Kiva Dunes Golf Course

My favorite course in the area. Have played it three times and enjoyed it more once I know the layout and where to hit the ball. Pretty challenging course so be prepared to lose a few golf balls. Great white sand in the bunkers and waste area. Course was in great shape with fast greens.

Another great Jerry Pate course. Must play when you are in the area.

This is a great golf course for the money that anyone can enjoy.

I have played this course several times recently. The course is tough as nails, firm greens, fast greens, huge greens. If you are in the wrong position on the green, you can forget two putting.

The starter seemed more interested in getting rid if my friend and I instead of letting us enjoy the experience. We were there 45 minutes early to warm up and he was like, you have to go now or you will be here all day. We paid for all day and didn't get to enjoy it.

So slick, fast, need to play to know how challenge it is.

Great course to play winter or summer. Fairways and greens we’re excellent. I would recommend this course to players with handicap not over 18. This is s shot making course.

The weather was great on the day we played, but would have sucked the day before or after.

Course is difficult, some of the greens are ridiculous. Obviously it would help to know the course.

Staff was very pleasant.

Course was in great shape. Greens were awesome. I will play it again.

I found this course to be in excellent condition for this time of year. Greens were firm and fast and rolled true. Fairways were cut to a good height. Bunkers were playable and plentiful.

A must course to play if you are visiting Gulf Shores or Orange Beach.

The course was in great condition! Top notch service.

Nice course, played easier than expected. I suspect if there was a cross wind our results would not be so good. Greens were in excellent condition for this time year.

This Jerry Pate design is always among the rankings of top public and best courses in Alabama lists. Though not situated on the ocean, its proximity to it is close enough for the wind to wreak havoc. This was my first visit to Kiva Dunes, and I thought it was blowing pretty good. The starter said the wind was actually down today. I can't imagine the teeth this track bears on "windy" days.

The first thing you should consider is which tees to play. The tips (gold) play 7,122 yards (73.6/134). The Blues play 6,505 yards (70.8/128); Whites play 5,878yards (68.7/119); Greens play 5,495 yards (67.1/115); and Reds play 5,006 yards (69.5/115). I was torn between the blues and whites. I generally prefer to play between 6,200 and 6,500 yards so I asked the starter if the course plays to the yardage, longer or shorter. He advised that the course plays longer due to the wind. I chose the whites and enjoyed it very much. I found that half the holes played into the wind and half played downwind. I didn't encounter any cross winds so I think although the sub 6,000-yard tees appeared short, it probably payed more like 6,200.

Pate did a nice job varying the tee shots required. From the whites I was able to use a variety of clubs off the tee, including several long irons. There are some very generous landing zones on several holes, while the scrub trees choke the fairways on others. Placement is more important than length, which leads me to my first piece of constructive criticism: the pro shop does not sell a yardage guide and the carts are not equipped with GPS, so as an unaccompanied single getting his first look at the golf course it was rather challenging. They do provide a diagram of the holes in the cart, but it would be helpful to know how far it is to carry fairway bunkers or avoid hazards off the tee.

The TifEagle Bermuda greens were very smooth, but were not as fast as I would've expected. The starter said they were a bit slower this time of year in an effort to keep them healthy. I was also surprised to find that there was no grain in them. They are some dramatic slopes in many of the greens. Lag putting will be another premium here, since it can take a few holes or nine to realize that the greens are extremely firm and roll out immensely, particularly downwind. I would suggest using a club less. Approaches into the wind held pretty well on the target.

Bunkers were in excellent shape and were extremely consistent.

My other constructive criticism is that although I know the starter meant well, he informed myself and others on the range that he didn't adhere to tee times and he sent players off as they were ready. I hesitate to be too critical of this A) because I really liked him and he was very helpful in preparing me on what to expect and B) because It could be advantageous if you are in a hurry and want to slip out a little early. However, I felt rushed. I was supposed to go off with a twosome, but instead was sent off as a single 20 minutes early and ahead of a twosome that was waiting on the tee for their scheduled tee time, which was a bit uncomfortable. Once on the course, I played through a twosome and encountered a single who was playing behind a threesome and another foursome. Two-thirds of the round was extremely slow, with extended wait times between shots, so maybe adhering to proper tee times and not sending singles out amidst threesomes and foursomes would improve pace of play.

In summary, this is a tough play the first time around unless you have someone playing with you to guide you. However, provided you play the right tees it is a very enjoyable, yet demanding course. Clubbing in the wind and crafty lag putting will lend you an advantage. I look forward to playing it again to utilize what I learned.