This Affordable Beach Spot Named One of America’s Best Golfing Destinations
There’s an affordable vacation spot with 32 miles of white-sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico and 20 miles of golf courses. It’s not a mirage; it is Alabama’s Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
Spend the morning avoiding white sand bunkers and the afternoon sinking into the tranquility of white sand beaches and blue-green waters.
It Is Racking Up Awards and Attention
In a survey of golfers, the Gulf Coast landed in the 10th spot of U.S. destinations players want to visit. The Gulf Shores have five out of the Top 20 Public Golf Courses in Alabama, the 22nd Friendliest Golf Course in the U.S., and the No. 10 Public Golf Course for off-course amenities. And last month, players voted it one of America’s Best Golf Destinations in USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
So, plan a trip to play these stellar greens before everyone else catches on.
Craft Farms: Overview
- Course: Cypress Bend
- Designer: Arnold Palmer
- Year: 1993
- 18 holes, Par 72
- Course: Cotton Creek
- Designer: Arnold Palmer
- Year: 1987
- 18 holes, Par 72
Craft Farms: Details
There aren’t many places where you can play championship-level golf in shorts. Take your pick of two complementary 18-hole courses recognized as some of America’s best by Golf Digest.
Cypress Bend has a lush, coastal feel with sprawling bunkers and wide fairways, making it a pleasure to play. This modern links-style course received a 4‐1/2 star rating by Golf Digest. Its sister course, Cotton Creek, features tree-lined rolling fairways and forward tees with many risk and reward choices to challenge golfers at various levels. This 4-star course consistently ranks as one of Golf Digest’s best greens.
Gulf Shores Golf Club: Overview
- Designer: Jay and Carter Morrish
- Year: 1963 (built) ; 2005 complete renovation
- 18 holes, Par 71
Gulf Shores Golf Club: Details
It is a spectacular course and a spectacular golf experience that has earned Gulf Shores Golf Club a 97.9% positive rating from visiting golfers. The scenic course includes ponds as water hazards, oak and pine trees, sharp doglegs, and regular wildlife visitors.
Kiva Dunes: Overview
- Designer: Jerry Pate
- Year: 1995
- 18 holes, Par 72
Kiva Dunes: Details
For those players who want to play highly ranked greens yet despise a course design that penalizes every bad shot, Kiva Dunes is for you. Its mix of par 3’s, challenging par 4’s, and risk/reward par 5’s makes it an enjoyable yet enticing golf experience.
Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club: Overview
- Designer: Earl Stone
- Year: 1995
- 18 holes, Par 72
Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club: Details
Nestled on the beautiful Fort Morgan peninsula between Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, this course provides an outstanding overall golf experience. Its course layout across 800 acres makes the most of its stunning location, which borders Bon Secour Wildlife Preserve, full of live oaks and cypress trees.
These are just a couple of reasons Golf Digest rates it 4 ½ stars and recognizes it as one of the Southeast’s “most memorable and enjoyable” courses.
Here’s How to Plan a Trip
Make it easy on yourself and book a stay-and-play package for a seamless golf trip. Starting in May, fly into Gulf Shores International Airport directly from Houston, Northwest Arkansas, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati, or Knoxville on Allegiant Air. About an hour away, Pensacola International Airport has nonstop flights from 20 destinations, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Denver, Chicago, and New York Laguardia.
READ NEXT: The Best Public Golf Courses in Each State
With over 16,000 golf courses in America, finding one that is accessible, affordable, and stellar is like finding a needle in a haystack. However, Golfer’s Choice lists do all the work, spotlighting the game’s best playgrounds for everyday players. Created by recreational golfers, for recreational golfers, find out which greens in your state have been deemed the best by players like you.
The Best Public Golf Courses in Each State
These 10 U.S. Golf Resorts Voted The Best For 2026
“Golf travel demand remains strong, but today’s golfer is making more thoughtful decisions,” said Buffalo Groupe CEO Kyle Ragsdale. That means players want trips, stays, and greens that are practically guaranteed to deliver. Here are ten U.S. golf resorts that players and experts believe do just that.
These 10 U.S. Golf Resorts Voted The Best For 2026
Called America’s Best Golf Value: A Guide to The 22 Courses in Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Trail
Regarding public golf courses, only a handful stand out from the rest. Torrey Pines and Bethpage Black are some stellar ones worthy of pros, but it’s hard to find more than a couple in the same place. Legendary golf course architect Robert Trent Jones somehow managed to create 26 of them in 11 locations in Alabama, called the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Debuted in 1992 to increase tourism to Alabama, The Trail has slowly but steadily gained recognition. Golf Digest ranked it the best value in the USA for golf and recognized two of its courses as some of the best in the country.
Called America’s Best Golf Value: A Guide to The 22 Courses in Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Trail
8 All-Inclusive Resorts Where Golf Rounds Are Included
Travel has entered its all-inclusive era. With the bland, cookie-cutter all-inclusive resorts of yesteryear far gone, today’s modern options are wowing and wooing travelers to have it all for a per-night price. And that can mean golf, too.
