Peninsula Golf Club in Gulf Shores: Marsh, Lakes and Cypress, Winter Rates and How to Book

Peninsula Golf Club in Gulf Shores (officially Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club) is a 27-hole Earl Stone design on the Fort Morgan peninsula, about 14 minutes west of central Gulf Shores and next to the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. It is a member club that sells public tee times, and for winter 2026-27 it advertises dynamic rates from $89 a round (seen October 2026).

Three nines (Marsh, Lakes and Cypress) wind through live oaks, cypress, marsh and more than 30 lakes, with new TifEagle greens. This guide to Peninsula Golf Club in Gulf Shores covers the nines, tees, fees, booking and where to stay.

Peninsula at a glance

On the map it is Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, and the Peninsula course guide has the full card.

The setting: oaks, marsh and a wildlife refuge

Peninsula is a lowcountry-style coastal layout. The course borders the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, and the club tells you to watch for alligators and eagles. From Lakes #7 you look out over Mobile Bay.

It is on Fort Morgan Road on the way to Kiva Dunes, about 13 minutes apart. Pairing them saves you driving the peninsula twice; our Kiva Dunes golf guide covers the other half of that day.

The three nines: Marsh, Lakes and Cypress

You can't book a particular 18 here. The superintendent decides which two nines are in play on the day.

• Lakes has water on every hole.
• Cypress is the longest nine, with forced carries.
• Marsh has the most decisions off the tee.

The holes the club highlights:

• Lakes #7, par 5. The club's named signature hole. It is reachable in two, with Mobile Bay as the backdrop, wetlands left and out of bounds right. The club's advice is to lay up down the right side.
• Marsh #6, par 4. Drivable, to an elevated green, with several tee angles.
• Marsh #9, par 5. Risk-reward: going for it in two means taking on the lake left of the green.
• Lakes #9, par 4. A long two-shotter to an elevated green.

The course is long from the tips and harder than older cards suggest: current slopes are 131 to 135 from the #1 tees and 126 to 130 from the #2s, and the wetlands are the main penalty.

Tees and ratings by combination

Ratings are current USGA figures for men (checked October 2026). The USGA also rates an Apple tee of about 5,300 yards on each combination. Women's ratings from the #4 tees are 69.3 to 69.9, with slopes of 113 to 114.

The Apple and #4 tees, about 4,900 to 5,300 yards with slopes of 103 to 109, are the easy options here; the #3 tees (5,685 to 5,865 yards) slope 113 to 120. That makes Peninsula a good pick for a mixed group or for older golfers; see our senior golf in Gulf Shores guide.

What's new since the 2023 sale

Thistle Hill Properties, which also owns Craft Farms, now owns the club after a sale in July 2023. Since then the club reports work on the course, clubhouse and agronomy: brand-new TifEagle greens, tree removal, bunker renovation, cart-path work and a new fleet of carts with built-in GPS yardages. It does not publish the year of each item. One older club page still says the greens are Champion bermuda, so the switch is recent.

Peninsula Golf Club Gulf Shores fees and winter rates

The online tee sheet (EZLinks) could not be read when we checked, so we have no rate by date beyond the $89 floor. Older third-party figures are undated and not reliable. Rates change, so check when you book. The cart is included in green fees.

The club says there is "no seven-day booking window" for winter 2026-27, and it does not publish a booking window at all. Book direct and early. Our Gulf Shores tee times booking guide compares the rules across the area.

Why Peninsula is a winter pick

Many Gulf Coast courses let their bermuda go dormant and tan in winter. Peninsula's winter page says it keeps fairways, tees and greens "lush and green all winter long", unlike other local courses, and that its sand base drains fast with no cart-path-only days. It doesn't say whether that means a rye overseed or colorant, and no aeration dates are published.

At the Pensacola reference station, December to February highs average about 61°F to 64°F. For a November to March trip, that combination of greener turf and good drainage is the reason to put Peninsula on the list, but confirm conditions when you book. More in our Gulf Shores winter golf guide.

Rankings

• GolfPass Golfers' Choice Top Courses in Alabama: #3 (2017), #7 (2024)
• GolfPass Top 25 Course Conditions in the U.S.: #9 (2017)
• Golf Digest Places to Play: 4.5 stars (older rating cited by the club)

Practice, clubhouse and dress code

There is a driving range, short-game area and putting green. Group packages include unlimited range use. Daily-fee range terms are not published, and reviewers mention range balls are not included.

The clubhouse Bar & Grill is open to the public daily, 7:30 AM to 3 PM. The golf shop stocks Peter Millar, Johnnie-O and Holderness & Bourne, and there are new Titleist rental sets, PGA instruction and men's and women's locker rooms. The racquet club, pools, fitness center and private bay beach are for members only.

Dress code: proper golf attire and soft spikes. The club publishes no detailed code.

Groups: Peninsula plus Craft Farms

Peninsula and its sister club Craft Farms (Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend) can be booked together as 63 holes through Kevin Whitney (251-968-8009). Two Coastal Alabama Golf hotel packages also include a round here (see below). Our Craft Farms golf guide covers the other two courses, and the Gulf Shores buddies golf trip guide covers group planning.

Where to stay near Peninsula Golf Club

Drive times are road estimates from our routing.

The Hampton Inn and Courtyard packages are sold by Coastal Alabama Golf, double occupancy, price on request. The Hampton Inn has a renovation running until January 15, 2027. For the full list, see Gulf Shores golf hotels.

Is Peninsula Golf Club in Gulf Shores worth playing?

Yes, especially from November to March. You get 27 holes of marsh and oak scenery, new greens, the club's promise of green, well-drained winter turf, and a lower floor price than Kiva Dunes. The trade-offs are that you can't choose your nines and that exact rates are only visible when you book.

Plan it on the map

The Gulf Shores golf map shows Peninsula between town and Kiva Dunes on Fort Morgan Road, with every hotel's drive time. Click the course to see its holes, then line it up with Kiva Dunes for an easy two-course day.