Cypress Bend at The Craft Farms Resort

On family vacation last week in Gulf Shores and only planned on two rounds - Cypress Bend and Kiva Dunes. Had such a good experience at Kraft Farms I found time for two more rounds there.

Every course can be nit-picked, but considering course design, condition, facilities, pace of play, service and price, there's nothing close to Kraft Farms. My understanding is the Cotton Creek course is more difficult than Cypress Bend which is more of a 'resort style' course.

Of most significance, the people and quality of service was outstanding from the moment you get out of the car. Paola, in the pro shop, goes above and beyond. Bill and Ryan were awesome. I highly recommend this course.

From the time you drop your bag until you leave, Craft Farms is an experience. Paola in the shop was 5 stars. Bob and all the other staff were so friendly and very accommodating. I played Cypress Bend and 9 holes on Cotton Creek (you have to hit fairways and greens on this course). Both are really nice and were in great shape. I will be back and highly recommend to anyone who enjoys great golf.

I am a local and played with my middle school aged son. I was charged local rate as advertised but was charged full child price. Instead of the children play free advertisement. This makes twice i have been charged for a child when they have been advertising children play free. I will continue to play the course but will when my child plays i will play another local course that honors their advertisements.

Been playing here for several years when I come to this area. Never a disappointment. Love it here. Staff is great and they always make you feel special. Thanks for another great week of golf.

Both Cypress Bend and Cotton Creek were in tremendous shape and made for a challenging day for our group. This course is a great value! But what sets Craft Farms apart from the rest is the amazing staff and customer service! You can tell they invest in their golfers having a great experience for all the right reasons. Kevin, Ryan and Bobby (and of course the bartenders and cart girls) took care of us from the second we arrived. They even shipped my misplaced club back to me free of charge. Can’t wait to get back to ‘Bama and visit these guys again!
- Chase C.

The golf was really good the course played well pace of play was bad but we were stuck behind a group of seven people

Staff was friendly and cooperative. Course had a good mix of challenging holes and easier holes. Tee boxes were a little rough but that’s my only course complaint.

Course was in great condition, especially considering it rained hard the day before.. obviously it was cart path only. The only issue was the twosome in front of us. We would be on the tee box waiting to tee off.. one guy would walk to his ball in the middle of the fairway and hit, come back to the cart, then the next guy would wait until he got back to go to the fairway and hit his ball.. it was really frustrating but overall good experience

Was signed up to play Cypress Bend but moved to the other course to join another twosome. Round was great. Had a good time with local members. Course was in really good shape especially for December. Weather as awesome - mid 60's. Green were very good, maybe a little slow. Pace was nice. We played in a little over 3 hours. Afternoon discounted rate was a nice incentive

Enjoyed my round on this course. Had a great time. Course is challenging.

My sister and I played here on a Wednesday in mid November. We had fabulous weather, the staff was all very friendly, and the course conditions were excellent.

The bottom line: I've only played a handful of courses in the area, but Cypress Bend just jumped to the top of the list.

The starter sent us off the back because we were a twosome and he said we'd have an open course most of the way, and he was spot on. We didn't play well, and we paused frequently to enjoy the nice views or snap a picture, so it took us about 3.5 hrs to play, and we never had another group ahead of or behind us.

The greens rolled a bit like the bent and bermuda greens back in Iowa and Missouri, but the layer was so thick that even full shots left only minor dents, making repair much easier than back home. Still, most shots held very well. And they have 5 pin positions here, which they can do because of the large greens with interesting shapes. We had several very long putts, but they rolled very true and once we got the feel we were able to dial in the speed pretty well.

The fairways are tight, but not excessively so. The bunkers are the local white sand, but the fluffy sand is fairly shallow so you won't want to take huge swings in the greenside traps.

The pro shop is well stocked, and is staffed by friendly folks.

I'll be back!

Outstanding greens, friendly staff easy to book, course play slow due to snowbirds but would easily book this again

The course was great the fair ways were awesome and the greens were in great shape. Do miss this course make sure it’s on your bucket list. Great staff and having free range balls was a plus.

The employees here cannot do enough for you! They are soooo accommodating. Paola, the lady in the golf shop, was super friendly and set us up to have a great golf experience. Bobby also took great care of us, got our cart and showed us the way to the course. I’ve never experienced such friendliness along with being so accommodating! I highly recommend this place!

Course was in great shape, pace of play was excellent (under 3.5 hours), and staff was best I've seen!! Paolo was very knowledgeable, extremely helpful, and as professional as you will ever encounter.