Quail Creek Golf Course, Fairhope: The City Course, Its TifEagle Greens Conversion and How to Get a Tee Time

Quail Creek Golf Course, Fairhope, AL, is the City of Fairhope's public 18-hole municipal course, a flat par 72 of up to 6,280 yards (70.5 / 120) about 46 minutes from Gulf Shores. Tee times are by phone, 7 days ahead, and the greens are partway through a conversion to TifEagle bermuda.

It is usually the cheapest round on the Eastern Shore, the easiest walk, and the closest of the bay courses to the beach. It also has muni conditions, no published daily rates and a busy league calendar. This guide covers the greens project, tees, booking, rules and when it is worth the drive.

Quick facts

• Name: Quail Creek Municipal Golf Course, run by the City of Fairhope.
• Address: 19841 Quail Creek Dr, Fairhope, AL 36532. Pro shop 251-990-0240; Quail Creek Grill 251-990-0188.
• Course: 18 holes, par 72, 4,675 to 6,280 yards; three lakes and more than 40 bunkers.
• Opened: 1988. Designed by Barney Shull, a Fairhope city councilman rather than a professional architect, per local sources.
• Tips: 70.5 rating, 120 slope (USGA).
• Booking: by phone only, 7 days ahead.
• Fees: no current rate card online; call.
• Thursdays: opens at 11 AM for maintenance.
• From central Gulf Shores: about 46 minutes, 29 miles.
• Google rating: 4.1 from 156 reviews.

Find Quail Creek Golf Course, Fairhope, on the Gulf Shores golf map and in the Quail Creek course guide.

What is Quail Creek Golf Course Fairhope like?

Flat, open municipal parkland. Three lakes come into play on a few holes, and there are more than 40 bunkers, but no real elevation change. The scorecard reflects that: 70.5 with a 120 slope from the 6,280-yard Whites, down to 62.9 / 102 for men from the 4,675-yard Reds.

It is a city muni, and it plays like one. Conditioning has drawn criticism in local press and reviews, so expect municipal standards rather than resort polish. The greens project below is the city's main effort to change that.

Quail Creek's TifEagle greens conversion

The city is converting Quail Creek's greens to TifEagle bermuda, nine holes at a time.

While a nine is being regrassed, the course stays open. You play temporary greens on that nine with 8-inch cups and an automatic two-putt local rule, which makes for a quick, relaxed round but not a real test of your putting.

If you are booking for late 2026 or 2027, ask the pro shop whether the back nine's new greens are open. The city's Quail Creek page posts the greens schedule, and our Fairhope, Point Clear and Daphne golf guide covers the rest of the area's courses.

Quail Creek tees and ratings

USGA ratings, checked October 2026.

At 6,280 yards from the back, this is short by Eastern Shore standards. The Gold and Green tees (106 to 112 men's slope) make it one of the friendliest full-length layouts in Baldwin County for seniors and higher handicaps. Our easy golf courses in Gulf Shores for high handicappers guide ranks it with the other gentle options.

How much does Quail Creek cost?

We can't give you a current number. There was no daily rate card online on October 22, 2026, and the figures in older city sheets (circa 2019 to 2022) and directories are undated or stale. Twilight rates exist, but the amount is not published. Call 251-990-0240.

The annual passes on the city's last published sheet (2023-24, with rates effective October 8, 2022) give a sense of scale, but may also be out of date:

How do you get a tee time at Quail Creek Golf Course Fairhope?

• By phone to the pro shop, 251-990-0240.
• 7 days ahead, per the city's rules and regulations document.
• No online booking was found.
• Thursdays the course opens at 11 AM for maintenance, so there are no early Thursday tee times.

The course is busy with senior, ladies' and men's league play plus charity scrambles. Call before you drive over, especially if you want a morning time. Our Gulf Shores tee times booking guide compares this with the online windows elsewhere.

Can you walk Quail Creek?

Yes. Walking is allowed except during league play, tournaments and outings, and the flat layout makes it one of the easier walks in the area. The city also asks for 18 holes in no more than four hours.

If you ride, the electric carts have coolers, sand bottles and split windshields. Our walking golf in Gulf Shores guide lists which other courses let you walk.

Practice, food and dress code

• Practice: large driving range, practice putting green, chipping green and practice bunker.
• Pro shop: rentals and club repair.
• Quail Creek Grill & Snack Bar: full liquor license and an outdoor patio.
• Dress code: no cut-offs, gym shorts, tank tops, halter tops, swimwear, short shorts or offensive shirts.

Overseed practice is not published.

How does Quail Creek compare with other Eastern Shore courses?

Ratings are USGA; drives are free-flow estimates from central Gulf Shores.

Quail Creek is the shortest drive from the beach, the easiest walk and the gentlest test in the group. Lake Forest is the other low-key option at a posted $55 with cart. Rock Creek is the better course, with the price dropping to about $41 to $47 after 2 PM in October 2026; see the Rock Creek course guide and our Rock Creek Golf Club Fairhope post. Lakewood at the Grand Hotel is the resort step up; the Lakewood Azalea course guide and our Lakewood Golf Club at the Grand Hotel guide cover it.

When is the best time to play Quail Creek?

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fairhope, the nearest station:

October and the spring months are the sweet spot. In winter, lows in the high 30s mean frost delays are possible, so call before you leave. Summer is hot and stormy; walk early or ride. Also keep the greens schedule in mind: the city started the front-nine regrassing in May 2025 and scheduled the back nine for May 2026.

Where to stay and how to fit it in

Quail Creek is the closest Eastern Shore course to Gulf Shores, via Hwy 59, Hwy 98 and Hwy 181. Drive times are free-flow estimates.

Good ways to use it:

• Eastern Shore day: a cheap morning at Quail Creek, then Rock Creek after 2 PM at the reduced rate.
• Senior or mixed group day: forward tees around 4,700 to 5,600 yards, walking allowed and a grill with a patio. See senior golf in Gulf Shores.
• From the Grand Hotel: an 18-minute hop for a round that costs far less than Lakewood.

Who should play Quail Creek Golf Course Fairhope?

• Walkers. It is flat, walking is allowed outside leagues and events, and the city's pace target is four hours.
• Seniors and higher handicaps. The Gold, Green and Red tees run 4,675 to 5,570 yards at 102 to 112 men's slope (111 to 121 for women).
• Golfers staying at the Grand Hotel who want a second, cheaper course 18 minutes away.
• Locals and long-stay visitors who might use an annual pass.

It is a poor fit for golfers who want tour-quality conditions, for anyone who wants to book online, and for early Thursday starts. During a greens conversion the temporary greens and automatic two-putt rule make it more of a casual round than a scoring one.

Is Quail Creek Golf Course worth the drive?

For a relaxed, walkable round with friendly tees, yes, especially once both nines have their new TifEagle greens. For a top-condition test, no; Rock Creek or Lakewood are the Eastern Shore picks. Call ahead for the rate, the league schedule and the greens status.

Plan it on the map

Open the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach golf map, click Quail Creek and your hotel, and see how it lines up with Rock Creek and the Grand Hotel. For a cheap, easy Eastern Shore round, Quail Creek Golf Course Fairhope is the closest place to start.