2009 Official Alabama Vacation Guide - (Page 18) No.1 for Golf by Gareth Clary Alabama— ALABAMA IS QUICKLY BECOMING ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S PREMIER GOLFING DESTINATIONS. P eople thought Dr. David Bronner was crazy when he wanted to invest $100 million from the Retirement Systems of Alabama to build a network of world-class golf courses throughout the state. Arnold Palmer initially thought investors were out of their minds when they asked him to transform a tabletop flat sod farm into a sprawling coastal resort in Gulf Shores. Golf? In Alabama? C’mon. That was the normal reaction. Bronner and Palmer, however, were visionaries and their dreams for golf in the state have not only come true, but exceeded their wildest expectations. From the Appalachian foothills to the sugar-white beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama is dotted with you’ve-got-to-see-‘em-to-believe-‘em courses that offer golf travelers the best bang for their buck. According to a 2008 study by Golf Digest and the Travel Industry Association of America, Bronner’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail ranked No. 1 in a list of the best value among The Trail is the backbone of golf in Alabama with the courses located off the state’s main thoroughfares within short drives of each other. It includes 54-hole facilities at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Grand National in Auburn, Capitol Hill in Prattville, Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham, and Hampton Cove in Huntsville; plus 36-hole facilities at Cambrian Ridge in Greenville, Highland Oaks in Dothan, and Silver Lakes in Anniston. Ross Bridge, an 18-hole Trail resort in Hoover, was ranked among the top 500 hotels in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine. The Trail’s Grand Hotel in Point Clear and its 36 historic oak-lined holes were ranked among the top U.S. golf resorts in 2008 by Zagat’s. Palmer’s 36-hole Craft Farms Resort that features Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend triggered the golf boom in southwest Alabama roughly 20 years ago. It is the cornerstone of the Gulf Shores Golf Association, which offers affordable surf-and-turf vacations with its nine championship courses along the state’s 32-mile coastline. golfing destinations in the United States. Gulf Shores was No. 3 in that same rating. The Trail also ranked No. 9 in the country in a list of the best getaways based on quality of golf. Furthermore, Golf World readers ranked the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Opelika No. 1, in Prattville No. 2, and in Mobile No. 32 of the Top 50 Public Courses. “With a sluggish economy, golfers are looking for both quality and value these days,” Bronner said. “This study clearly states that the Trail has both value and quality. With rising gas prices, the emphasis for most travelers is on value and we are at the top of the list.” PHOTO: COURTESY OF GSGA, ATD/JEFF GREENBERG. 18 w w w. a l a b a m a . t r a v e l http://www.alabama.travel
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