resort · Gulf Shores, AL · 18 holes

Kiva Dunes Golf Course

The area's top-ranked public course and its priciest, around $130-$175 depending on season. Expect a windy links-style round with real penalties for missing on the wrong side. Twilight saves $30-$40.

Par72

Tips7,122 yd

Rating / slope74.9 / 142

Green fees seen$107–$174

See Kiva Dunes on the 3D map, hole by hole Book a tee time

Tees, rating and slope

Tee	Yards	Men	Women
Gold	7,122	74.9 / 142	–
Blue	6,505	72.0 / 137	–
White	5,878	69.6 / 124	–
Green	5,495	68.0 / 116	72.8 / 129
Red	5,006	–	70.0 / 123

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

Green fees

Peak	$154.21 before about 2 PM / $134.62 twilight (mid-Feb 2027, Chronogolf public rate). Mar-Apr 2027 rates were not yet bookable when checked (outside the 120-day window).
Winter	$130.84 before about 1 PM / $107.48 after 1 PM (Dec 2026-Jan 2027)
Shoulder	$174.77 before 2 PM / $144.86 after 2 PM (late Oct 2026); $148.60 before 1 PM / $111.21 after 1 PM (November 2026)
Summer	Not published. GolfNow prepaid rates seen for Sep to early Oct 2026 ran about $114-$154.
Twilight	From 1 PM (Nov-Jan) or 2 PM (Oct, Feb): $107.48-$144.86 depending on season
Locals	Military $10 off any round with ID. College student and junior (17 and under) discounts by phone (251-540-7000).

Chronogolf public 18-hole rates for specific dates, read 2026-10-22. The odd cents suggest tax is included (not confirmed). Third-party GolfNow hot deals for Oct 23-28, 2026 ran $111.99-$159.99.

Before you book

Access	Resort course that is fully open to the public (Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism: '100% open to the public'). Public players book online up to 120 days out. Stay-and-play packages with Kiva Dunes condos and beach houses are sold by phone (866-540-7100). Check in at the Golf Shop inside Kiva Lodge.
Book ahead	Public players: 120 days ahead (Chronogolf, which states 'Public can only book 120 days in advance'). Pay at the course; cancel 48 hours or more ahead. A Noteefy waitlist (kivadunes.noteefy.app) alerts you when a sold-out time opens.
Overseed / closures	No overseed or aeration schedule is published. Whether fairways are overseeded with rye or left dormant in winter is unknown, so call the golf shop for winter conditions and summer aeration dates.
Designer	Jerry Pate (1976 U.S. Open champion), with developer Jim Edgemon. The official site credits both men; Golf Digest and GolfPass credit Pate.
Opened	1995
Style	links-style coastal course on a narrow peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and Bon Secour Bay. Native dune grasses, lagoons and canals, Australian-style sweeping bunkers, low greens you can run the ball onto.
Carts	Cart included in the green fee (GolfPass). The tourism listing says walking is allowed, but no walking rate is published.
Practice	Full practice facility (resort site), with a driving range, short-game area, practice bunker and putting green (GolfPass).
Dress code	Collared shirt required, no denim of any kind. Third-party listings add no tank tops, soft spikes only and hats worn forward. The golf shop sells approved shirts and shorts.
Elevation	5 ft
Drive from central Gulf Shores	24 min (14.7 mi)
Phone	251-540-7000 (golf shop); 866-540-7100 (resort/lodging)
Address	815 Plantation Road, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Local knowledge

Wind is the defense here. Golf Digest notes the holes run east-west, so the Gulf breeze blows across nearly every fairway. Pick tees one set shorter than usual on a windy day.
Reviewers say hidden water and bunkers catch first-timers. Download the free yardage book PDF from the club site before you play.
It is the farthest course out on Fort Morgan Road (roughly 13 miles west of the Hwy 59 beach intersection). Pair it with Peninsula, which is on the same road, to avoid two trips.
The twilight discount is large: about $30-$40 off per player after 1 or 2 PM, depending on season.
The course has hosted PGA Tour Q-school stages (Golf Digest; club site mentions two PGA Tour qualifiers).

Hole by hole

Hole	Par	Yards*	Elev*
1	4	389	+2 ft
2	5	524	-5 ft
3	3	236	0 ft
4	4	316	0 ft
5	5	581	-2 ft
6	4	427	+12 ft
7	4	460	+8 ft
8	3	160	+2 ft
9	4	405	+2 ft
10	4	330	+1 ft
11	4	347	+4 ft
12	4	449	-3 ft
13	3	154	-3 ft
14	5	568	+4 ft
15	5	527	-9 ft
16	4	414	+7 ft
17	3	213	0 ft
18	4	460	+3 ft

*Yards measured along the mapped centre line (OpenStreetMap), close to the middle tees. Elevation = how far the green sits above (+) or below (−) the tee, from USGS terrain data.

Recognition

Golf Digest Best in State (Alabama) #13, 2025-26 (previous rank #14)
GolfPass Golfers' Choice Top Courses in Alabama: #1 in 2016, 2017 and 2018; #9 in 2024
Golf Advisor named it the #1 public course in Alabama in 2017 (club site)
GolfPass Golfers' Choice top 100 U.S.: #4 (2016), #19 (2018)

Closest golf hotels

Kiva Dunes Beach Resort — ? min, 0.0 mi
Gulf Shores Plantation — 2 min, 0.3 mi
The Beach Club Resort & Spa — 3 min, 1.2 mi

Questions golfers ask

How much does it cost to play Kiva Dunes Golf Course?

Green fees we have seen range from $107–$174, depending on season and time of day. Peak season: $154.21 before about 2 PM / $134.62 twilight (mid-Feb 2027, Chronogolf public rate). Mar-Apr 2027 rates were not yet bookable when checked (outside the 120-day window).

How hard is Kiva Dunes Golf Course?

From the back tees it measures 7,122 yards with a course rating of 74.9 and a slope of 142. 4 - 142 slope from the 7,122-yd Gold tees (137 from Blue). Constant crosswinds on east-west holes, lagoons, canals and native dune vegetation. Golf Digest notes you often have to aim at trouble and let the wind bring the ball back.

How far ahead can you book Kiva Dunes Golf Course?

Public players: 120 days ahead (Chronogolf, which states 'Public can only book 120 days in advance'). Pay at the course; cancel 48 hours or more ahead. A Noteefy waitlist (kivadunes.noteefy.app) alerts you when a sold-out time opens.

How far is Kiva Dunes Golf Course from Gulf Shores?

About 24 minutes (14.7 miles) by road from central Gulf Shores in light traffic.