10 Tri State Golf | Fall 2023 COVER STORY Sweet Home Alabama is more than just a song or a movie, although they both certainly evoke the spirit of the beautiful state. It’s also a mantra for the hard-working, friendly folks that travelers encounter along the way. From the bagboys and beverage cart girls on the world-class golf courses to the servers and chefs in the award-winning restaurants, visitors are made to feel right at home, ensuring that time spent in Alabama is as sweet as the tea. Sweet Home Alabama is a golfing destination unlike any other, as home to the original golf trail, modern and historic golf resorts, and over 32 miles of sugarwhite beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. Both the incomparable Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and the Arnold Palmer-designed Craft Farms Resort in Gulf Shores put Alabama on the radar of traveling golf groups more than two decades ago. The ensuing years have upgraded the state’s position on all types of vacation bucket lists by spawning award-winning hotels, spas, and luxurious resorts; exciting craft breweries with medal-quality beers; world-renowned bass fishing events and red snapper rodeos; and a thriving culinary scene, ranging from fresh Gulf seafood and a unique BBQ Trail to James Beard-recognized chefs and restaurants. Just a few of the golf resorts that make Alabama so special are Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Birmingham, boasting an RTJ Golf Trail golf course, luxurious spa and delectable dining; Pursell Farms just 45 minutes south of Birmingham, which is a unique golf resort with lodging options ranging from a brandnew boutique inn, 4 bedroom golf cottages and an 8 bedroom lodge, along with the award-winning Farmlinks golf course; the century-and-a-half-old Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa on Mobile Bay, considered the “queen of Southern resorts;” and Kiva Dunes in Gulf Shores, Alabama’s only gulffront golf resort offering a Jerry Patedesigned course, clubhouse and fairway condominiums, as well as beach homes to rent. Here’s a snapshot of some of the golfing locales in the state to allow you to create a custom golf vacation to Sweet Home Alabama. Huntsville is a great place to start your Alabama golf journey, as the most northern location of the golf trail and home to the US Space & Rocket Center. But there’s also two more trails to enjoy while in the Rocket City. Wet your whistle on either the Downtown Huntsville Craft Beer Trail or the Craft Cocktail Trail, both with ten stops. Lodging options range from convenient hotels near golf to upscale accommodations downtown. Just west of Huntsville is one of the newer locations of the Trail. The Shoals area consists of the river town of Florence and Muscle Shoals, the “hit recording capital of the world.” The RTJ Golf Trail at The Shoals Sweet Home Alabama US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa in Florence/Muscle Shoals
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