Gulf State Park golf course will close for good on Dec. 2.

Gulf State Park golf course will close for good on Dec. 2.

Due to a saturation of golf courses in the region and the opportunity to provide new nature-based recreational opportunities at Gulf State Park, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ALDCNR) officials announced this week that the Gulf State Park’s golf course will close in December.
The course has been losing money for several years and closing the course will allow GSP to save money while opening up that property for other outdoor experiences, according to Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“The decision to close the Gulf State Park course was not made lightly,’’ he said. “ALDCNR also engaged a third-party that specializes in studying golf courses and developing plans to identify how to make the best use of the facility.’’ The Gulf State Park Master Plan can be found at mygulfstatepark.com.
“There are more than a half-dozen other golf courses in the region, and that saturation means the prognosis for profitability of our course is not good,” said State Parks Director Greg Lein. “We can’t afford to continue operating in the red year after year. That not only negatively impacts Gulf State Park, but our system as a whole.”
The good news, he said, is that several courses in the area have agreed to offer special rates for Gulf State Park’s campground and lodge guests from December 3rd through February 28. For example, Craft Farms in Gulf Shores will offer a play anytime rate of $46.50, Peninsula Golf Club in Gulf Shores will offer $51.50 and Rock Creek in Fairhope will offer $34.83. Each of the three courses will offer an early-bird (before 9 a.m.) rate of $39, and all will charge $24 for a nine-hole round after 3 p.m., plus other special rates as well. Park guests will have to present a receipt from the park to qualify for these exclusive rates.
Gulf State Park is considered the “crown jewel” of Alabama’s state parks system.