Point Mallard Golf Course is a Bargain for Golf in Decatur Alabama
Among the daily fee options for golf across the northern corridor of Alabama is the popular, yet challenging Point Mallard Golf Course in Decatur.
An 18-hole facility owned by the City of Decatur and a part of the sprawling Point Mallard recreational complex, the golf course opened in 1969 and was renovated in 2004.
It features Bermuda grass tees, fairways and greens. It’s $40 weekend and $36 weekday rates (greens fee, cart fee) make it a bargain for players of all skill levels.
From the tips, Point Mallard measures 7,604 yards. It’s a strong 6,585 yards from the white markers and 5,881 from the golds. Even from the forward (red) markers, Point Mallard is no bargain at 5,325 yards. Simply put, Point Mallard, which hosted several Hooters Tour events in the early 2000s, offers a solid test of golf.
Built on what formerly was TVA property, Point Mallard sits adjacent to the Tennessee River and wraps around several large ponds.
There is little in the way of elevation changes – the course is mostly flat although several greens are slightly raised, making it difficult at times to play the ball along the ground. Although the fairways are generous, they mostly are tree-lined and ready to gobble up wayward tee shots. Combined with Bermuda grass rough, playing from the fairway is a must in order to post a good score.
Point Mallard Golf Course has a nice set of par 3 holes, ranging from 144 yards to 196 yards. Each requires a different shot – No. 3 is just a brute at nearly 200 yards while No. 8 has a pond and a bunker fronting the green. No. 11 features a severely sloped back-to-front green, while No. 13 has trouble right, a bunker left and one of the largest greens on the course.
From the white tees, Point Mallard features six par 4s that measure over 400 yards. Although there is no designated combo-tees to choose from on the scorecard, unless you are blasting your driver, it might be best to move up to the gold tees on those longer par 4s. There is a nice mix of doglegs with the par 4s.
The par 5s range from the quirky, reachable second hole that is a sharp dogleg right, to the straight-forward, tight seventh and 13th holes.
Best holes: No. 8 is a 144-yard par 3 that requires a short or mid-iron shot over water and a bunker to a shallow green. At 442 yards, No. 10 is the longest par 4 on the course. Trees are in play along the left side of the fairway off the tee, and the Bermuda rough makes it nearly impossible to reach the green with an errant tee shot.
The finishing hole is a 419-yard par 4 that features water on both sides of the fairway and water crossing the fairway around 265 yards from the tee. The green is guarded by a bunker on the right.
This and that: Point Mallard features a fully-stocked pro shop and also has a grill that has been temporarily closed during the coronavirus pandemic. For more information, call 256-341-4925.
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News.
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Featured image: Gregg Dewalt
