Beautiful, Yet Challenging Terrain at Lost Key Golf Club

If you’re ready to feel the wind in your hair and smell the salty air as you golf your way through a par 71 championship golf course, then drop everything and head over to Lost Key Golf Club.

Redesigned in 2006 by the Arnold Palmer Design group, and located in Perdido Key, between historic downtown Pensacola, Florida and the beautiful sugar sand beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, this unique gulf coast golf course certainly has a coastal feel. The sand ridges and dunes in the area pave the way for some particularly tricky shots, and although the greens don’t directly connect to them, they mimic them in appearance.

Due to the limitations imposed by the setting itself, including wetlands and vegetation, the designers were forced to be creative in their routing of the course. The width of the fairways leads to some rather narrow areas of the course and trickier shots, however the overall unique terrain and design allows players at all skill levels to enjoy working their way through the 18 holes.

Each golf hole includes five sets of tees, and the course features new Sea Dwarf Paspalum grass on the tees, greens, fairways and roughs, resulting in excellent playing surfaces and green speeds. With the addition of 2,200 native tress and 13,000 wetland plantings, the course has a beauty unto its own.

If you’re still honing your skills (and aren’t we all?) the Lost Key Golf Club offers professional instruction for beginner to intermediate, as individual lessons or group clinics. Video analysis is also available which allows the golfer to actually see what’s going on during their swing, as opposed to what they feel during the swing. And for those who are daring, video analysis even lets you compare your swing to that of a PGA Tour professional.

After spending the day golfing, head back to the state of the art clubhouse where locker room facilities with lounge areas await you. Once you’ve showered and feel refreshed, enjoy a lovely lunch at the restaurant while taking in the panoramic views of the golf course. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch, however special dining events, including Asian, Italian and prime rib dinner buffets, are scheduled throughout the summer. For those of you simply in need of a nice relaxing drink, the bar is open daily, and a beverage cart service is provided Wednesday through Sunday.

A full service golf shop is available for all your golfing needs, including rental clubs, club repair, club re-gripping, golf shoe re-spiking, custom fit golf clubs, monogrammed merchandise, and more.

If you’re looking for a complete golf vacation, take advantage of the many rental properties and real estate available at Lost Key. And don’t worry, if you feel the need to hit the beach after an early tee time, Lost Key offers complimentary beach shuttle service from April through November, taking residents and members to the white sand beaches of Johnson’s Beach.

The golf course at Lost Key is certified as an Audubon International Silver Signature Sanctuary and is the only Florida golf course belonging to the Gulf Shores Golf Association.

While Lost Key Golf Club provides all the amenities of the finest private clubs, and does in fact offer a membership, you don’t need one to golf this unique course. It is open to resort guests as well as non members. As you golf your way through the gulf coast golf courses, be sure to stop by and play a few rounds at Lost Key Golf Club. You won’t be disappointed.

For more information on Lost Key Golf Club, including real estate rentals and membership details please visit www.lostkey.com.

Spend Memorial Day weekend in legendary style, playing signature Arnold Palmer courses in Gulf Shores, AL

Craft Farms Golf Courses at Gulf Shores, AL

Spend Memorial Day weekend in legendary style, playing signature Arnold Palmer courses in Gulf Shores, AL
by Mary Watson Gleason

Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner. It’s time to book, plan, and pack for a great kick-off to the summer season.

If you are looking for the right place to spend quality time, you should visit a golf resort which boasts the only two signature Arnold Palmer golf courses in Alabama. Craft Farms is nestled among the beautiful landscape off Baldwin County Road 4. Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend were sculpted from the finest land in the county. The area originally was a flower farm up until the late 1980’s when the vision of a golf resort gradually became a reality.

Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend are well kept with well established greens. There are five different tee positions at each course. Both are par 36 courses. Cotton Creek is the older of the two courses.

Now, I am not a golfer, or haven’t played since a few rounds in college. In order to write about the perfect place to recommend for those of you who are avid players, I had to consult one of my friends who is not only an avid golfer, but competitive with several trophies tucked in her bag.

She tells me that the greens at Cotton Creek are fast and relatively consistent throughout the 18-hole course. She describes the play as a fair contest for a novice or an experienced golfer. You are playing around (from my best estimate) 15 lakes in addition to a marsh, Cotton Creek itself, and a section of wetlands.

According to my golfing friend, Cypress Bend is equally challenging. The wide-open fairways tend to be a little more deceptive. Strategically placed trees, water as well bunkers tend to give the golfer more obstacles to play around. The greens on Cypress Bend are generally larger with different levels and slopes.

Not only do you get to play two fun courses, but it is a great place to stay. Accommodations at Craft Farms are considered some of the best along Alabama’s gulf coast. The location is one mile north of the Intra-coastal waterway along Gulf Shores Parkway.

You are conveniently located to family activities, restaurants and of course our pristine beaches. By the way, the only oil you will find here is the suntan oil in your beach bag.

Celebrate Memorial Day weekend playing the best courses in the South, right here in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

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