Dream day: Golfing, dining in paradise

Imagine playing a round of golf in the afternoon on an ocean-front course with dramatic views on every hole, then watching a breathtaking sunset while sitting down for an exquisite dining experience, surrounded by gorgeous palm trees and the Pacific Ocean serving as the backdrop. It can happen on the Big Island of Hawaii, where two luxury resort hotels played a role in a day that will be replayed for a lifetime. Mauna Kea Golf Course in Waimea was an exceptional setting for a memorable day on the links. Located about nine miles south of Mauna Kea, the Fairmont Orchid delivered a sensational dinner at the famed Brown's Beach House. Visiting the Big Island for the first time, we found the golf and the restaurants often matched the gorgeous scenery. Below are our opinions on two diverse Hawaii golf courses and dining experiences. GOLF: There are a number of fine golf courses on the western Kona side of the Big Island that are challenging and offer a picturesque landscape. We played two of them in fall 2019. Below is a brief synopsis of what to expect. It's been billed by some as the Pebble Beach of Hawaii, a tag that places Mauna Kea Golf Courseon a very high pedestal. Indeed, one could see why there's a comparison. Mauna Kea's views along the Pacific Ocean are spectacular; every hole is photo worthy. Mauna Kea is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course that opened in 1964 and was renovated by his son Rees Jones in 2009. It's a challenging 18-hole track with sloping fairways that add to the degree of difficulty, especially for golfers not accustomed to hilly lies. A hole that no one ever forgets arrives early. The breathtaking third hole is a par-3 that's both beautiful and dangerous. It requires a daunting shot over an ocean cove that plays 272 yards from the tips. Let the big boys hit from the tips: mere mortals should move closer, where the next tee box is 205 yards, yet still requires a well-struck shot, especially if the wind comes up, which it did when we played. If the first attempt winds up in the ocean, no one will mind if you use a mulligan. We found the Mauna Kea fairways to be generous, yet beware of the landing area and the rough that's often crunchy lava rock. The course has 99 bunkers, including many of them poised to make a good tee ball become a tough next shot out of the bunker. Second shots typically are the most difficult due to the challenging greenside complexes. The work isn't done once reaching the green – many are tiered and reading the breaks can be tricky. Makani Golf Club:Situated at 2,000 feet on the lower slopes of the Mauna Kea volcano, about a one-hour drive from Kona, the mountainous course is a favorite of locals because its somewhat inexpensive ($90 to $119) and relaxing, early-morning tee times can often be played quickly. The lush vegetation and the vast number of tropical trees on the Perry Dye-designed course makes for a beautiful, unique setting that's super quiet and peaceful. Yet due to that lush vegetation, the penalty for errant shots is usually severe – a lost ball. Expect plenty of uneven lies because the terrain is rolling and hilly. Driving into the palm-tree lined road that leads to a very small and modest pro shop, one can easily identify the signature hole. No. 17 is a beauty, an island-green par-3 that includes a serene pond that is surrounded by flowering bushes and trees. The 17th hole measures 206 yards from the championship tees, but is much less intimidating from the next tee box at 153 yards. Don't get too relaxed after departing the 17th, because the finishing hole is a long par-4 that requires an extremely well-struck second shot to clear a long hazard. One thing we loved about Makani Golf Club was the variety. No two holes were alike and each one required some thinking and artful planning, followed by a precise shot. The greens were a little erratic in terms of speed, but we were told they were gradually being redone throughout the course. DINING: It's hard to imagine a more idyllic setting than Brown's Beach Houseat the Fairmont Orchid in Mauna Lani. An evening meal at Brown's Beach makes every occasion feel like a special one. Indeed, it was special evening before we even dipped our forks into that first bite. What's not to love concerning outdoor open-air seating on a starry night, live soft Hawaiian music, and the gentle sounds of the waves hitting the sand? There's virtually nothing on the menu that would be considered ordinary. Everything had an original feel, because that's the goal at Brown's Beach, where sustainably grown and locally sourced food is the rule, not the exception. The attraction for most tourists is the diverse variety of local fresh seafood. The choices typically include Mahi Mahi, Ahi Poke, Kona prawns, King Crab, lobster, and a few other local catches. If one wants to really sample the seafood lineup, there's an Island bouillabaisse. The menu also features a tantalizing Filet Mignon, Big Island coffee venison, duck, and more. Like most upscale restaurants that have world-renowned chefs, every appetizer and entrée that leaves the Brown's Beachkitchen is plated with immense care and possesses an eye-appeal that is jaw-dropping. Sides that accompany each dish are well thought out and there are lots of optional choices like mushroom mac and cheese, duck fried rice, a delicious mix of greens, and several other unique choices. Brown's Beach has a fantastic wine selection and its cocktail menu has some extraordinarily refreshing choices. Prior to sitting down at Brown's Beach House for dinner, we sampled some of the menu items from the Fairmont's newest restaurant – the Binchotan: Bar & Grill. We're predicting the Fairmont's latest dining option is going to be a huge hit. The aim is to create a "culinary journey" and it's already mission accomplished. The menu useslocally sourced ingredients – seafood, meats, produce – from local farms and incorporates a unique, ancient grilling method. The result is some fabulous offerings that are a fresh take on Asian cuisine. For an entirely different dinner experience, we chose a Body Glove dinner cruise. The major highlight was not the appetizers, full buffet dinner or dessert, which are fine but nothing special. It was the scenic trip to Kealakekua Bay and the island history lesson we tried to absorb as we slowly cruised down 12 miles of the Kona coastline. We're told this is the only dinner cruise on the island. Our guide and history orator on the comfortable two-story boat kept the passengers entertained with humorous asides and supplied us with local knowledge that most tourists didn't know. We got a full report on English explorer Captain John Cook, who on January 18, 1778 became the first European to discover the Hawaiian Islands. Initially welcomed and honored, Cook was killed on a return trip a short time later when relations with the islanders became strained. Cook was immortalized with a statue at Kealakekua Bay, where the cruise stops while dinner is served. It was here that we observed a highly-entertaining pod of spinner dolphins leaping out of the water, which we were told is not an unusual sight. The trip back to the Kailua Pier was a fun journey that included some music and dancing. Jeffrey Weidel is the former sports editor and news editor of the Press-Tribune.