In an area loaded with stellar courses, Kiva Dunes is star of the Gulf Region
Some consider Jerry Pate an underachiever as a golfer — he won the U.S. Open at 22, the Players at 28, then didn’t win another PGA Tour event. The opposite is true of his second career as a course designer. Consider his work in the state of Mississippi.
He collaborated with Tom Fazio at Augusta-replica Dancing Rabbit in Philadelphia. He and Bob Cupp created old south magic at Old Waverly in West Point. At The Preserve, Pate built an intriguing course along a desolate wildlife refuge in Vancleave.
One state over, however, Pate’s best work in the Gulf Region is found at Kiva Dunes in Fort Morgan, Ala. In an area loaded with exquisite courses, Kiva Dunes represents seaside golf in the Gulf region like no other.
Kiva is the star of the Gulf Shores Golf Association, nine courses that serve an upscale, family-friendly strip of beaches full of high-rise condominiums and stunning waterfront homes. The golf courses measure up. Most have the feel of the coastal Carolinas. But Kiva Dunes owes its uniqueness to its location on a sliver of land which juts into the sea between the Mobile Bay to the north and the Gulf to the south.
Many tees are set in shady groves, with windows cut through the palmetto through which to launch drives to generous fairways. On Bermuda grass, lies are perfect in the fairway and often trouble-free off it. Water hazards and massive white-sand bunkers dominate the view, but often are out of play. An exception is the stunning green complex shared by the par three 13th and the par five 15th holes. Both greens are perched high, protected by sheer-face bunkers.
No worries. This is a playable, fun course, with wide fairways, large, slick, undulating greens, and no two holes alike – even the back-to-back, parallel, par five 14th and 15th holes.
The only intimidating feature is the half dozen alligators that make Kiva Dunes their home. They keep vigilant watch, but also keep their distance, disappearing underwater when players approach for a closer view. One brave alligator had to be removed after is became too friendly, accepting food from patrons at Kiva Lodge and Kiva Village which overlook the 18th green.
Marc Atchison of Toronto-based TraveLife compares Kiva Dunes to his personal favorite, South Carolina classic Kiawah Island, which will host the 2012 Ryder Cup.
I’m not as well travelled, but will put it in my personal top 10, which includes the Homestead (Va.), Bulle Rock (Md.), Congressional (Md.), Spring Creek (Va.), Fallen Oak (Miss.), and Lighthouse Sound (Md.).
