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News Commentary Opinion
FarmLinks is First Class
By ED TRAVIS, Editor FrontPageGolf
By ED TRAVIS, Editor FrontPageGolf
“Unique” is an overworked word but the FarmLinks Golf Club at Pursell Farms is
unique. It’s a one-of-a-kind, award winning golf experience far from the maddening
crowd located in rural Fayetteville, Alabama south of Birmingham.
FarmLinks opened in 2003 and the Hurdzan-Fry design has had rave reviews ever
since. On a huge site (just over 3,500 acres) they built a very challenging five tee
set layout that can be stretched back to a professional length of 7,444-yards.
No matter though how good FarmLinks was, the Pursell family owners wanted
more than just another golf course. The family for generations has been farmers
and for a hundred years ran a large fertilizer company. They conceived that
FarmLinks could become a working model for new products and technology, a
place to demonstrate and test equipment, grasses and chemicals. In fact almost
anything having to do with the turf industry in general and golf courses in particular
has become part of FarmLinks. There are even programs for golf course
superintendents and managers in a newly opened state-of-the-art education center.
The routing of FarmLinks is through an interesting mix of bottom land and hills,
some of which have quite severe elevation changes. Generously there is only one
forced water carry, at the medium length par-3 17th, where even from the back tees
a shot of only about 160-yards is needed to hit dry land.
unique. It’s a one-of-a-kind, award winning golf experience far from the maddening
crowd located in rural Fayetteville, Alabama south of Birmingham.
FarmLinks opened in 2003 and the Hurdzan-Fry design has had rave reviews ever
since. On a huge site (just over 3,500 acres) they built a very challenging five tee
set layout that can be stretched back to a professional length of 7,444-yards.
No matter though how good FarmLinks was, the Pursell family owners wanted
more than just another golf course. The family for generations has been farmers
and for a hundred years ran a large fertilizer company. They conceived that
FarmLinks could become a working model for new products and technology, a
place to demonstrate and test equipment, grasses and chemicals. In fact almost
anything having to do with the turf industry in general and golf courses in particular
has become part of FarmLinks. There are even programs for golf course
superintendents and managers in a newly opened state-of-the-art education center.
The routing of FarmLinks is through an interesting mix of bottom land and hills,
some of which have quite severe elevation changes. Generously there is only one
forced water carry, at the medium length par-3 17th, where even from the back tees
a shot of only about 160-yards is needed to hit dry land.
Because of the elevation the fifth plays between 20 and 40-yards shorter than the
scorecard to an immense green and my guess is regular FarmLinksters are very
happy to make three and move on to the sixth.
FarmLinks is all about treating everyone well or to use another overworked phrase,
“customer service.” Small things mean a lot, such as not nickel-dimeing you each
time you turn around. There is only one charge for the day, $125 which covers golf,
a cart, practice balls, snacks, drinks and even lunch. In addition there are cool
towels on those steamy Alabama summer days and a barrel of chilled apples
between nines.
FarmLinks has first class accommodations as well, from the lodge overlooking the
17th green, to cottages, cabins and a guest house. Finally since somewhere it
says, “Man shall not live by golf alone,” FarmLinks offers clay shooting, fishing and
hunting not to mention food to match the high quality of the rest of the operation.
Worth a visit? Definitely. Everything about FarmLinks beginning with the herd of
longhorn cattle pastured adjoining the entrance drive will build a lasting memory.
scorecard to an immense green and my guess is regular FarmLinksters are very
happy to make three and move on to the sixth.
FarmLinks is all about treating everyone well or to use another overworked phrase,
“customer service.” Small things mean a lot, such as not nickel-dimeing you each
time you turn around. There is only one charge for the day, $125 which covers golf,
a cart, practice balls, snacks, drinks and even lunch. In addition there are cool
towels on those steamy Alabama summer days and a barrel of chilled apples
between nines.
FarmLinks has first class accommodations as well, from the lodge overlooking the
17th green, to cottages, cabins and a guest house. Finally since somewhere it
says, “Man shall not live by golf alone,” FarmLinks offers clay shooting, fishing and
hunting not to mention food to match the high quality of the rest of the operation.
Worth a visit? Definitely. Everything about FarmLinks beginning with the herd of
longhorn cattle pastured adjoining the entrance drive will build a lasting memory.
memory with the first being the 12th, a
long par-4 dogleg left that rewards a tee
shot that successfully challenges a
bunker at the corner. The difference
between playing straight down the
fairway and cutting the corner is the
difference between a 200-yard and 140-
yard second shot. Holes like this make
a round interesting as well as a test of
skill.
However a description of FarmLinks
would be incomplete without their
“signature hole” and boy, it’s some golf
hole. The fifth is a par-3 of 210-yards
from the tips to 136-yards from the
Quail tees but with an elevation drop of
170-feet. Even the cart ride up is a bit
daunting. Most everyone visiting for the
first time will drive to the top parking
area and climb the path to the Longhorn
tee. It’s a picturesque sight, the valley
laid out below and hills in the distance,
and worth a least one snapshot.
long par-4 dogleg left that rewards a tee
shot that successfully challenges a
bunker at the corner. The difference
between playing straight down the
fairway and cutting the corner is the
difference between a 200-yard and 140-
yard second shot. Holes like this make
a round interesting as well as a test of
skill.
However a description of FarmLinks
would be incomplete without their
“signature hole” and boy, it’s some golf
hole. The fifth is a par-3 of 210-yards
from the tips to 136-yards from the
Quail tees but with an elevation drop of
170-feet. Even the cart ride up is a bit
daunting. Most everyone visiting for the
first time will drive to the top parking
area and climb the path to the Longhorn
tee. It’s a picturesque sight, the valley
laid out below and hills in the distance,
and worth a least one snapshot.
| The 17th green at FarmLinks is overlooked by the Parker Lodge. |
| Breathtaking and picturesque are apt descriptions of the 5th tee view. |