Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Little Gulf Coast Golf

So we’re nearing the end of January, the beginning of February, and you know what that means: Valentine’s Day is coming. For many people this is a source of anxiety. What’s the absolute best way to show that special someone that you care? Others won’t stress at all and will just go the easy route—flowers and candy.

If your significant other is a golfer, then you have both an easy and excellent gift option: golf stuff. Golf apparel, new golf clubs, or maybe a gift certificate to a favorite golf course. And if you really want to play up the romance angle (we are talking Valentine’s Day here), it might be a good time to consider a golf vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. Not only do you get a selection of signature golf courses, you also get white-sand Gulf beaches—a perfect setup when one of you is a golfer.

And even better if you’re both golfers. What better way for a golfing couple to celebrate their relationship? Escape the cold and enjoy the Gulf greens.

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!

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.

Gulf Coast Festivals and Golf—It’s All Possible in October

October just might be my favorite month for a golf vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. The weather is a major draw, of course—absolutely ideal for some Gulf Coast golf.

But there’s also so much going on in October. And as much as I love golf, I won’t be playing from sun-up to sun-down (believe me, though, I have considered it). I like to have other things to do, other places to go…like maybe Fort Morgan during the upcoming Fall Bird Banding Session. I could start the day observing and learning about Coastal migratory birds, then finish up the afternoon with a round of golf.

There are also a couple festivals coming up that have caught my eye, partly just because they are festivals in the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach area, and partly because they involve food (always a wonderful complement to golf). The first is the 41st Annual National Shrimp Festival, taking place October 11th to the 14th. If you’ve never attended this event, I highly recommend it—continuous live music from two different stages, fine arts and crafts to browse and buy, and lots of delicious shrimp and other seafood (and non-seafood). There’s also a Children’s Activity Village, making it a fun event for the kiddos, too, so bring the entire family down for an October golf vacation.

The other is the Original German Sausage Festival in Elberta, scheduled for October 27th. This is a good one if you love sausage and are looking for “the best German sausage you have ever tasted.” Plus you’ll find more arts and crafts and live music, carnival rides, and a Bier Garten.

Beer, sausage, and golf—sounds like a heavenly vacation trio to me. Just visit the Gulf Shores Golf Association website for more information on Gulf Shores & Orange Beach events and planning a golf getaway.

Come Watch the NGA Professional Golf Tournament This Month

Anyone planning a vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach this month? Because July 23rd to 29th would be an excellent time for anyone who loves golf to be in the area.

The NGA Professional Golf Tour will be playing a golf tournament at TimberCreek Golf Club during those dates, which could be a really awesome setup for a Gulf Shores golf vacation. First of all, admission to watch the tournament is free and open to the public. That alone is worth the trip down—free access to watch amateur golfers teamed up with tour professionals to compete in a scramble format. The tournament week also includes a Pairings Party and a free junior clinic with instruction from tour professionals.

Book a golf vacation package for that week and not only will you get to watch great golf, you’ll get to play (possibly great) golf as well. Just visit the Gulf Shores Golf Association website to start putting together a customized golf package.

I’m hoping that simply watching pros (and amateurs) in a Gulf Coast golf tournament will inspire me to play some truly amazing golf. Or if nothing else (and probably more realistically), I’ll get to play average golf on some amazing Gulf golf courses. And that’s a good enough reason for me.

What’s Your Favorite Group for Golf?

I’ve played golf with many different group types—including work groups. I’ve actually played several times with people from work (during conferences and company gatherings), thus I can say from experience that golf can help bring any group together in camaraderie.

Then there are those much-loved, much-needed buddies golf vacations on the Gulf. Just a group of friends, a condo on the beach, and several days of golf—the group golf experience doesn’t get much better than this.

But I think it might come close to as good this summer, when a large group of family and friends will gather on the beach for a wedding between two people who actually met at the beach. That part of the story is good enough, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that a group of us will be hitting the golf course the day before the wedding. And a large group it will be—several relatives, friends, and friends of friends will be participating in this “mini-tournament.”

Whatever the group, making Gulf Shores & Orange Beach the golf location is a must. You can’t beat the beauty of the area’s nine signature golf courses. And with a variety of accommodation options—from hotels to beach houses to luxurious Gulf-front condos—it’s easy to find a golf vacation deal to meet the needs of all golfers in the group.