The 2008 Official Alabama Vacation Guide

T he American Idol is more than happy to talk about the Alabama Idea, a network of world-class, aﬀordable golf courses the other states have tried to copy but certainly never duplicated. “I think the Trail is very unique to Alabama,” Hicks said during a visit to Capitol Hill in Prattville, one of 10 Trail sites sprinkled throughout the state along main thoroughfares. “We’re very proud of the Trail. I’ve been in planes and traveling around the country and, you know, one of the things that come up in conversation is when I talk about my home state, one of them is like, ‘I’ve played the Trail before.’ So the Trail is a deﬁnite unique part of Alabama’s culture.” The RTJ Trail, which is accompanied with luxury hotels and spas, is the backbone of golf tourism in Alabama. Trail locations not only have multiple courses, but they are also within a two-hour drive of each other, allowing visitors to get maximum golf with minimum travel. The Trail also aﬀords golfers opportunities to play where the pros play. Capitol Hill’s Senator Course is home to the Navistar LPGA Classic and Ross Bridge in Hoover is home to the Regions Charity Classic on the Champions Tour, while Mobile’s Magnolia Grove has hosted the LPGA Tournament of Champions for almost a decade. Other stops on the Trail include The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Hampton Cove in Huntsville, Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham, Silver Lakes in Anniston/Gadsden, Grand National in Auburn/Opelika, Highland Oaks in Dothan and Cambrian Ridge in Greenville. Another popular way for golfers to get the best bang for their golf buck is through the Gulf Shores Golf Association, which features a variety of surf-and-turf vacation packages near Alabama’s sugar-white beaches. The granddaddy of resort golf in southwest Alabama is Craft Farms, a scenic 36-hole collection of the only Arnold Palmer signature design courses in the state. Cotton Creek, which started the boom of upscale, daily-fee courses in lower Alabama, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Cypress Bend, its sister course, is also a popular favorite on the coast. “The golf courses have matured and gotten better with time,” said Craft Farms general manager Grant Brown. “Each course is diﬀerent. You could play 36 holes and feel like you’ve been to two diﬀerent locations. “Cotton Creek is longer, tighter, and has smaller greens. It’s more of a player’s course, one that skilled golfers will enjoy more. It’s a shot-maker’s golf course. Cypress Bend is more what you think of as a traditional coastal resort course. It’s shorter, wider, has bigger greens, and is considered less demanding even though there’s water on every hole.” Other coastal treasures in the GSGA include Kiva Dunes, The Peninsula, Rock Creek, Timber Creek, Soldiers Creek and Glenlakes. One trip and you’ll know why Taylor Hicks sings the praises of golf in Alabama. Capitol Hill in Prattville. PHOTO: ATD The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is fun for everyone (left)! PHOTO: ATD w w w. a l a b a m a . t r a v e l 21 http://www.alabama.travel

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The 2008 Official Alabama Vacation Guide

How to Use Your Vacation Guide State Map Welcome Alabama - The State of Sports Alabama - Sports Shrines Alabama - It's Your Turn Alabama Adventure Revved Up Alabama - Year Of Sports Alabama - Baseball Alabama - Civil Rights Alabama - Happy Trails Pugskin Pride Food and Wine Trail Alabama Mountains Alabama Mountains Map June Walking Tours Metropolitan Metropolitan Map The Race Is On Sports Trivia River Hertitage River Heritage Map Sports Trivia Gulf Coast Gulf Coast Map Shopping Civil War Trail State Park Amenities State Park Map Campgrounds Outfitters Hunting and Fishing Licenses Hunting Lodges Information Sources Attraction Index City Index Advertiser Index

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