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Kona Country Club (Golf)
This venerable country club offers two very different tests with the aptly named Ocean and Alii Mountain courses. The Ocean Course (William F. Bell, 1967) is a bit like playing through a coconut plantation, with a few remarkable lava features -- such as the "blowhole" in front of the par-4 13th, where sea water propelled through a lava tube erupts like a geyser.
The Alii Mountain Course (front nine, William F. Bell, 1983: back nine, Robin Nelson and Rodney Wright, 1992) plays a couple of strokes tougher than the Ocean and is the most delightful split personality you may ever encounter. Both nines share breathtaking views of Keauhou Bay, and elevation change is a factor in most shots. The most dramatic view on the front nine is from the tee of the par-3 5th hole, one of the best golf vistas in Hawaii. The green seems perched on the edge of the earth, with what only seems to be a sheer 500-foot drop just beyond the fringe. The back nine is links-style, with less elevation change -- except for the par-3 14th, which drops 100 feet from tee to green, over a lake. The routing, the sight lines and framing of greens, and the risk-reward factors on each hole make this one of the single best nines in Hawaii.
Ocean Course: 18 holes. 6806 yards. Par 72.
Mountain Course: 18 holes. 6673 yards. Par 72.