Michigan Golf Journal March 2021

13 March 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com 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 brand-new 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 gulf-front golf resort offering a Jerry Pate-designed course, clubhouse and fairway condominiums, as well a s 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 U.S. 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 with ten stops or the Downtown Huntsville Craft Coffee Trail with nine stops. Lodging options range from convenient hotels near golf to upscale accommodations downtown. Alabama’s largest city, Birmingham is home to two RTJ Golf Trail sites (Ross Bridge and Oxmoor Valley) and the state’s most luxurious golf resort at Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa, plus the Barber Vintage Motor Sports Museum, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, James Beard Award winning/ nominated chefs and restaurants, four craft breweries and exciting nightlife options that only a city this size can offer. You can choose to stay on-site at Ross Bridge, at a historic downtown hotel, a boutique inn or any number of convenient branded hotels. Continues on next page >> Kiva Dunes Golf & Beach Resort