Gulf Coast Golf and SEC Football Make an Excellent Combination

Golf and SEC football—two of the greatest sports ever. Both are great to watch and…well we know golf is great to play, but probably most of us never had the chance to play SEC football, though you very well may have attended a college with an SEC football team.

And no, this is not completely random rambling. Just a little more than two months away is the SEC BeachFest in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. If you’re eagerly awaiting the return of SEC football this fall and want to kick-off the start of the season Gulf Coast style, then plan to be here August 15^th – 18^th. Live concerts, alumni happy hours at several Gulf Shores & Orange Beach restaurants, and appearances by legendary SEC coaches and players are some of the things you can expect at this event.

Then there’s the SEC BeachFest Golf Scramble on August 16^th and 17^th (see, I told you it wasn’t

completely random). Not only do participants get to enjoy playing golf at Craft Farms, Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, or Gulf Shores Golf Club (and Kiva Dunes if they’re part of a qualifying team), they also get four free tickets to the SEC BeachFest, complimentary breakfast and lunch on both days, a gift bag, and the chance to meet legendary SEC coaches. And that’s just for playing—imagine actually winning!

Could be a good week to take that Gulf Shores golf vacation. Gather up your best golfing buddies and get to planning!

Dads and Golf Go Together Like Sand and the Gulf

If your dad is like mine, he loves golf and he loves the beach. These two factors practically scream “golf vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach!”

So with Father’s Day just around the corner (June 16^th), you just might have a great gift idea for Dad here. Plan a golf trip for him, or plan one for yourself and bring Dad (and Mom, of course) along. It could even be a good opportunity for a little family reunion on the beach (beach houses and condos make great lodging for large groups…).

But best of all, he’ll get to play at any of nine signature Gulf Shores golf courses. Scenic and challenging—ideal for the golf-loving dad. And by planning a golf vacation package, not only can you pick and choose which golf courses to play, but you can also ensure you get the perfect accommodations to fit your needs. Stay right on the Gulf so when the golfing is done for the day, you can enjoy the area’s white-sand beaches.

There’s still plenty of time before Father’s Day. Stop over at the Golf Gulf Shores website and start planning that golf getaway for Dad!

Longer Days Mean More Gulf Coast Golf

We’ve reached that wonderful time of year when the days are finally getting longer. More daylight later into the evening hours means more time to do those fun, outdoor activities we love to do during spring—like play golf.

This is a great thing for us big-time golf enthusiasts. It means we’re no longer limited to weekend, daytime hours, it means we can play after work (which is especially nice after a stressful day), and it means we can more easily take advantage of replay options during a golf vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach.

Golf replay options are a favorite of mine—play in the morning at the course’s regular rate, then play again in the afternoon or evening at a lower rate. You get the most golf for your money this way, and, especially being in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, you can work in other activities—like a trip to the beach or a favorite attraction, or simply have lunch at the course clubhouse or a nearby Gulf Coast restaurant.

So when you’re in the area for your spring golf vacation, be sure to ask about the replay option. And if you haven’t scheduled that spring vacation yet…well, you know what to do.

Celebrate Mother’s Day on the Golf Course

Mother’s Day is less than a month away, and I’ve been scrambling to think of the perfect gift for my much-deserving mom. Sure, I could do another big, beautiful bouquet of flowers and a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant. But sometimes it’s nice to do something really special.

Then it dawned on me the other day: My mom loves golf too. I’ve done the gift-of-golf thing for my dad a couple of times—no reason why I can’t do it for my golf-loving mom as well.

There are a couple ways to do this. I could buy a couple of rounds of golf during their next Gulf Shores & Orange Beach vacation. (And yes, it does have to be golf in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach; you simply can’t beat nine signature golf courses.) This is an easy enough option thanks to the Golf-Only Teetimes feature on the Golf Gulf Shores website.

My other option is to plan an actual Gulf Shores golf vacation for them—Mother’s Day weekend would be an apt choice! And it doesn’t hurt that, with this plan, I could tag along—celebrate Mother’s Day with my mother, on the golf course.

No other gift could possibly top that.

Plan to Bring Your Golf Group to the Gulf

Family reunions, a friends’ getaway, a business trip with colleagues and/or clients…. There are all sorts of reasons for putting together a golf group for a golf getaway. And there are just as many (and maybe more) reasons for planning that getaway in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach.

First of all, the area offers nine signature golf courses—plenty of options to choose from. You could choose to play only at one or two courses during your stay, for consistency. Or you could mix things up and play a different course each day.

Where you stay is also an important factor. Hotels are always a convenient option, although for a group golf getaway, more space might be necessary—like in a condo or beach house. Fortunately, Gulf Shores & Orange Beach again offers many options in the way of accommodations.

And tying all of these details together is easy enough to do—just visit the Gulf Shores Golf Association website to get a customized quote. Simply fill in information like the number of people in your group, golf and accommodations preferences, etc., and you’re on your way to planning one memorable group golf vacation.

Kick Back with Great Nightlife After a Round of Golf

You spent a good day out on the golf course (and whether or not you had an actual good round of golf doesn’t matter—any day on a Gulf Shores golf course is a good day). Maybe you wound down afterward with a Gulf-side walk on the beach, or a dip in your condominium’s pool, got cleaned up and are relaxing as the sun goes down.

Now what?

The night doesn’t have to end there—in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, the night is just beginning. Dinner out on the town is a good place to start, and there are plenty of dining options in the area. Enjoy a relaxing evening at a place like Cobalt the Restaurant in Orange Beach (the view alone is worth checking out). Or keep the evening going by picking a place with live entertainment—places like Live Bait Food & Spirits and Tacky Jacks are good options.

If live music appeals to you, then a Gulf Coast concert might be in order. Kenny Chesney (with special guests Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves) is scheduled to perform in Orange Beach on April 11^th.

And don’t forget about the Hangout Music Festival on May 17^th – 19^th. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are on the books to perform, along with many, many other artists—don’t miss it!

The Gulf Shores Golf Association Mobile Site Makes Planning Easy

Let’s say you’re out to lunch with your boss one day and he mentions how he and his wife are looking for a good vacation location. What do you do?

First, you recommend Gulf Shores & Orange Beach because you know it’s an all-around awesome vacation destination. Then—because you know he and his wife are avid golfers—you direct him to the Golf Gulf Shores website, because you know he’ll find good information and ways to plan a golf vacation there.

But to really drive the point home (and make yourself look good), you pull out your phone and bring up the Golf Gulf Shores mobile site. Now he can explore the nine signature golf courses, Gulf-front accommodations, restaurants, and maps relating to all of this for himself. He can even get a custom quote on a golf package and book a tee time if he wants.

Or, if this scenario never comes up, you can check out the mobile site yourself—it’s convenient planning while on the go. And convenience is key to a relaxing vacation, right?

Make that first step as easy as possible, and get your golf vacation started off right.