Make It a Merry Christmas with Golf and the Gulf Coast

Who’s hoping for golf stuff this Christmas? A few rounds of golf or a gift certificate to a favorite golf course, new clubs, or even a new package of golf balls can really make a golfer’s holiday.

Here’s what else will make a golfer’s holiday season in a big way: celebrating and golfing in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. There’s a whole lot of Gulf Coast Christmas activity going on this month that will make the trip down worth it all on its own, including daily holiday ice skating at The Wharf, the 28^th Annual Christmas Lighted Boat Parade on December 14^th, and Christmas shows like the Coastal Chorale Christmas Show taking place all weekend (December 6^th – 8^th) in Foley and the Baldwin Pops Christmas Concert at the Foley Civic Center on December 9^th.

The shopping is also good in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach—the area has everything from unique boutiques and souvenir shops to art galleries to the Tanger Outlets in Foley. It’s the perfect time and place for finishing up some holiday shopping.

And amid all the hustle and bustle, you’ll still find great Gulf Coast golf; you won’t find frigid temperatures that make it impossible to play this time of year.

Treat yourself to an early Christmas present: make it a Coastal Christmas golf getaway.

Eat a Little Turkey, Play a Little Golf This Thanksgiving

So we’re a week out from Thanksgiving…any golf plans for the big holiday? Will you resist the urge to be lazy following the big turkey dinner, or will you head out for a round of golf? Maybe you’re thinking it will simply be too cold to hit the greens this late in November.

Not in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. Comfortably cool, yes, but you’re not likely to find frigid, freezing temperatures down on the Gulf. And if you’ve ever thought how brutal it is to play golf under the hot summer sun, you’d appreciate the cooler (not cold) on the Gulf Coast this time of year. For many of us it is, simply put, the best time of year to play Gulf Shores golf.

There’s still time to put together a Thanksgiving golf vacation. And one great thing about Gulf Shores & Orange Beach is the variety of Gulf-front accommodations. Enjoy preparing and eating your Thanksgiving meal in your condo or beach house with a view of the Gulf right outside the window, or keep things simple with a hotel room and dinner out.

Then get out and enjoy the beach, enjoy the weather and, of course, enjoy the golf. Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Golf-Only Tee Times Are Available in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

Anyone planning to be in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach this fall? Maybe you’ll be in the area on work-related business, or maybe you planned a little fall family getaway; you didn’t plan on any golf because it didn’t seem to fit into the picture. Then, low and behold, some free time opens up—but you didn’t book a golf package.

No problem. Sure, putting together a golf vacation package is an excellent idea for planning a getaway in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. But there’s another option: golf-only tee times.

This is easy enough to do—just visit the “Golf-Only Tee Times” page on the Gulf Shores Golf Association website and browse the available golf times for the area’s signature golf courses. It also tells you the range of prices at each golf course. And if you are literally out and about and looking to book a tee time, just visit the Golf Gulf Shores mobile site.

Conveniently is the best way to book a round of golf. Get out there and enjoy those Gulf Coast greens.

Nothing Like a Songwriters Festival to Spruce Up Your Golf Vacation

Ever golfed in November? Cold temperatures, dreary weather, hands freezing as you try to putt…if you’re playing up north somewhere in November.

Try playing in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach in November and it’s a completely different story. Yes, it’s cooler weather from summer, but it’s a comfortable coolness—certainly not freezing. And for those who enjoy a little live music (or a lot of live music) during their golf vacation, the next big chance is coming up in November.

The 29^th Annual Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival is scheduled to take place November 7^th – 17^th in the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach area. Interested in seeing the potential music stars of tomorrow? This is the place to be. Multiple venues in Perdido Key, Pensacola, and Gulf Shores & Orange Beach will be featuring both up-and-coming musicians and Grammy award winning songwriters.

It’s a good time to book a Gulf Coast golf vacation: spend the day on the golf course, spend the evening enjoying a variety of music. The perfect fall vacation.

Start planning now!

A Shrimp Festival and Golf: A Perfect October Vacation Combo

I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again: golf in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach in the fall is a wonderful thing. You simply can’t beat the weather (and the fall rates!). But if you want to really pinpoint a perfect date for your fall golf getaway, plan to be there October 10^th – 13^th.

Not only is October an ideal time of year to visit the Gulf, but this specific time frame is when the 42^nd Annual National Shrimp Festival is taking place in Gulf Shores. This is a very popular Gulf Coast event, not only for the 200 pounds of delicious shrimp that is prepared each day (in addition to other edible treats) but also because of the ongoing live music, the arts and crafts vendors, and activities like the sandcastle contest and the new “Shrimp Festival Idol” competition.

It’s an excellent event to combine with a golf vacation. The festivities go on throughout the day, so you can squeeze in a round of golf on one of the area’s signature golf courses at whatever time suits you. It’s an ideal event for families, too—plenty for kids to do at the Children’s Activity Village.

And if you feel like stepping up your physical activity level, you could always participate in the Shrimp Fest 10K/5K Run—a good way to work off all the good food you’ll undoubtedly be eating.

Make a point to be there—you won’t regret it.

Combine Fishing and Golf This Fall for the Perfect Vacation

Being so close to October, I think it’s time to hook a fall golf vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. I mean, actually hook it—throw the fishing pole in with the golf clubs and head to the Gulf for both golf and fishing.

Anyone who’s done a Gulf Shores & Orange Beach golf getaway knows that the golf is rewarding all on its own, thanks to the variety of scenic and challenging Gulf Coast golf courses. But it is the Gulf Coast—fishing in some way, shape, or form is practically a necessity. After all, the area is home to one of the largest charter fishing boat fleets in the world.

Plus fishing just makes a nice addition to a golf vacation. You’re already down there with a group (no matter how big or small) of friends and/or family members, so the fishing party is already set—golf one day, Gulf angling the next. And fall is a fantastic time of year for both golf and fishing, especially since October 1^st marks the beginning of a two-week fall snapper season this year.

Beautiful fall weather, red snapper, and golf. It’s a dream vacation.

Golf Isn’t the Only Reason to Head to the Gulf Coast This Fall

Ah, September. The month when fall begins. It feels good to get to this point of the summer—the end of summer. It will feel even better when actual fall weather sets in.

But the best feeling will come with the arrival of that fall golf vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. Gulf Coast golf in the fall is such a welcome change from summer: cooler, comfortable weather compared with the heat of summer. Morning golf is still very much an option—we’re certainly not talking cold weather here. But take away the brutal summer heat and afternoon and evening golf becomes even more of an appealing option. The area is also less crowded in the fall, which is a big golf bonus in my opinion—much less pressure to let others play through when I’m lagging on the course.

Plus you get so much more than just golf when you visit in the fall. Gulf Shores & Orange Beach events like the 42^nd Annual National Shrimp Festival (October 10^th – 13^th) make a nice addition to a golf vacation—fine arts, arts and crafts, live music, and lots of shrimp (and other seafood). It’s just an all-around good time. Other upcoming fall events include the 10^th Annual John L. Borom Alabama Coastal Birdfest (October 3^rd – 5^th), the Alabama Festival of Flavor (October 18^th – 19^th), and the Original German Sausage Festival (October 26^th).

It’s a good time of year for golf and, apparently, eating. Plan to be there and see for yourself.