Lost Key Golf Club on Perdido Key: Paspalum, Water and a 143 Slope, 20 Minutes From Orange Beach

Lost Key Golf Club is a public par 71 on Perdido Key, Florida, about 21 minutes east of Orange Beach and 33 minutes from central Gulf Shores. Redesigned by Arnold Palmer Design Group in 2006 with Sea Dwarf paspalum from tee to green, it plays 6,801 yards from the Black tees with a 73.0 rating and a 143 slope. In late October 2026 the online rate was $80 in the morning and $65 after 1 PM, below the $95 rack rate.

It is tight, wet and sandy, and it is the best-conditioned course in our Gulf Shores and Orange Beach research, based on recent reviews. This guide covers the course, the holes to know, tees, fees, booking and where to stay.

Lost Key at a glance

Find it on the map and in the Lost Key course guide. The course is still called Lost Key Golf Club; the surrounding community and the booking site use "Lost Key Golf & Beach Club".

Lost Key Golf Club on Perdido Key: across the state line, same time zone

Lost Key sits just east of the Alabama-Florida line, so Florida rules apply at the register: 7.5% sales tax on top of the green fee, plus a 3% fee on card payments. It is on Central time, the same as Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.

For golfers staying in Orange Beach, Lost Key Golf Club on Perdido Key is one of the two closest regulation courses, along with Perdido Bay Golf Club. Our guide to Orange Beach golf courses explains why most Orange Beach visitors end up driving east, and the Perdido Key golf guide covers the Florida side.

History: from 1997 to the 2006 Palmer redesign

Lost Key opened in 1997. GolfPass credits Ed Seay alongside Arnold Palmer for the original design, but no other source we found confirms the 1997 architect. After hurricane damage, Arnold Palmer Design Group redesigned it in 2006 and regrassed it tee to green with Sea Dwarf paspalum, adding native trees and wetland plantings. Terra Firma Asset Management bought the club in 2018.

Paspalum from tee to green is unusual on this coast, where bermuda is the norm. How it looks in winter is not published.

How Lost Key plays, hole by hole

The layout runs through coastal wetlands, with water and marsh on many holes and heavy sand and waste areas. It is penal off the tee. Yardages below are mapped from our course model, not the card.

The 2nd is a club-selection trap: front to back on that green is about 18 yards of club. The 4th tempts you to drive it, but water left, right and long punishes anything loose. And the finish asks for the longest carry on the course at 17, then a reachable par 5 with wetlands in play.

Tees and ratings

Lost Key publishes both men's and women's ratings.

A 143 slope from the Black tees and 137 from the Blue make this one of the hardest public tests on the Alabama Gulf Coast golf map. The drop from White (128) to Gold (110) is big, so mid-handicappers who find the Whites too much have a real step down.

Lost Key green fees

These are from the club's rate page (effective August 21, 2026) and the live TeeItUp sheet, seen October 22, 2026. Rates change.

Rack rates are plus 7.5% tax and a 3% card fee. There is no resident rate, and no separate spring peak or winter rate had been posted when we checked. The cart appears to be included for golfers; non-golfing riders pay $15. The walking policy is not published.

The lesson is simple: book online, where prices were $15 below rack in late October. For more value rounds, see cheap golf in Gulf Shores.

Booking Lost Key tee times

• 14 days ahead for the public, on TeeItUp.
• Opens at midnight Central. When we checked on October 22, November 5 was bookable and November 21 opened on November 7.
• Cart rules can change daily. The club says carts may be kept to paths in late fall and winter; a July 2026 magazine piece said the course is never cart-path only. Ask when you book.

Our Gulf Shores tee times booking guide compares the windows across the area.

Conditions, food and dress code

Conditions are Lost Key's selling point. In each of the last ten GolfPass reviews (September to October 2026), reviewers gave conditions 5 out of 5. On Google the club rates 4.2 from 139 reviews. No overseed or aeration schedule is published.

There is a driving range, putting green and chipping area. Grille 625 in the clubhouse serves breakfast and lunch with a bar and Sunday brunch, and is open to the public seven days a week (reservations 850-549-2168). Rental clubs are $79 for 18 and $59 for nine.

Dress code: collared or mock-neck shirts with sleeves. No T-shirts, tank tops, jeans, sweatpants, athletic shorts or swimwear. Soft spikes only.

Pair it with Perdido Bay

Perdido Bay Golf Club is about 9 minutes from Lost Key. It is a long, watery former PGA Tour site (the Pensacola Open, 1978 to 1987). On its 2026 rate card (March 2 to November 2), 18 holes were $85 tax included from 7:30 AM to 1 PM, $65 from 1 to 3 PM and $50 at twilight, and the online sheet still showed those prices for November 4. Its $70 local rate covers Baldwin County residents, which includes owners in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Lost Key and Perdido Bay together make an easy Florida-side golf day.

Where to stay near Lost Key

Drive times are road estimates from our routing. Prices are snapshots seen October 22, 2026, and will change.

The Lost Key condos are privately owned units in a gated community, rented by Vacasa and other managers. A foursome fits in one 3-bedroom unit and eight golfers need two. Renters must be 21 or older (Vacasa), terms vary by manager, and a free shuttle runs to the community's Gulf-front beach club. One listing says some units transfer a family membership, but that is unverified, so ask.

Lost Key names Perdido Beach Resort as its lodging partner, but no stay-and-play price was published. The resort has usually closed for most of December, so check dates for a winter trip. Coastal Alabama Golf's "Pure Palmer" package includes Lost Key. For the full comparison, see Gulf Shores golf hotels.

Is Lost Key Golf Club worth it?

Yes, if you are staying in Orange Beach or want the best-kept turf in the area. The price is moderate for what you get, especially online, and the paspalum sets it apart. The trade-off is difficulty: it is tight and wet, so pick your tees honestly and bring extra balls.

Plan it on the map

The Gulf Shores and Orange Beach golf map shows Lost Key and Perdido Bay at the east end of the coast, with every Orange Beach hotel and its drive time. Click the course to see each hole's par and length before you book.