Reviews of the Best Gulf Shores Golf Courses

The Gulf Shores area is home to some of the best golf courses in Alabama and is a hidden gem golf destination. You’ll find over 30 courses to play, all within 45 minutes of each other, and ranging from quality award winning resort style courses in perfect condition, to some of the toughest in Alabama, to some warm courses with fair conditions. All of the courses we played were in fantastic condition, fun and demanding, and had very reasonable rates. Plus there are several options for reasonable stay and plays, great restaurants, fun and lively beach bars, lots to see and do besides golf, and miles of pure white sand beaches. What a pleasant surprise and it just doesn’t get much better. Here are our reviews of the best golf courses in and around Gulf Shores.

Visit Golf Gulf Shores to find lots of good information on the courses, stay and play options, rates, and more. They can also customize a golf package for your group.

Read our article about a Gulf Shores Golfing Vacation where we played most of the following courses and enjoyed three different lodging options with stay and play packages. On a return trip to Gulf Shores we enjoyed some good restaurants, more golf courses, and the local brewery – here is our link to Golf in Gulf Shores.

Best Gulf Shores Alabama Golf Courses
	Craft Farms – Cotton Creek Course Gulf Shores, AL Texas Outside Rating – 9 Review of Craft Farms’ Cotton Creek	Cotton Creek is the original Arnold Palmer signature design course along the Gulf Coast and it features rolling fairways and large undulating greens. Cotton Creek offers numerous risk reward opportunities and is demanding at over 7000 yards, but it was laid out to challenge rather than intimidate, plus near perfect conditions, a plantation style clubhouse, and excellent service.
	Craft Farms – Cypress Bend Course Gulf Shores, AL Texas Outside Rating – 8.8 Review of Craft Farms’ Cypress Bend	Cypress Bend at Craft Farms is an Arnold Palmer architectural masterpiece with five staggered tee boxes, sprawling white sand bunkers, lush fairways, and quality putting surfaces. This 18 has a coastal feel as it traversed through a unique system of cord-grass accentuated lakes which come into play on nearly every hole. Conditions can’t get much better than Craft Farms.
	Glenlakes Golf Club – Dunes Nine Foley, AL Texas Outside Rating – 9.2 Review of Glenlakes Dunes Course	Wow, what a unique, challenging, and memorable expertise. The Dunes at Glenlakes has dramatic mounding/dunes, surprising elevation changes with both uphill and downhill shots, undulating fairways, and extensive bunkering. Shot making and good course management are needed to score well here.
	Glenlakes Golf Club – Lakes Nine Foley, AL Texas Outside Rating – 7.8 Review of Glenlakes Lakes Course	The Lakes Nine at Glenlakes Golf Club is by far the easiest and shortest (par 35 and 1875 to 3019 yards) of the nines. Resort style forgiving fairways, water on 6 holes, and only 29 bunkers make it fun and provide an opportunity to have a relaxing round and a very good score.
	Glenlakes Golf Club – Vista Nine Foley, AL Texas Outside Rating – 8.4 Review of Glenlakes Vista Course	Glenlakes Golf Club’s Vista nine is considered the warm up nine for the other two nines and very playable and friendly for all skill levels. But it is no walk in the park thanks to tree lined fairways, some strategically placed bunkers, water, and tough approach shots to some raised and well guarded greens.
	Gulf Shores Golf Club Gulf Shores, AL Texas Outside Rating – 8.5 Review of Gulf Shores Golf Club	A traditional Jay and Carter Morrish design with treacherous bunkers that are larger than normal and strategically placed. Plus you’ll find straightforward tree lined holes and plenty of water, but if you don’t try to kill the ball you’ll have a fun, relaxing, and low scoring round and you’ll enjoy the greens and near perfect conditions and reasonable rates.
	Kiva Dunes Gulf Shores, AL Texas Outside Rating – 9.1 Review of Kiva Dunes	Masterfully designed by former U.S. Open Champion Jerry Pate, Kiva Dunes is Alabama’s only beachfront golf resort and consistently ranks among the top golf courses along the entire Gulf Coast. Recently listed on Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Best Public Golf Courses,” the 7,092-yard course offers spectacular beauty as it meanders through the property’s native sand dunes, lakes and natural wildlife areas.
	Lost Key Golf Club Predido, FL Texas Outside Rating – 9.3 Review of Lost Key Golf Club	Arnold Palmer redesigned Lost Key and created another masterpiece and a strategic playing experience. With a slope of 144 and rating of 72.6, this course is regarded as one of the toughest around, but don’t let that keep you from playing this fantastic layout because it’s fair and very unique and memorable..
	Peninsula Golf Course – Lakes Nine Gulf Shores, AL Texas Outside Rating – 8.7 Review of Peninsula Golf Course Lakes Nine	Earl Stone has created three unique nine hole layouts set along Mobile Bay and rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest. The Lakes is the shortest of the nines but water can come into play on all nine holes plus bunkers, dog legs, tree lined fairways, and some challenging green complexes. Complimenting the playing experience are excellent conditions and top notch service.
	Peninsula Golf Course – Cypress Nine Gulf Shores, AL Texas Outside Rating – 8.6 Review of Peninsula Golf Course Cypress Nine	Cypress Lakes is regarded as the easiest and it plays along the nature preserve with oak and cypress tree lined fairways and has a true resort course feel to it with more traditional and straightforward holes with ample fairways and flatter more friendly greens. It’s a layout that provides a very enjoyable and relaxing round of golf.
	Rock Creek Golf Club Fairhope, AL Texas Outside Rating – 9.2 Review of Rock Creek Golf Club	Rock Creek was a pleasant surprise – who would think that there could be such dramatic elevation changes and stunning topography? Rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest, Rock Creek is enjoyable, forgiving, captivating, and a true test of golf where strategy and accuracy are the name of the game. Rock Creek is home to several unique and memorable holes.
	The Golf Club of the Wharf Gulf Shores, AL Texas Outside Rating – 8.5 Review of Gulf Shores Golf Club	Formally known as The Gulf Shores Golf Club, The Golf Club of the Wharf opened in the 1960’s but underwent a complete redesign by Jay and Carter Morrish who added numerous water features, enhanced fairways, and their typical devilish steep and deep bunkers. The course is fairly traditional and straightforward with an opportunity to turn in a good score.
	TimberCreek Golf Club – Dogwood Nine Daphne, AL Texas Outside Rating – 9.2 Review of TimberCreek Dogwood Course	TimberCreek is home to three very unique and fun nines that were designed by Earl Stone and carved out of some rolling terrain and a forest of flowering magnolias, dogwoods, and loblolly pines. The Dogwood nine is fantastic as it plays up and down the rolling terrain offering some scenic, fun, and interesting holes that afford an excellent chance to par or better.
	TimberCreek Golf Club – Magnolia Nine Daphne, AL Texas Outside Rating – 9.4 Review of TimberCreek Magnolia Course	Wow, the first three holes are spectacular and the other six are outstanding on this tight tree lined course that plays up and down some surprising hilly terrain. Magnolia offers you a little bit of everything that makes golf fun, challenging, and memorable. Add this one to your list of must play courses.

Author: Mike Sharp

I have a passion for travel and outdoor activities, and now I'm enjoying retired life. I will continue my traveling, golfing, boating, and enjoying life all across the great state of Texas.