Azalea City in Mobile, Alabama a great muni

In my continuing hunt for good municipal courses, I’ve found another – Azalea City in Mobile, Alabama.

The conditioning could rival that of a resort course. The fairways are luscious and green, the greens are in impeccable shape and even the tee boxes look good.

It has good length at 6,850 yards, and some of the par-4s are testy – like 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.

The greens will test you. Most of them are elevated and drop off sharply on one, two or three sides. Many of them are crowned, bowl-shaped, like Pinehurst No. 2 and it can be a bear getting close to the hole at times.

“When those greens get fast, you can be above the hole and putt it off the green,” said club pro Colin McKern. “From tee to green, it’s pretty user-friendly, but the greens will definitely give you a challenge.”

And the price is more than right – at $29, it’s one of the best bargains around. Twilight fees are $22 and less if you walk – and it is a very walkable course, despite some elevation changes.