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By DAVID RAINER, ��������

Most people are aware of the stunning natural beauty, the hiking and biking trails and upgraded accommodations at the ��������’ (ADCNR) �������� State Parks, but some Alabamians and visitors may not be aware of one of the recreational opportunities at three of the system’s parks.

Golf Courses at Oak Mountain State Park, Joe Wheeler State Park and Lake Guntersville State Park offer a day on the links at a reasonable price, and those courses have also been upgraded with new golf carts and facilities.

The Eagle’s Nest Golf Course at Lake Guntersville State Park recently completed a $2 million-plus project to build concrete cart paths throughout the course, which is great news for those days with a rain-soaked course.

“Now that we have the cart paths over the whole course, instead of having to close the golf course because of rain or wet conditions, we’re going to have more days of golf, which will ultimately allow us to bring in more guests and more users to play,” said State Parks Director Matthew Capps. “But for our guests, compared to a private course, our State Parks golf courses offer an incredible value in terms of cost to play 18 holes, with or without a cart.”

Eagle’s Nest is an 18-hole championship course, renovated in 2009 by former University of �������� and PGA player Jerry Pate. It’s located on top of Taylor Mountain, where magnificent lake views combine with frequent wildlife sightings, including eagles. The mountain course offers rolling hills and elevation changes throughout with TifDwarf Bermuda greens and full-service practice facilities.

“Eagle’s Nest has incredible views, but it’s a challenging course,” Capps said. “I find myself bringing some extra golf balls when I play since my golf game is not in top shape, but I sure enjoy getting out on the course and trying my best.

“We certainly know we need to renovate the pro shop. However, right now our priority is on upgrades to the irrigation system because it’s crucial to the condition of the course. We are excited for these renovations to get underway in the near future.”

Eagle’s Nest Golf Course Superintendent Jeremy Waldrop said the concrete cart paths are significant upgrades from the previous configuration.

“We upgraded from only having asphalt cart paths around the tees and greens to concrete cart paths from tee to green,” Waldrop said. “You never have to leave the cart path on wet days. We’ll be able to open the golf course more often in the winter months and on days when we have a lot of rain. We have 4½ miles of cart path now from the pro shop all the way to No. 18 and back to the pro shop.”

Waldrop provided a history lesson on the golf course, built in 1974. In 1947, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) transferred 4,000 acres on Lake Guntersville to the state in support of the parks system. It was originally known at Little Mountain State Park and later became Lake Guntersville State Park. 

“The course has a USGA (United States Golf Association) slope rating of 118 from the blue tees,” he said of the course difficulty, which is more difficult than the USGA average of 113. “This course fits the average golfer well. We don’t have any water features. We have native areas to the left and right of the fairways. Our greens are a good average speed, which is good for most golfers. 

“We can be busy anytime of the year, but our peak season is from spring through Thanksgiving. We have a lot of visitors during the summer.”

The General Golf Course at Joe Wheeler had its cart paths upgraded recently as well. Instead of concrete, the paths were covered in rubberized asphalt, which was also used in parking lots and park roads in a project in conjunction with ADEM (�������� Department of Environmental Management).

“As we were resurfacing all the roads and parking lots, we decided to resurface the cart path within the golf course, which is a significant improvement,” Capps said. 

The 18-hole championship golf course at Joe Wheeler was designed by Earl Stone, who built golf courses all over the South. The course features rolling hills along the Tennessee River and provides a great outing for golfers of all skill levels. As with all State Parks golf courses, wildlife is abundant, with white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, small game and a variety of birds to watch while you’re traversing the course. The pro shop is fully stocked with golf equipment and also has a grill for sandwiches and other food items.

The Oaks Golf Course at Oak Mountain State Park is the most widely used course in the State Parks System with more than 38,000 rounds of golf played in 2024. It has been ranked in the top 75 public golf courses in the United States by Golf Digest.

“One thing that I’m excited about at Oak Mountain is we’ve partnered with the Lakeshore Foundation, and we have golf carts accessible for people with disabilities,” Capps said. “If people need that accessible golf cart, it can be made available.

“We also installed lighting for the driving range so people can get off work and head to the range to hit a bucket of balls. It’s also especially attractive during the heat of summer to be able to go when the temperatures have gone down. That added access has been very popular.”

The Oaks features a fully stocked pro shop and is home to The Grille.

Visit and go to the links for each golf course for details. Each golf course page has a link to book tee times at the specific course. If you prefer to call to book a tee time, call (256) 571-5458 for the Eagle’s Nest at Lake Guntersville, (205) 620-2522 for The Oaks at Oak Mountain, or (205) 247-9308 for The General at Joe Wheeler. 

“Golf has remained consistently popular at our State Parks,” Capps said. “We’re witnessing a significant upward trend in golf participation, which is why we’re committing to reinvest in our courses to ensure they meet the highest quality standards possible.”

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