Golf’s New Look in 2018

• Local changes, new events, major sponsors and more to come this year

Phillip Ellis for GCM SPORTS/Golf Today Magazine
Posted 1/26/18

You might say that this year’s golf scene has gotten off to a real shotgun start with a bevy of lineup changes, new events, major sponsors and more to come. The Alabama Gulf Coast is chocked full of pristine golf links all featuring exciting events with loads of...

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Golf’s New Look in 2018

• Local changes, new events, major sponsors and more to come this year

Posted

You might say that this year’s golf scene has gotten off to a real shotgun start with a bevy of lineup changes, new events, major sponsors and more to come. The Alabama Gulf Coast is chocked full of pristine golf links all featuring exciting events with loads of action. From Baldwin and Mobile counties to nearby courses such as Mississippi’s Fallen Oak and Birmingham’s Shoal Creek, there’s a wealth of choices to play and top tournaments in which to compete and watch.

Beginning alphabetically here’s the list of new Head Professionals/Directors of Golf at their respective courses, along with other important changes and events on the Gulf Coast golf scene.

Kudos to Brooks Lee at Craft Farms, Gulf Shores; Gabi Oubré at Heron Lakes, Mobile; Collin Farrell at Lake Forest CC in Daphne; Jeff Marks at Quail Creek in Fairhope (Marks is from Mount Vintage GC near Augusta, GA), and Shane Allen at Steelwood Resort in Loxley.


Retiring from the local scene are veteran PGA members Tim Gressett from Lake Forest CC and Bobby Hall from Quail Creek GC.

The Country Club of Mobile closed January 23rd, for a complete 18-hole renovation. They expect to reopen in ten months.

Heron Lakes CC in Mobile is now public. The links, formerly private, is open to all golfers.

Lakewood GC in Point Clear is completing a multi-million dollar remodel on its Dogwood course. Their other 18-hole links is set to begin construction January 15, 2019. Check out my recent article for more details at: GulfCoastNewsToday.com (See Recent Golf Article Link).

Bid a fond farewell to the Barbasol PGA Championship, Alabama’s only PGA event, which was held for the past three years at the Robert Trent Jones Trail course in the Auburn-Opelika area. It debuts in its new home at the Keene Trace GC in Nicholasville, KY, July 19-22.

The 2018 PGA Tour Champions event, formerly the Gulf Coast Resort Classic, held at Fallen Oak, just north of Biloxi, has a new title sponsor. The Rapiscan Systems Classic is set to première March 19-25.

The 2018 U.S. Women’s Open is coming to Alabama’s Shoal Creek on May 31-June 3. The top ladies in golf will head to Birmingham to compete.

Look for in depth interviews and interesting features coming up in the Gulf Coast Newspaper in your area or visit us at www.GulfCoastNewsToday.com (See Related Link).