semi-private · Gulf Shores, AL · 18 holes

Craft Farms Golf Club - Cotton Creek

The longer, tree-lined of Alabama's only two Palmer designs, five miles inland from the beach. Its winter Six-Pack works out to about $70 a round across both Craft Farms courses.

Par72

Tips7,127 yd

Rating / slope74.2 / 129

Green fees seen$70–$85

See Craft Farms Cotton Creek on the 3D map, hole by hole Book a tee time

Tees, rating and slope

Tee	Yards	Men	Women
Gold	7,127	74.2 / 129	–
Blue	6,617	71.9 / 124	–
White	6,080	69.7 / 118	–
Silver	5,438	66.8 / 109	71.9 / 119
Red	5,160	65.5 / 107	70.8 / 115
Red Senior	3,910	–	63.1 / 102

Course rating / slope, USGA Course Rating database where available.

Green fees

Winter	Winter Six-Pack $420 for 6 rounds (= $70/round, valid to Feb 15, 2027) or Extended Six-Pack $510 (= $85/round, to Mar 31, 2027). Prices exclude tax, a 3% card fee applies, and orders are due by Nov 15, 2026. Good on either Craft Farms course; limit 2 rounds per card per day.
Twilight	Twilight rate after 2:00 PM (amount not published). Nine-hole rounds only after 2 PM.
Locals	Local rate (Baldwin County residents with ID): Sun-Thu and after noon Fri-Sat, by phone. Military/fire/police/EMT rate by phone. Member-guest rate $70-$90.

Craft Farms Six-Pack and Special Offers pages read 2026-10-22. Daily public rack rates are not published, and the EZLinks tee sheet blocked automated reading.

Before you book

Access	Semi-private club (Craft Farms Golf Club, owned by Thistle Hill Properties, sister club of Peninsula) with members plus daily-fee public play. Book online direct (EZLinks) or call. Military/first-responder and Baldwin County local rates are phone-only and cannot be booked online.
Book ahead	Not published for public play. Six-Pack card holders can book 14 days ahead; local rate players must book within 48 hours of the tee time.
Overseed / closures	Not published. No overseed or aeration dates found.
Designer	Arnold Palmer (with Ed Seay)
Opened	1987
Style	traditional Palmer parkland: tree-lined rolling fairways, lakes and marsh, large undulating greens, risk-reward par 5s
Carts	Cart included in green fees (GolfPass). Members pay a $30/18-hole cart fee, which suggests carts are standard. Walking policy not published.
Practice	Driving range with target greens, chipping greens, practice bunkers and a large putting green. Range balls $10 per bag (35-40 balls).
Dress code	Collared shirts and soft spikes required; shorts are fine.
Elevation	30 ft
Drive from central Gulf Shores	12 min (5.5 mi)
Phone	251-968-3002; 888-385-5108 (Six-Packs)
Address	3840 Cotton Creek Blvd (club contact page: Cotton Creek Circle), Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Signature holes

#6 - 395-yd dogleg-right par 4 (No. 1 handicap). Tee shot over water, and the approach crosses more water to a bunkered green; cut off as much as you dare.
#7 - 517-yd par 5 reachable in two. Water right, OB left.
#17 - 535-yd par 5 reachable in two (No. 2 handicap).

Local knowledge

These are the only Arnold Palmer designs in Alabama. Cotton Creek is the longer, tree-lined, more traditional of the two Craft Farms 18s.
The winter Six-Pack ($70/round) is the best per-round value on the coast if you play six or more rounds. It sold out last year, and orders close Nov 15, 2026.
Groups can stay at The Bunkhouse (6 rooms, 12 queen beds) next to the first tee, with bag storage and carts staged on your tee-time days.
One card covers both Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend, and Peninsula is the sister club for group packages.
It is about 5 miles inland off Hwy 59, so less wind than Kiva Dunes.

Recognition

GolfPass Golfers' Choice Top Courses in Alabama: #5 (2024), #7 (2023)
GolfPass Top 25 Off-Course Amenities in the U.S. #22 (2023)
Golf Digest Places to Play 4 stars (club citation; older rating)

Closest golf hotels

Courtyard by Marriott Gulf Shores Craft Farms — 5 min, 1.5 mi
Hampton Inn Gulf Shores — 8 min, 3.6 mi
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Gulf Shores — 8 min, 3.5 mi

Questions golfers ask

How much does it cost to play Craft Farms Golf Club - Cotton Creek?

Green fees we have seen range from $70–$85, depending on season and time of day.

How hard is Craft Farms Golf Club - Cotton Creek?

From the back tees it measures 7,127 yards with a course rating of 74.2 and a slope of 129. 4 - 7,127 yds, 74.2 rating and 129 slope from Gold. Water on many holes, two-shot carries on #6, long par 4s.

How far ahead can you book Craft Farms Golf Club - Cotton Creek?

Not published for public play. Six-Pack card holders can book 14 days ahead; local rate players must book within 48 hours of the tee time.

How far is Craft Farms Golf Club - Cotton Creek from Gulf Shores?

About 12 minutes (5.5 miles) by road from central Gulf Shores in light traffic.