Golf Gulf Shores Alabama Offers Tremendous Value
by Scott A. Sumner
www.golfingnews.ca
When the end of the summer looms in Canada many golfers start thinking about where to play when their courses close for the season. There are many options available but none seem as attractive as the Gulf Shores-Orange Beach area of Alabama. On a recent media familiarization trip there I played five courses and experienced firsthand the tremendous golf and hospitality available in a grossly under sung Deep South destination.
My journey began with a flight on Delta to Minneapolis, then Memphis and finally Pensacola, Florida. You could also land in Mobile Alabama and be close to the area. The other option of course is to take the drive down Highway 65. Mark Stillings is the property Manager of Kiva Dunes and President of the Gulf Shores Golf Association. “ Our association has worked well. We started this program 17 years ago in an effort to drive people to the destination. We felt like individually we couldn’t make an impact but together with the CVB, lodging partners and golf courses we have an
opportunity to pool our money from a marketing standpoint. This year we will spend collectively about $400,000 to recruit people to the area while individually we would have less impact,” said Mark Stillings. “ We are 10 golf courses and 11 accommodation partners. This group represents 6000 rooms mostly of which are condos. We spend our marketing dollars to drive traffic to our website www.golfgulfshores.com and try to make it user friendly. One phone call or email can get you pretty well started to bring your golf group down. It is very easy for the golf leader or golf czar as we call them to set the trip up.”
Above: Mark Stillings is the property Manager of Kiva Dunes and President of the Gulf Shores Golf Association Below:Rick Gehr Director of Golf at Craft Farms Bottom: Todd Edwards, General Manager and Director of Golf of Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club
Kiva Dunes was designed by Jerry Pate and opened in 1995. It recently underwent some turf replacement on its greens. “The greens had reached their useful life of 15 to 20 years with Bermuda so we brought in some experts who recommended we use Champion Ultra Dwarf, a finely bladed grass about the consistency of a bent blade that can take the summer heat we have here,” said Stillings. “I really like the uniqueness of Kiva Dunes. You are a few steps away from the Gulf of Mexico with a lot of different winds. At different times you have different prevailing winds to make the course change in play. We were afforded an incredible site to build this golf course. If you were to talk to Jerry Pate he would say we gave him a terrific site and his challenge was not to screw it up. He created the course we wanted as well. Kiva Dunes can stand up to the low to high handicap players from the right tees.”
You can stay in the condos located at Kiva Dunes for a week or longer. In late fall or winter the typical quote for 4 golfers staying in a 4 bed condo including golf, lodging and breakfast is between $125 and $140 per person per day. Stillings’ staff can customize the package with less golf or more.
It was my pleasure to play another course in Gulf Shores – Cotton Creek at Craft Farms – with Director of Golf Rick Gehr. He began working at the course when it opened as a cart boy and then went to school at Auburn University, a Division I golf school. “In 1993 I came back here as an assistant and worked my way up,” said Gehr. “My original dream was to become a PGA Tour professional but it just didn’t work out. I went through qualifying school three times and didn't make it to the finals. I decided to stay in golf and earned my Class A, PGA of America Professionals’ card in 2001 and have been doing it ever since.” Gehr holds the course record of 61 at Cotton Creek and played to a smooth 71 in our group.
Cotton Creek opened in December 1987, an Arnold Palmer Design Signature Course. A third nine was completed eventually and in 1998 the fourth nine finished to form Cypress Bend and 36 holes at Craft Farms. The facility was purchased in December 2008 by Honours Golf, a Southeastern U.S.-based management company. “They are a very service-oriented company and it has been outstanding with their coming on board,” said Gehr. “Things have been going well, especially in a down economy. We have been averaging 58,000 rounds between the two courses. People come down to play here anytime but I would particularly recommend the fall to winter months. We do a lot of golf rounds January to March with people from Canada, Michigan and Minnesota. Golfers come down and rent a condo on the beach for six weeks with some for up to three months. We offer a lot of discounted golf where they can buy six rounds of golf at a $300 to $350 rate. Cold for us is the mid 50s. It is low 60s usually in the winter.
“I like the total layout of the courses,” Gehr continued. “Palmer did a very good job. Of the 18 holes you really don’t see one hole twice as they are with different characteristics. The golf course runs a little east, west, north and south. You have some easy par 4s, easy par 3s, but probably more than anything it is the risk-reward [options which stand out]. On hole nos. 6 and 7 for example the more you bite off the closer you get [to the green] but if you hit in the water you make double bogey or more, so it becomes a risk-reward [choice]. We strive very hard to have good conditions throughout the year. When you have 36 holes you can do any course work you need and have one course always open with 18 holes that are solid." Craft Farms has a large southern-style clubhouse with the porch creating the southern feel.
Our group of eight writers – seven from the U.S. and me from Canada – also got the opportunity to play Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club, a 27-hole facility with Marsh, Lakes and Cypress nines. Like Craft Farms, Peninsula is owned and operated by Honours Golf, which has 15 courses in its portfolio. “We own half of our courses and manage the rest,” said Todd Edwards, Peninsula’s General Manager and Director of Golf. “Honours owns four courses of the 10 in the Gulf Shores Golf Association. Peninsula is the model of the coastal community. It has the beach, resort-type feel tucked in between the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay. The course was done by Alabama designer, Earl Stone, who has a phenomenal way of making the courses player friendly. It ties in a lot of lakes and marsh lands. We have large greens but are player friendly so it is enjoyable.
“We have a tremendous amount of Canadian traffic that comes south primarily on Highway 65,” continued Edwards, who has lived in the area his entire life. “Our company is built on customer service and superior course conditions to make sure our players really enjoy the day. Here there are over 50 condos onsite where you can stay. You can bring your group of four, eight or 12. We have the clubhouse open for breakfast or lunch. The fall is a fabulous time with high 70s temperatures in the day. Middle June to August is around the 90s. Mid March is a great time to play here. We play golf year-round. If you have four to 8 golfers your cost might be $60 to $80 per day per person for golf and accommodations.”
Another main attraction of
888.815.1902
Where to Play
Cotton Creek at Craft Farms, www.craftfarms.com, 800-327-2657
Cypress Bend at Craft Farms, www.craftfarms.com, 800-327-2657
Glenlakes Golf Club, www.glenlakesgolf.com, 251-955-1220
Kiva Dunes Golf Club, www.kivadunes.com, 888-TEE-KIVA
Lost Key Golf Club, www.lostkey.com, 888-256-7853
Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, www.peninsulagolfclub.com, 800-391-8009
Rock Creek Golf Club, www.rockcreekgolf.com, 800-458-8815
Soldiers Creek Golf Club, www.soldierscreekgolf.com, 800-807-8915
TimberCreek Golf Club, www.golftimbercreek.com, 877-621-9900
The Golf Club of The Wharf, www.TheWharfAL.com, 251-968-7366
Where to Stay
Kaiser Realty, www.kaiserrealty.com
Meyer Real Estate, www.meyerre.com/
Where to Eat
Cobalt Restaurant, www.cobaltorangebeach.com/
Lulu's at Homeport Marina, www.lulusathomeport.com/
Tin Top Restaurant, www.tintoprestaurant.com/
Hope's Cheese Cake, www.hopescheesecake.com/
Fishing
Sea Hunter, Captain Ricky McDuffie, www.orangebeachfishing.com/
