Kiva Dunes Golf Course to Reopen October 2015

(Gulf Shores, Alabama) – In celebration of its 20-year anniversary, Kiva Dunes Golf and Beach Resort, Alabama’s only beachfront golf resort, is currently undergoing a $3.5 million enhancement. The project includes renovations to the award-winning Jerry Pate designed golf course and the addition of a new pool amenity in the Kiva Dunes subdivision overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The completion of this new and exciting renovation and enhancement project is right on target with the completion date set for early October.

The golf course renovations are aimed to improve the playability of the course for the average golfer, while maintaining the challenges and shot-values enjoyed by more experienced golfers. Houston-based Heritage Links is overseeing the renovations and enhancement project, which includes:
* Replacing the champion turf grass on the greens with a more temperate and golfer-friendly Tiff-Eagle turf
* Completely rebuilding and reshaping the white sand bunkers
* Stabilizing the walls on many of the greens
* Leveling of each tee box and rototilling the Bermuda grass fairways, a process which will dispose of the organic layering under the fairway and ensure for perfect lies and approach shots into the new greens
* Re-vegetation of native grasses and sandy dunes found throughout the course
* Improving the natural transitions between grasses and the indigenous beach landscape

To ensure the integrity of the new renovations, U.S. Open Winner, Jerry Pate (the original course designer), is overseeing the entire renovation process. The greens have been sprigged and the bunker contours are coming together. Jerry Pate was even spotted driving a bull dozer on the signature Par 3, 13th green. “Sometimes you just have to do it yourself when you envision in your head how you want the bunkers to roll off the green. This is such a great hole,” Pate said, “Who else would I trust this with?”

When asked about the renovations, Scott Russell, Kiva Dunes’ director of marketing stated, “I’ve been watching a one-of-a-kind golf course in Kiva Dunes be transformed into an even more unique and special gulf side experience.  Heritage Links’ small touches are the things that make a golf course the kind of tract that golfers seek out and include on their bucket list.  Together, with Jerry Pate’s vision, Kiva Dunes is transforming into the type of golf course that will make your friends jealous if they aren’t with you on that first tee box.”

In addition to the golf course renovation, a new 12,000-square-foot Pavilion at Kiva Beach is in development. The Pavilion will have a Classical Caribbean Vernacular design and set atop some of the highest dunes on the Gulf Coast, directly on the Gulf of Mexico. The centerpiece of The Pavilion at Kiva Beach will be a pool surrounded by a sun deck and lounging chairs. The Pavilion will include private bath houses, and a fully-staffed bar and grill offering all the food and drink essentials for a day at the beach. The Pavilion at Kiva Beach will be a private facility for members only and limited number of resort guests.

For more information and current updates on the Kiva Dunes renovation, visit www.kivadunes.com.