CYPRESS BEND COURSE

18 holes, Par 72
Designer: Arnold Palmer
Year: 1993

Cypress Bend at Craft Farms Golf Course boasts a 4-1/2 star rating by Golf Digest. This architectural masterpiece, features staggered tee boxes, sprawling bunkers, top quality putting surfaces and year–round lush conditions. A perfect complement to its big sister, Cotton Creek, this course has a coastal feel as it traverses a unique system of cord-grass accented lakes which come into play on nearly every hole. Cypress Bend offers wide fairways, vast landing areas and large undulating greens, giving golfers confidence as they prepare to tackle this Palmer creation.

CYPRESS BEND COURSE

The modern layout and links-style course is a pleasure to play! The 4th Hole is the trickiest on the course. You must have a well-placed tee shot and may not want to use your driver. The 2nd shot over water must be placed just right to score well on this hole.

CYPRESS BEND COURSE STATS

TEE
YARDAGE
RATING
SLOPE
Gold
6848
71.8
122
Blue
6432
70.1
117
White
5975
67/9
114
Silver
5458
65.5
105
Red
5027
67.7
115
Golf Digest gave Cypress Bend 4-1/2 stars and named it one of the 2008-09 Best Places to Play. While you are in the southern Gulf Coast region, enjoying the beautiful beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama, take some time to plan a golf outing at Cypress Bend.
CYPRESS BEND COURSE

HOLE 1

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
413
4
9
Blue
377
4
9
White
342
4
9
Silver
317
4
9
Red
294
4
15
CB1

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 1

With a slight dogleg to the right, the tee shot must avoid the two fairway bunkers that guard the right side. The second shot will require proper club selection because of the depth of the green. Bunkers guard this large green to the right and in back.

HOLE 2

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
453
4
1
Blue
435
4
1
White
420
4
1
Silver
364
4
1
Red
338
4
7
CB2

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 2

This straight hole requires a tee shot that avoids fairway bunkers on the right side. A solid drive sets up an important second shot into a green that is guarded by a large bunker to the left and water to the left. The green slopes back to front with several hole locations that demand proper speed while putting.

HOLE 3

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
490
5
11
Blue
475
5
11
White
462
5
11
Silver
432
5
11
Red
414
5
3
CB3

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 3

Don’t be fooled by the yardage! The tee shot needs to favor the right side to avoid the fairway bunkers on the left. A solid tee shot sets up the opportunity to reach the green in two. The lay up shot must be placed between bunkers that guard both sides of the fairway. Check the hole location for the approach shot to avoid the bunkers and water that guard the right side of the green.

HOLE 4

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
401
4
5
Blue
372
4
5
White
341
4
5
Silver
321
4
5
Red
296
4
1
CB4

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 4

The tee shot needs to avoid bunkers on both sides of the fairway and the creek that runs diagonal across the hole. Club selection on the second shot is important to this t-shaped green. Bunkers guard the right and left front side of the green.

HOLE 5

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
368
4
13
Blue
333
4
13
White
300
4
13
Silver
290
4
13
Red
258
4
9
CB5

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 5

With the easiest tee shot on the front nine, the large fairway allows plenty of space to let it go from the tee. The second shot must have proper distance to carry the green-side bunker that guards the front right side of the green.

HOLE 6

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
170
3
15
Blue
166
3
15
White
148
3
15
Silver
148
3
15
Red
127
3
15
CB6

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 6

Club selection is important to place the ball well on this large, undulating green guarded by bunkers on both sides.

HOLE 7

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
550
5
3
Blue
525
5
3
White
500
5
3
Silver
467
5
3
Red
404
5
5
CB7

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 7

This hole can be reached in three shots. The drive should avoid the right fairway bunker and out of bounds area to the left. A proper lay up shot must be placed between another set of bunkers about 100 yards out. Check the pin location on this undulating green that is guarded by bunkers to the front and right.

HOLE 8

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
185
3
17
Blue
153
3
17
White
130
3
17
Silver
110
3
17
Red
101
3
17
CB8

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 8

A solid tee shot must carry to the green to avoid the steep bank in front and large lake. A bunker in the back of the green awaits the tee shot that travels too far.

HOLE 9

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
359
4
7
Blue
339
4
7
White
315
4
7
Silver
280
4
7
Red
252
4
11
CB9

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 9

A solid tee shot must avoid the bunkers to the right and water to the left. The second shot must also carry three bunkers that guard the front right of this green.

HOLE 10

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
440
4
8
Blue
393
4
8
White
360
4
8
Silver
315
4
8
Red
310
4
4
CB10

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 10

With a sharp dogleg to the right, a long tee shot over the fairway bunkers set up a mid-iron shot onto a large green guarded by a bunker in front and to the left.

HOLE 11

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
375
4
4
Blue
357
4
4
White
330
4
4
Silver
315
4
4
Red
268
4
14
CB11

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 11

The tee shot must favor the right side to avoid the water along the left side of the fairway. The second shot is over water to a green guarded by a bunker on the left.

HOLE 12

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
212
3
14
Blue
185
3
14
White
177
3
14
Silver
147
3
14
Red
142
3
18
CB12

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 12

This hole plays slightly uphill. Take an extra club to avoid being short. The large green slopes from back to front.

HOLE 13

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
543
5
12
Blue
517
5
12
White
474
5
12
Silver
445
5
12
Red
438
5
2
CB13

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 13

With a sharp dogleg to the right, the green is reachable with an aggressive tee shot aimed over the large fairway bunker. The second shot must avoid water and bunkers on both sides of the fairway. The large green rewards players that attempt to go for the green in two.

HOLE 14

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
428
4
2
Blue
401
4
2
White
368
4
2
Silver
342
4
2
Red
327
4
8
CB14

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 14

With a slight dogleg to the left, the tee shot needs to favor the right side to open the green for the second shot. The green is guarded by a bunker to the right and water to the left. This right to left, two-tiered green is large so proper club selection is necessary.

HOLE 15

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
178
3
18
Blue
163
3
18
White
149
3
18
Silver
140
3
18
Red
115
3
16
CB15

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 15

As the narrowest green on the course, this Par 3 has a bunkers that guards the left side and the front.

HOLE 16

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
399
4
16
Blue
381
4
16
White
340
4
16
Silver
290
4
16
Red
275
4
10
CB16

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 16

With a dogleg to the left, an aggressive tee shot over the left-side fairway bunker leaves a short iron to a green that has a severe slope from back to front.

HOLE 17

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
495
4
10
Blue
379
4
10
White
360
4
10
Silver
340
4
10
Red
260
4
12
CB17

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 17

Favor the left side with the tee shot to avoid the water that runs down the entire right side. A large bunker in front of the green makes club selection important for the second shot. The large green slopes from back to front and is guarded by bunkers to the right and left.

HOLE 18

TEES
YARDAGE
PAR
H/C
Gold
505
5
6
Blue
500
5
6
White
479
5
6
Silver
440
5
6
Red
410
5
6
CB18

HOW TO PLAY HOLE 18

This great finishing hole demands a long, straight tee shot to avoid bunkers on the left and water on the right. The second shot must be well-placed to avoid the creek that runs in front of the green and if you decide to go for the green in two, make sure you use enough club to carry the creek. The green is guarded by two bunkers in the back and water to the left.