Dreaming of the Greens

Holiday festivities are over, the decorations have been put away, and all I'm left with on this cold winter day is a little leftover fudge and a slightly rounder belly to remind me where the rest of the Christmas goodies went. The post-holiday blues get me every year.

But the promise of a new year, like the green grass of a golf course in the spring, brings hope of fresh beginnings, new adventures--and golf.

After I reing in the new year and spend a few days sulking in the return to everyday life, I start planning my first escape to Gulf Shores: where I'll stay, which courses I'll play. I pull out pictures from past trips, and I check out the photos and golf vacation deals at www.golf.gulfshores.com. For a little while I forget the gloom of January and warm my mind to thoughts of spring, summer, and Gulf Shores golf.

May your year be filled with birdies and long drives. Happy New Year.

Spending Green versus Spending Time on the Green

While everyone else was out shopping on Black Friday, I was hitting the golf course. I'm not big on shopping, particularly the day after Thanksgiving: crowded stores full of frenzied shoppers scrambling to get the best deal on the hottest Christmas gifts--no thank you. I saved the shopping for another day and spent a peaceful day playing golf and working off my Thanksgiving dinner (with the help of a golf cart, of course).

One of my shopping-crazy relatives asked me how I could play golf this time of year when there is so much to do. But that's exactly why. It's a stress release. It helps keep me centered during this hectic season. 'Tis the season to be jolly, right? Golf keeps me jolly.

Not to mention the weather in Gulf Shores this time of year, which is mild and perfect for golf. It's no wonder the snowbirds fly south for the winter.

You can find affordable fall/winter and year-round deals on Alabama Gulf Coast golf vacation packages at http://www.golf.gulfshores.com/plan/hot_deals/default.aspx.

Cool weather is definitely on the way now. The heat has already come on in my house, and the summer wardrobes have been put away. As for golf...well, I'm not putting the golf shorts away yet.

Fall is by far my favorite time of year for golf. The heat of summer has subsided, but it's far from cold--at least, in Gulf Shores it is. Temperatures average in the 70s during the day in October, which can make that golf swing feel warm and effortless. Combine this ideal weather with the scenic landscape of the area golf courses and you've got yourself a relaxing game of golf.

Late-fall golf rates and vacation package deals make it a great time of year for a buddies golfing trip or even a fall break family vacation. You can check out some of these deals at www.golf.gulfshores.com.

Golf Digest Ambush hits Gulf Shores

Check out this Golf Digest ambush of the Bratton Brother Invitational at the Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club Gulf Shores.

The Grass is Always Greener on a New Putting Surface

I love when something great gets better, and Kiva Dunes Golf Club is definitely something great—and it just got better.

First, I’m not the only one who thinks Kiva Dunes is an awesome golf course. Golfweek listed the course as one of 2009’s “Best Courses You Can Play,” and Golf Digest ranked it as one of “America’s 100 Best Public Golf Courses.” It’s easy to see why: a beachfront golf resort with a course set amid native sand dunes, lakes and natural wildlife—what’s not to love?

And now the putting surface grass has been replaced with Champion Bermuda grass, which is considered the best on the market. Playability is as good as ever, and this new grass can withstand the Gulf Coast heat, so the grass should stay nice and green during these hot summers.

I haven’t been out there in a while—they closed for two weeks on July 6th for the grass replacement—but I’m eager to get out there and try out the new putting greens. Maybe the inspiration of new and better grass will give me a new and better short game.

Read about Kiva Dunes and the other nine signature golf courses in and around Gulf Shores at http://www.golf.gulfshores.com/play/default.aspx.

The Best Kind of Golf

It doesn’t take much to inspire me to play golf. On any given weekend (or weekday, if the drive to call in sick at work is great enough), all it really takes is for someone to say, “Hey—how about a round of golf today?” At that point, everything else on the agenda is dropped.

When it’s a golf tournament, that’s even better. I love invoking my competitive side. I mean, golf on a regular basis is a great pastime anyway. I enjoy just spending time working on my game, hanging out with friends on the green, enjoying the scenery of Gulf Shore’s finest golf courses (www.golf.gulfshores.com).

But when you start talking golf tournaments, now you’ve got my attention. And one of my favorites is coming up on September 11th: the 16th Annual Shrimp Festival Golf Tournament at Craft Farms. For $145, you get a round of golf with a golf cart, two mulligans, a tee buster, lunch, door prizes, gift bags and an award ceremony. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to spend a late-summer afternoon. Hand me my clubs and let the games begin.

Play: Gulf Coast Golf Courses

Our variety of signature golf courses is second to none. Creatively designed and strategically placed by some of the greatest names in golf course design, including Arnold Palmer, Bruce Devlin, Jerry Pate, Earl Stone and Robert Von Hagge.

The Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area offers everything from scenic coast lines to wetland preserves, to rolling hills, to links-style golf.

Our Orange Beach/Gulf Shores golf courses are challenging and picturesque, but conveniently close to all of our participating accommodations who offer very affordable "Stay-N-Play" Golf Packages, offering the best golf value on the Gulf.