Golf On The Gulf

I know. Many golfers brag and talk about playing the RTJ Alabama Golf Trail but those that have played on the Alabama coast wouldnt have it any other way. I was recently on a tour of coastal golf courses and came away with the impression that some of the public access courses on Alabamas Gulf Coast are as good as any Ive played and better than most.

Located in the resort area of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, Peninsula Golf & Racquet, Kiva Dunes, and the two courses at Craft Farms are some of golf travels best kept secrets. These arent your run of the mill daily-fee courses. There is no intent toward imparting radical punishment when you play and theyre not too long, too hard, or difficult to maintain. Their wide fairways, generous greens, and exposed avenues leading to the greens, afford even the most discriminating golfer the ability to score equal to or better than his or her handicap. These are courses that you could play every day and never tire of what they have to offer. Theyre also very affordable. Rates in the prime spring season are well under $100 including cart, unlimited range balls, greens fees, and a couple of apples. Surprisingly enough, summer rates are even lower. And by the way, these arent no name courses as Ill explain.

My first visit was to the Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club. It was designed by the little-known but extremely talented Earl Stone to protect the Bon Secour Wildlife Reserve and the pristine beaches of Mobile Bay that bound the course and property. Stone knew his market well and built the Peninsula course with the average handicapper golfer in mind. There are no blind shots, forced carries or cavernous bunkers. The fairways are wide, doglegged, and require strategic rather than penal shot making. Peninsula is a well-conditioned 27-hole layout that meanders through fairways lined with live oaks, cypress trees, and unspoiled natural terrain. Plus, there are more than thirty lakes to consider. You can manage your game according to your proficiency by playing some 7,200 yards from the back tees or somewhere between 5,000-6700 yards from the optional and forward tees.

There are three nines to pick from  the Marsh, Lakes and Cypress. We only had time to play the Marsh and the Lakes but that was plenty for me. The large sized greens, grassed with Champion Ultra Dwarf, rolled quite briskly if you catch my drift. Stone says Peninsula has been the favorite course of his 40 designed courses because people like to play it and return time and again. Managed by the prestigious Honours Golf management company, Peninsula is kept in pristine condition as I evidenced 4 days following a twenty plus inch rainfall that had overwhelmed the area earlier. Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club offers more than just great golf packages. Its recently remodeled clubhouse features both a restaurant and grill where you can order meals ranging from fine cuisine to the simplest of fare. My playing partner and I lunched there after our morning round and were pleasantly pleased with the both the quality of the food and excellent service received.

Kiva Dunes, a Jerry Pate design and true shoreline golf course, was my second venue. Built in 1995 among an array of existing sand dunes and coastal vegetation, Kiva Dunes has been named as one of Alabamas top public play courses by Golf Digest and Golfweek magazines. Its also regarded by many to be Pate's finest work. The golf course is both challenging and beautiful, and though its a few of shots away from the Gulf of Mexico, it kindles a great seaside feel because of its windswept dunes, curious gators, intimidating marshes, and plenty of fittingly placed bunkers. Playing anywhere from 7100 -5000 yards depending on your choice of tees, Kiva Dunes exposes a stunning variety of picturesque seascapes and combines both schools of strategic and penal shot making.

The courses main defense is an ever present breeze and while the holes were designed with the prevailing wind in mind, the course tends to play stubbornly throughout the year as wind direction tends to be unpredictable. I deem it important for players to tackle Kiva Dunes at a yardage that parallels ones handicap. Otherwise, it might make for a long day and many a lost ball. With that said, Kiva Dunes Golf Course is a pictorial delight. Each hole has a unique look, and even though you can't see the Gulf of Mexico, youll always feel its presence. The greens are generous and just while the fairways are wide and inviting. But be sure to keep your ball on the golf course. Itll be the key to a good round. By the way, a kiva is a room used by the Pueblo Indians for religious rituals and I have no idea how they arrived at this name for the course.

To me, the two courses at Craft Farms were the real sleepers. What had been a purely agricultural operation in the middle of nowhere became too valuable a property for just farming. So with Arnold Palmers reputation and vision, what had been a substantial farm enterprise was slowly transformed into Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend, two golfing masterpieces. These two are the only courses in the state designed by the Palmer Design Group. Each of the signature courses has its own unique personality and characteristics but common to both are lush ecofriendly conditions, immaculate greens, and a fantastic plantation style clubhouse that houses a wonderful restaurant and well stocked pro shop, and first class service.

Cypress Bend is a scenically designed open style course with wide fairways and receptive landing areas. While it is a true player friendly course, the 50+ sand bunkers, numerous picturesque but lurking water hazards, and large undulating greens require you to stay focused. Cotton Creek, on the other hand, is longer and a more traditional and straightforward 18 holes. It has tighter, more traditional, tree lined fairways where, if your tee shot strays, you may be lost in the dense forest. Both left and right directional doglegs make for a number of risk reward opportunities and a unique system of lakes will come into play on more than half the holes. If you can't putt, you can't play as the saying goes and that requires knowing what to expect from the greens. Cypress Bend greens were in near perfect condition, quite large, and sporting a variety of different shapes. They were soft, true and rolled at a reasonable speed. At Cotton Creek, I found the greens sized a little smaller and chocked full of slope and undulation. They too, were soft, ran about the same speed as Cypress Bend, but featured very subtle and surprising breaks.

There are only a handful of areas in this country that can offer top quality golf at such reasonable prices. The courses of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores provide both. Whether you're a golfing group or a golfing couple searching for the perfect yet affordable destination to hone your game, discover some of the best golf you'll ever experience on the Alabama Coast.