For fans of Hawaii golf, the choices have become
more plentiful yet concise. With the debut of the Kona Golf Trail, a consortium of three independent courses on the west side of the Big Island, golfers have access to three distinct experiences within a short drive of each other.
W
ith the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in
Alabama in mind, Kona, Makalei and Big Island country clubs, all situated on the Mamalahoa High- way in the Kona District, have joined with four major hotels, including the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa, the Outrig- ger Keauhou Beach Resort, the Royal Kona Resort, and the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel to offer room and golf packages. Kona Country Club is a 36-hole facility consisting of the Ocean Course, dating to 1966, and the Mountain Course, which was com- pleted in 1991. The courses are routed through terrain as implied by their names. The Ocean Course at 6,613 yards, doesn’t pack a lot of punch, but has plenty of eye-candy via holes three and 12 located directly on the ocean, and the 13th known as the “blow hole.” Golfers tee off near a lava tube blowhole that occa- sionally provides a fountain of ocean mist perhaps reminiscent of Yellowstone National Park. It’s easy to gravitate
toward a course called “Ocean” at a 36-hole club, but golfers who do that might miss the more scenic layout. The Mountain
Course has panoramic views of the coastline, three lakes and two drop- shot par 3s with exotic surrounds. One of those par 3s, the 195-yard 14th, begins at the highest point of the course and boasts a waterfall surrounded by red bougainvillea and black lava rock, a scenic lake and an ocean view to overwhelm the senses. Situated on the western slopes of Hualalai Moun- tain overlooking the Kona Coast is Makalei Country Club. The 18-hole track ranges in elevation from 1,800 to 2,850 feet mak- ing for cooler temperatures routed through a landscape that incorporates native
forests, mountain slopes and volcanic elements in stark contrast to the island’s coastal courses. The bounti- ful fl ora and fauna as well as pheasants, wild turkey and other wildlife makes for an enjoyable round for every- one, though at 7,091 yards, the back tees provide plenty of challenge.
The 15th hole, a long
par 3, is perhaps the most striking hole, as the golfer faces wind and elevation change all while dealing with the distraction of a panoramic view of 10,000- foot Mount Haleakala on Maui, some 90 miles away across the ocean. Big Island Country Club
is the newest of the Kona Trail courses, opening its doors in 1997. Pete Dye’s son Perry designed the course that is also located at elevation on the lower slopes of Hualalai. Water features are the name of the game here, with nine holes boasting water hazards. Five sets of tees stretch from 4,600 yards to 7,200
Big Island CC SPRING 2012 /
NCGA.ORG / 55
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