's courses are unique; after all, it is here you can play on the easternmost course in the country - the St. Croix Country Club in Calais, or at a course that straddles two states - the Province Lake Golf Club in Parsonsfield where juniors play nine holes after 5 p.m. for only $1.

"I feel confident in saying that Maine's courses stack up against anybody's in the world," said Peter Webber of the Golf Maine Association. "And we also have many courses that are affordable and good for beginners." One course for example, the quirky nine-hole Moose Meadows in Coplin Plantation, just around the bend from the state's top-ranked Sugarloaf/USA Golf Club, doesn't even charge green's fees. Instead, golfers can make contributions as they see fit into a donation can that rests inconspicuously at the first hole.

Webber says that families coming to Maine should always make sure to pack their clubs. Not only do Maine's courses showcase some of the state's most scenic sights, but because there are more golf courses than golfers, as Webber likes to say, families can be assured they won't be battling back the crowds when waiting for their youngest's ball to finally connect with the cup. That plus low prices to play on some of the nation's most luscious, well-kept links equals great family golf. "You get the best of it all right here," he said.

Some of Maine's most respected courses are reaching out to golfing families. The Sugarloaf/USA Golf Club and Golf School lays claim not only to the New England Journal of Golf's top pick for New England's must play courses, but also offers all-inclusive junior golf camps throughout the summer where juniors as young as 12 can golf their hearts out from dawn till dusk.

At Point Sebago Resort in Casco, juniors can hone their skills during daily lessons just for kids, or hit the greens with mom or dad and get a reduced rate. And at Sebasco Harbor Resort in Sebasco Estates, there is a special three-hole Lake Course perfect for families with children. At nearby Sheepscot Links Golf Course in Whitefield, all golfers born in 1990 (for the 2005 season) can play free on any weekday afternoon or play free anytime if accompanied by a paying adult. "We're just trying to get younger folks into the sport," explained course owner, George Hall. The course also hosts a family fun tournament that serves as a benefit for the local fire department.

Family and golf go so well together in Maine that there is even The Maine Golf Academy Family Golf Camp, situated among the majestic mountains and deep lakes of Belgrade in the central part of the state where parents take PGA Pro lessons alongside their children and bunk up together in a private family cabin.

Maine has become so respected for its accessibility for youth golfing that in 2002, the Samoset Resort in Rockport was selected as the site for the PGA Junior Series Event, bringing the event to New England for the first time. The Samoset's seaside course features views of lighthouses, lobster boats and windjammers. Children as young as six can start learning the game of golf through the Target Zone Golf program, and there is even a golf school for parents and children that prides itself on teaching families to share the joy of the only sport that truly bridges the generation gap - golf.

For more information: www.visitmaine.com, or 888-95-MAINE.

Kiawah Island, S.C.

While many vacation destinations offer special "family" deals for Father’s Day, for the third year in a row Kiawah Island Golf Resort offers its Family Tee program all summer long.

“Kiawah Island’s Family Tee is a wonderful way for beginning golfers to get out and learn the game in a pressure-free environment and it is a great way to encourage family togetherness,” said Roger Warren, Kiawah’s Director of Golf and current President of the PGA of America. “One of my top goals as president of the PGA is to grow the game. This program helps accomplish that by getting younger players out on some of the finest resort courses in America at a reasonable price in a very relaxed environment.”

Kiawah Island’s Family Tee program runs all summer on four of the resort’s championship courses (Osprey Point, Turtle Point, Cougar Point and Oak Point). Starting times are on 15-minute intervals from 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., allowing plenty of time between groups so players don’t feel pressured. Family Tee tee markers are set in each fairway so no hole is longer than 250 yards. Everyone in the group – mom, dad and the kids – play from that set of tees. Adults pay $45 per round and children under 17 play free of charge. Children must be accompanied by an adult and vise versa.

The resort has added junior club sets to its rental program and created scorecards for the courses where the family course setup was incorporated.

“This program creates a lot of goodwill and helps us build our future customer base.” Warren said. “And, as an added benefit, it helps alleviate the ‘guilt factor’ for parents who spend their mornings on the course by allowing them quality family time in the afternoons.”

Located a 35-minute drive from beautiful and historic Charleston, South Carolina, Kiawah Island Golf Resort lies along 10 miles of uninterrupted Atlantic Ocean beach. Guests can choose from close to 600 AAA Four Diamond-rated villas and luxury homes and the newly opened 255-room Sanctuary at Kiawah Island. The resort features two award-winning tennis complexes, a variety of restaurants and lounges, and five championship golf courses including the world-famous Pete Dye-designed Ocean Course.

Information: www.kiawahgolf.com or 888-854-2924. For information on The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island: www.TheSanctuary.com, or 877-683-1234.

......Mitch Kaplan is the author of The Unofficial Guide to the Mid-Atlantic with Kids, The Cheapskate’s Guide to Myrtle Beach and The Golf Book of Lists. He is a contributor to The Unofficial Guide to New England & New York with Kids and to the annual guide Ski America & Canada.