Featured Getaway
Gulf Shores
No Longer Golf ’ s Best-Kept Secret
From Lakes to Links , Alabama ’ s Coastal Golf Offers Array of Courses
Editorial and Photography by Alan Hoskins
For many years , Alabama ’ s Gulf Shores was reputed to be one of golf ’ s best secrets . Not so much anymore . “ We have five to six million visitors coming here every year , and except for the COVID year , we ’ ve been on a recordbreaking pace the last several years ,” says Easton Colvin , the Public Relations Coordinator for Golf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism .
Not only are there more visitors , but they ’ re coming from farther and farther away as the word has gotten out — Gulf Shores ’ wide array of outstanding golf courses , beaches right out of National Geographic , deep sea fishing , the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo , countless family activities , and a seafood lover ’ s delight .
A peninsula jutting out between the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay , Gulf Shores ’ magnificent white sand beaches ( photo above ) run 32 miles along the gulf . “ The sand is so fine you can hear it squeeze when you walk ,” says Colvin . About 99 percent of the beaches are free and open to the public and are easily accessible via boardwalks crossing acres and acres of sand dunes .
Deep sea fishing opportunities are endless and somewhat surprising , “ Inshore fishing might be just as big ,” says Colvin . “ That ’ s where you can catch redfish , flounder , and speckled trout .” Intercostal waterways offer several bays and freshwater fishing .
Chiseled into the peninsula , Gulf State Park ’ s 6,150 acres offer 28 miles of walking trails , rent-for-free bicycles , campgrounds , bird watching , and more . “ Probably should be a national park . Everything you could want in a state park , and it ’ s at the beach ,” says Colvin . Elsewhere , family activities range from mini-golf and water parks to go-karts and zip-lining over sand dunes .
When it comes to golf , Gulf Shores also offers just about everything that can be offered , with the exception of elevation changes — no rolling hills , no gentle valleys . What Gulf Shores does offer golfwise is a very diverse set of challenges .
But first , here ’ s what you ’ re pretty much guaranteed on every course . Fairways are generally pretty generous and well-manicured . Second and third shots are hit off perfect lies . Getting off the fairways is a different matter . While not deep , the kinky , bristly rough makes it difficult to get a ball back in play , let alone get off quality shots .
Greens are basically flat with little undulation . Bunkers are filled with brilliant white sand . Beautiful but usually enormous and deep and probably should be avoided . And perhaps best of all , courses are open 12 months a year , almost all have five sets of tees to accommodate all skill levels , and all are open to the public .
Otherwise , the diversity from course to course is pronounced . Each has a uniqueness differing from all others . From an amateur ’ s view , here ’ s a look at a third of Gulf Shores ’ finest courses .
A four-hour deep sea fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico tied in with at least 18 holes of golf makes Gulf Shores one of the nation ’ s top golf destinations . ( Photo by Alan Hoskins )
A links-style course is not something you ’ ll usually find in Alabama , but you can at Kiva Dunes , a resort course offering a magnificent view from its adjacent hotel . “ It ’ s unique because you don ’ t get looks like this in this area ,” says Mark Stillings , director of golf for Kiva Dunes and Beach Resort . “ A lot of variety with a lot of entirely different looks .”
“ One thing I learned is great links courses have balance , a balance of short and long holes play with and against the wind ,” said architect Jerry Pate . “ At Kiva , I went to painstaking depths to route the golf
16 Nov . / Dec . 2023 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE