Day 3...

This hub addresses golf and more with many pictures taken on days 3 & 4 of our Island vacation in Hawaii.

This was another day we had at our full discretion of what we might choose to do. So for the first time, my husband and I split up and went our separate ways for part of the day.

He went golfing with some associates of his and I joined a group heading into the town of Kona to do some exploring and shopping.

This donkey crossing sign was an interesting one. Note the white coral used for graffiti in the background against the black lava alongside the road we were traveling.

Apparently donkeys are used to transport coffee beans down the mountainside for harvest. Some escaped and have become wild and roam the area. Thus...the warning sign.

Kona coffee is sold world wide and is reputed to be of excellent quality.

My mother-in-law fell in love with Kona coffee when she visited Hawaii many years prior to our visit.  She often purchased pure Kona coffee and loved not only the taste of it, but the memories generated by first tasting it in Hawaii.

It is amazing how not only sights but tastes and smells can generate a memory.

Banyan trees add interest to the streets of Kona.

They are a type of epiphytic plant that send down aerial roots which eventually become thick tree-like stalks and keep expanding the girth of these trees which can eventually cover a huge area. We saw several of these on the streets of Kona as we were exploring the area.

The beach in Kona appears to be a really nice one.

The water seems to be clear and the beach sandy. It is roped off to keep swimmers from deeper and possibly more dangerous waters.

We had lunch in an open air restaurant overlooking the water.

Searching for muumuus to take home as gifts for my mother, mother-in-law and myself occupied much of my time that day.

The people that accompanied me were also intent on doing some shopping. We all found something to please our various tastes.

That evening my husband and I had a wonderful meal at The Grill in our hotel. A former Miss Delaware was singing melodic songs accompanied by a pianist. We both tried some fish entrees that were unfamiliar to us. They were delicious.

It is always fun trying foods that are local in nature.

This ended day 3 of our Hawaiian vacation.

After another morning breakfast at the open-aired Cafe, we joined another couple and decided to spend the day at the Mauna Lani award winning Francis H. I'i Brown Golf Course.

The previous day my husband had played the 18 hole North Course and this day we were to play the South Course.

When I say we were to play...three of them played and I was the cart driver and photographer on our team.

Whether one actually plays the game of golf or not, seeing these magnificent greens and fairways cut out of the jet-black lava beds and positioned alongside the emerald green, turquoise and blue waters of the Pacific Ocean was a delightful experience in and of itself.

Each hole had its distinctive challenge and the lava beds posed some serious hazards along the way. Between the normal sand traps, the lava beds and the Pacific ocean, I'll just bet that a great number of golf balls are swallowed up by this course.

It was an extremely windy day which added to the challenge of sinking shots into the designated holes. As if the scenery was not distraction enough...!

On the south course, hole number fifteen is THE signature one. Golfers either love or hate this hole! It was amazing to see! One steps up on the green and when driving, one has to launch the ball high enough and long enough to hit the green which sits across an expanse of rocky lava outcrops amidst the rolling waters of the Pacific Ocean.

This part of the ocean must have a good number of golf balls lining the bottom!

As you scroll through the number of golf course photographs that I loaded into this hub, you will be able to appreciate some of the exquisite scenery that we got to see in person that day.

The black lava that sat adjacent to the fairways was at times piled so high that it was taller than a person. At other times it merely served to be a dramatic contrast of color delineating the edge of the fairway.

In a few places some condos were situated overlooking the golf course as well as the ocean.

At the end of my photos I scanned in one side of the scorecard which shows the layout of the south course at the Mauna Lani Resort as well as part of a brochure showing that #15 golf hole from a different perspective.

Golfers will especially like getting to see this as they compare it to other courses that they have played or wish to play.

After enjoying all the fresh air and golfing adventure, we chose to once again dine in the open aired Cafe at the Ritz-Carlton Mauna Lani. It is a casual setting overlooking the beautifully landscaped grounds, the pool and the ocean.

A trio played soft Hawaiian music and two beautiful girls alternated dancing the hula.

What a wonderful and relaxing day!

Hope that you enjoyed seeing the pictures of golf, shopping, etc. on days 3 & 4 of our vacation on the Island of Hawaii.  The next day we were scheduled to take a full day tour of the Big Island and had to get an early start.  Look to Day 5 for those details and numerous pictures.