 COURSE REVIEW
In bloom: Mobile's Azalea City a terrific parkland muniBy Tim McDonald, MOBILE, Ala. (April 25, 2006) - In case you didn't know, Mobile is nicknamed the "Azalea City." And the Azalea City runs a terrific municipal golf course, called, of all things, Azalea City Golf Course.
The course does its namesake town proud. The conditioning here rivals that of a resort, country club or even upscale semi-private course. The fairways are luscious and green, even after a warm winter; the greens are in impeccable shape. Even the tee boxes look good. Of course, there aren't any cart girls to sell you drinks or ball boys to wipe down your clubs, but what do you want for less than $30? What you get is a course the city has consistently improved since taking it over outright in 1991. The greens were renovated and enlarged in 1996, and the clubhouse, which already features a nice little outdoor patio, is getting a re-do. The conditioning is especially impressive when you consider that this is a muni that caters to the masses, hosting about 55,000 rounds a year. "This course gets a lot of play and it's still one of the nicest city courses," said Mobile resident Ed Murphy. "Of course, it gives me fits - it's long and the greens are fast."
"When those greens get fast, you can be above the hole and putt it off the green," said Head Professional Colin McKern. "From tee to green it's pretty user-friendly, but the greens will definitely give you a challenge." The course is built on city parkland; its fairways wind through pretty strands of trees, and there virtually no homes or condos to intrude on the experience. The 10th is a particularly beautiful hole, a downhill par 4 that overlooks the park's lagoons. The verdict
For $17 green fees and $12 for a cart, this is a great bargain. Twilight fees are $22, less if you walk - and Azalea City is a very walkable course, despite some elevation changes. It has good length at 6,850 yards, and some of the par 4s are testy, notably the 423-yard fifth hole, the 459-yard ninth and the 421-yard closing hole. The 567-yard, par-5 15th is very tough to reach in two, especially with the wind in your face. The back nine is the better nine, with more elevation changes and more interesting holes, but overall Azalea City is a gem at this price. Stay and playThe Riverview Plaza Hotel in downtown, waterfront Mobile - soon to be the Renaissance Riverview - is a great place to look out and watch the working barges ply the Mobile River. Make sure you get a room up high: The whole Mobile area spreads out before you - cruise ships, shipyards, cars coming over the bay bridge. It's quite a sight, particularly at night.
Be aware, though, that the Riverview is undergoing a $55 million renovation, due to be finished in mid-2007. The entire fourth floor, including the fitness center and pool, is closed until next year. Dining out
The linguini with crab cake and shredded Parmesan at the hotel's Riverview Café and Grill is special. Other worthy restaurants in the downtown area include Café 615, Downtowners, Oliver's, Downtown Grill, Picklefish and Quatorze. Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans. | |||||||||||||||
The greens can indeed be difficult. Most are elevated and drop off sharply on one, two or three sides. Many of them are crowned, and it can be a bear getting close to the hole at times.
It's a towering, 28-story, 377-room building in the heart of the business and entertainment district, easy to reach from Interstate 10 and connected to the Mobile Convention Center by a skywalk. Museums and restaurants within walking distance, and there's an IMAX theater The property has 32,000 square feet of meeting space and assorted business services. There is also an on-site restaurant, lobby lounge and gift shop.
