Gulf Shores Golf
By David R. Holland
GULF SHORES, AL – Sure, there are thousands of beautiful panoramas worldwide where you can explore an amazing scene, sip your morning coffee and slow down before a busy vacation day that is loaded with possibility.
I’m looking out at the Gulf of Mexico and a snow-white sand beach and pool of The Beach Club Resort & Spa high-rise condos. In an hour my group will be teeing off at Peninsula Golf Club, my personal area favorite.
“Travelers should come to Gulf Shores for multiple reasons,” says Kevin Whitney, PGA Director of Sales, Scratch Golf-Craft Farms/Peninsula and Coastal Alabama Golf. “For the golf side, we have five really high-quality courses in Gulf Shores. Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend (both located at Craft Farms), Gulf Shores Golf Club, Kiva Dunes and Peninsula are all inside Gulf Shores.
Whitney notes the countless places to stay — hotels, house rentals or condos. “And the golf courses are all within a 20-minute drive from where a family can stay.
“On-shore fishing and deep-sea fishing are popular options of what to do in Gulf Shores along with sunset cruises (Wild Hearts catamaran sails Orange Beach, Perdido Key and Gulf Shores). You may not be able to make Gulf Shores your golf destination every year, but once you have been here and experienced what it offers, I think many golfers and families are always looking forward to your next trip back to Gulf Shores.”
What a destination. You have 32 miles of beautiful beaches in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Also, the outstanding golf is public with golf packages available through Coastal Alabama Golf and Troon Rewards.
Here’s a closer look at the golf:
Peninsula Golf Club
Elite conditioning is immediately on display at this 27-hole all-star. It is located on the Fort Morgan peninsula between Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico and is rated 4.5 stars. Designed by the southern architectural favorite, Earl Stone, the 27-hole golf course boasts three different nines, Marsh, Lakes and Cypress.
Nature and wildlife are on display here — located directly next to the Bon Secour Wildlife Preserve. It consists of 800 acres of beautiful cypress trees, live oaks, and much more natural vegetation. In addition to the beautiful scenery, you may also cross paths with some of the local wildlife, like alligators or eagles which are commonly seen throughout the course.
The Lakes nine, as its name suggests, has at least one watery area waiting for an errant shot on every hole. The seventh also has a view of Mobile Bay from the tee. It’s a great hole that is reachable in two, but it will require two great shots to get there.
Cypress is the longest of the three courses, and there are plenty of opportunities to hit driver off the tee. Trouble lurks in many areas in the form of forced carries, well placed bunkers, and several water hazards. The Cypress layout offers lots of options for the player, but accuracy off the tee is necessary to score well.
The Marsh nine demands decisions from the tee. Several of the fairways get narrow leading up to the greens. The sixth hole is drivable and fun. There are several different teeing areas that can create many different angles to the elevated green. The ninth hole is a risk-reward par five. If you are going for the green in two, your shot must challenge the lake guarding the left side of the green.
Craft Farms Golf Club
Arnold Palmer laid the 36 holes of Craft Farms — the first Palmer-designed course on the Gulf Coast.
Right now on-site lodging is being built adjacent to the clubhouse. I loved the peaceful, serene environment of the natural Baldwin County landscape. The courses have a distinctively coastal feel, with dwarf Bermuda grasses and numerous lakes throughout the property.
The Cotton Creek 18 features rolling fairways and large undulating greens. It offers tree-lined fairways, doglegs, smaller greens, and plenty of risk-reward opportunities. It’s traditional with naturally rolling fairways, large undulating greens, and a variety of Southern hardwoods.
The Cypress Bend 18 is rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest and has massive bunkers. This coastal design was an immediate hit when it was rated as the No. 1 most playable course in the United States not long after it opened. Cypress Bend traverses a unique cord-grass accented lake that comes into play in some form or another on just about every hole.
Kiva Dunes
Ever since opening in 1995, this Jerry Pate design has been a yearly contender for top honors among Alabama’s public courses. Director of Golf Mark Stillings, who has been on board since its beginning, says some golfers love it or hate it. One has plenty of options as Pate staggered a minimum of five teeing areas per hole around the waste bunkers and wetland vegetation. Lots of forced carries abound, and the Gulf’s breezes make you stop and ponder your execution.
Kiva Dunes hosted the second stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School three times and was selected Alabama’s the No. 1 public course in 2017. This Fort Morgan peninsula area is right next to the Gulf of Mexico, but since the sand dunes are protected, you can’t really see the water. The facility has condominiums and beach houses to rent, four swimming pools, two on-site restaurants and over a mile of waterfront.
Gulf Shores Golf Club
The Golf Club’s 18 championship holes were reworked by the renowned father-son team of Jay and Carter Morrish, and feature a few sharp doglegs, bunkers, and the occasional water hazard. The course was built in the 1960s, and was the first golf course in Gulf Shores.
In November 2005 the course closed to undergo a complete renovation. It was lengthened by 300 yards with numerous water features, bulkheads, enhanced fairways, and additional bunkers. The result is a spectacular product that no golf enthusiast will want to miss along with a beautiful old-school plantation clubhouse with views of the course.
Where to Stay:
The Beach Club Resort & Spa is a secluded oasis for families who want a better beach vacation and has upscale beachfront condos and spacious lakeside cottages. One can explore 86 secure acres of private resort, walking trails, and nearby attractions. It has the best amenities and activities in the area, with plenty of fun for the whole family. My group stayed in a three-bedroom, three-bath fifth story unit with unobstructed Gulf of Mexico vista.
There’s also five restaurants, tennis courts, beach chairs, pool and hot tubs. Visit The Village Mercantile and Creamery to shop beach fashions or satisfy your sweet tooth and catch a game at The Village Hideaway sports bar and grill.
Where to Dine:
Coast Restaurant at The Beach Club is a sports bar with lots of SEC wall hangings and games. At Jessee’s On The Bay there is a beautiful view of Mobile Bay and the opportunity to pick out a dry-aged rib eye, which I did. This place is awesome. My seafood pasta, with some heat, was a great pick at Pier House Restaurant – Bar in Orange Beach.
Off the courses:
Gulf Shores State Park has 6,150 acres creating a recreation opportunity for hikers, cyclists and Segway tours. The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail goes through the park’s 28 miles and connects Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to the park. Visit the nature center, and enjoy two miles of beachfront and a lodge — a 350-room Hilton hotel that was rebuilt in 2018 that features the Perch Restaurant.
For an after-dark tourist stop visit the world-famous Flora-Bama Yacht Club with its Flora-Bama Lounge, Package & Oyster Bar.
