Magnolia Grove Golf Course, Mobile, AL: Crossings vs Falls vs the Short Course

Magnolia Grove golf course in Mobile, AL is a 54-hole RTJ Trail site: Crossings (par 72, 7,212 yards, slope 135), Falls (par 71, 7,158 yards, slope 137) and a par-3 Short Course. Falls is the harder, waterier round; Crossings is longer and hillier. It sits about 96 minutes from Gulf Shores, so it works best as a 36-hole day.

Our guide to the Robert Trent Jones Trail near Gulf Shores covers how to fit the trip in. This one is about the courses themselves: which to play, from which tees, and when. Prices were seen in October 2026, are plus tax, and change. Drive times are free-flow road estimates without traffic.

Quick facts

• Address: 7001 Magnolia Grove Pkwy, Mobile, AL (the USGA lists the city as Semmes). Shop: 251-645-0075.
• Courses: Crossings, Falls and the Short Course, all opened in 1992.
• Designer: Robert Trent Jones Sr., with his associate Roger Rulewich doing much of the detail design, as on the whole Trail.
• Greens: Mini Verde ultradwarf bermuda on Crossings and Falls; Champion ultradwarf on the Short Course.
• Walking: allowed on all three. Pull carts allowed, not rented.
• Booking: online only, 7 days ahead for the public; packages up to 12 months out.
• Google rating: 4.5 from 482 reviews, one listing for all 54 holes (October 2026).
• From central Gulf Shores: about 96 minutes, 59.8 miles.

Magnolia Grove golf course in Mobile, AL: Crossings vs Falls at a glance

Both regulation courses share the 35,000-square-foot clubhouse, with a pro shop, grill, locker rooms and showers, and the same range. According to RTJ, Magnolia Grove is a former LPGA Tour host and hosted the Korn Ferry (then Nationwide) Tour Championship.

Which Magnolia Grove course is harder?

From the back and middle tees, Falls. It's 54 yards shorter than Crossings and a stroke lower on par, yet carries the higher slope at the Purple, Orange and White tees. The 2010 renovation gave it large, contoured greens and several redesigned holes, and it is now the only par 71 on the RTJ Trail. Its back nine rates 142 from the Purples.

From the forward tees the gap closes, and it flips. Here are the men's ratings side by side:

At the Gold tees, Falls is 182 yards shorter and a point lower on slope, and at the Teals it's 212 yards shorter at the same slope. A golfer who plays from about 5,500 yards will find Falls the easier of the two.

Women's ratings: Crossings White 75.2/134, Gold 72.5/127 and Teal 70.3/123; Falls Gold 71.6/123 and Teal 69.3/116.

For where both rank against every other course near the beach, see our hardest golf courses in Gulf Shores slope table.

The Crossings course

Crossings is open, rolling parkland, the hillier of the two big courses, with wetlands, creeks and crushed-oyster-shell waste bunkers. Expect some blind shots. The Crossings course page has the full card.

The holes to know:

• #8, par 3: a green perched above wetlands with four pot bunkers.
• #16, par 5, 596 yards: the cart path runs through an oyster-shell waste bunker, and it has the longest green on the course.
• #17, par 3, up to 226 yards: the hardest par 3, over baha grass and bunkers.

Because it's the hillier walk, play Crossings first if you're doing 36, while your legs are fresh. Most players will be happiest at the Whites (6,157) or Golds (5,660).

The Falls course

Falls is routed out to a lake and waterfall and back, with wetlands, big cloverleaf bunkers and large contoured greens from the October 2010 rebuild. Water is in play on 5, 7, 10 and 11. The Falls course page has hole details.

• #5, par 5, 582 yards: going for it in two is all carry over water.
• #10, par 5, 570 yards: water cascades from the lake across the fairway in front of the green. This is the photo hole, and RTJ's yardage book says lay up.
• #11, par 3: the green juts into the lake, with water all down the left.

If you only have one round and you like water holes and big greens, play Falls. If you'd rather have elevation and a longer card, play Crossings.

The Short Course

Eighteen full-length par 3s over marsh and water, not a pitch-and-putt. The Purples total 3,140 yards (57.2/101), the Oranges 2,734 (55.8/98), the Whites 2,279 (54.2/96) and the Teals 1,829 (52.7/92). It was recently given new Champion ultradwarf greens.

RTJ says Golf Digest named it the best par-3 course in America; we couldn't verify that or find the year. It's walkable and works for a mixed-ability group or a partner learning the game. The Short Course page lists every tee. Its price isn't published, and RTJ's multi-day specials generally cover the regulation courses, so ask the shop whether it can be added.

How much does Magnolia Grove cost?

For Magnolia Grove golf course in Mobile, AL, RTJ sells seasonal multi-day specials through RTJ Reservations (two-day minimum, booked at least 48 hours ahead, cart and range balls included). Magnolia Grove's prices are "starting at" figures that vary by date.

The single-round public rate is shown only inside RTJ's booking system after you log in, so it isn't here. Third-party listings quote about $45 to $65 for 18, but they're undated, so treat that as unconfirmed. RTJ Trail Card and annual memberships give lower rates but can't be combined with packages. There's a military discount and no senior rate.

The unlimited-play day is the best deal if you'll play 36: from $115 in winter covers a full day on Crossings and Falls with a cart.

When is the best time to play Magnolia Grove?

Winter has the lowest prices at Magnolia Grove golf course in Mobile, AL (from $85 a day). Avoid these dates in 2027:

• March 8 and March 15: greens aerification on Falls, then Crossings, each with 7 days of recovery. Spring golf in the second half of March means one course will be healing.
• June 14-18 (Falls) and July 12-16 (Crossings): full aerification, 14 days of recovery each.
• Tuesdays: the range closes for part of every Tuesday, so warm-ups are limited.

Mobile's Mardi Gras parades run for about two weeks before Fat Tuesday (February 9, 2027) and fill Mobile hotels. The 2026 aerification dates were not posted.

Is Magnolia Grove worth the drive from Gulf Shores?

As a single round, no: 96 minutes each way is a lot for 18 holes when Gulf Shores golf courses are 7 to 24 minutes away. As a 36-hole day on the unlimited special, it's one of the better-value days on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Drive times from where golfers stay:

Three good ways to do it:

1. A 36-hole day from the beach. Leave early, play Crossings, have lunch in the grill, play Falls or the Short Course. Our 36 holes a day in Gulf Shores guide covers daylight and pairings.
2. The Swing special. Stay at the Grand Hotel, play Lakewood Azalea or Lakewood Dogwood one day and Magnolia Grove the next. Our Lakewood Azalea vs Dogwood guide helps you pick the Lakewood half.
3. On the way to the airport. Magnolia Grove and Mobile Regional Airport (MOB) are both in west Mobile. Check which Mobile airport your 2027 ticket uses; see flying to Gulf Shores for golf.

Rules and what to bring

• Dress code: shirts with collar and sleeves; slacks or knee-length shorts; non-metal spikes preferred.
• No personal coolers on RTJ courses.
• Rental clubs: reserve with the shop. Magnolia Grove is a Ship Sticks partner if you'd rather ship your bag.
• Walking: allowed, which isn't true at Lakewood. Our walking golf in Gulf Shores guide lists the other courses that allow it.

Plan it on the map

Magnolia Grove golf course in Mobile, AL sits off the beach map, but the Gulf Shores golf map shows drive times to it from every hotel. Use it to decide whether a Mobile day fits your trip, or whether a night at the Grand Hotel makes the RTJ pairing easier.