Remodel of The Linksman to open in the fall
Gulf Coast golfers are getting a blast from the past as Cypress Creek, on the site of one of Mobile’s longtime favorite golf courses, nears a reopening after almost two decades.
The course, currently undergoing a much-needed remodeling, was formerly known as The Linksman golf course. It was owned by Edwin Watts and closed around 2006.
The target for reopening is the fall of this year as part of the new Riviere du Chien Park. Led by County Commissioner Randall Dueitt, Mobile County purchased the 100-acre property in 2022 for $850,000.
The new community project features a practice layout for Mobile County youths, a driving range, tennis and pickle ball courts, a waterfront picnic area with a boardwalk, and kayak rentals.
The 1976 U. S. Open champion and popular golf course designer, Jerry Pate (Steelwood, Kiva Dunes, Brewton CC), was tasked with bringing the dormant layout back to life.
Special attention is being paid to a new irrigation and extensive drainage work on each hole, a necessary improvement because Cypress Creek has water on 14 of 18 holes.
Shane Allen currently serves as the owners’ representative and will take over as the director of golf once the project is complete. Allen is a popular local PGA professional who moved from Steelwood to manage the facility.
“The Cypresss Creek golf course will be a challenging links, to say the least,” Allen said. “Players who remember the old Linksman are not going to recognize the place.
“Steve Dana, lead architect for Jerry Pate, has done a great job with the layout and improving drainage and playability. Some of the footprint is the same but the course itself has changed 100 percent. Our target date to open is sometime this fall, and I can’t wait for our local community to see what we have accomplished,” Allen said.
For many years, the Linksman was a popular course with area golfers and hosted many tournaments, including the Tommy Agee Celebrity Classic and the Mobile Oilman’s. The scenic layout, with water on almost every hole, made it tough but fun to play.
For trivia buffs, Cypress Creek is a tributary of Dog River and was the original name of the course when Riviere du Chien Country Club opened in the early 1970s.
Phillip Ellis has covered Gulf Coast golf for over 40 years. His resume includes articles for the Azalea City News, Bayside Loafer, a Sunday column in the Mobile Press Register and the Lagniappe. He’s the author of the novels “Golf n’ Grits The Adventures of Orville and Calvin Clyde,” and “Golf n’ Grits Orville and Calvin Ride Again.” His latest is the upcoming “Murder on the Turn, a Desi Quina Mystery.” Reach him at PhillipEllisMedia@gmail.com.
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Photos by Phillip Ellis
