The Alabama Golf Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has purchased 80 acres next to Pine Tree Golf & Country Club in Irondale to serve as a permanent home for the game of golf in Alabama.
The foundation, which was established in April of this year, grew from a partnership between the Alabama Golf Association and the PGA of America’s Alabama-Northwest Florida Section. The organization is currently raising funds — aiming for $30 million — to pay for phase one of the construction.
The property will serve as a public golf house, providing space for many of the state’s golf organizations, as well as an Alabama Golf Hall of Fame. It also will feature a 30-bay hitting area with TrackMan launch monitors and covered bays, an outdoor event lawn and a dedicated instructional area with individual clubhouses for local collegiate and other programs. Plans also include a championship-caliber par 3 course and a short game area.
An Agronomy and Careers Center, tied to Auburn University, also is slated for the campus.
“For years, the organizations that run, teach and grow golf in Alabama have all been working separately, without a common home. That changes with Golf House Alabama,” said Alabama Golf Foundation President Grantland Rice. “Alongside the collaboration that comes from sharing space, we’ll have a practice facility that will provide access to people with all kinds of backgrounds: a kid who’s never touched a club, a veteran, someone with a disability, a college team without a home practice facility. Alabama has needed this for a long time.”
Jim Gorrie, executive chairman of general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie and a member of the USGA Executive Committee, joined the effort, helping to secure the site and advance the capital campaign. Through Pine Whispers LLC, Gorrie acquired Pine Tree Golf & Country Club in May 2026. The two properties are situated side by side just off I-459 and Grants Mill Road.
“Golf has always had a way of bringing people together, and for a long time, Alabama’s golf community has deserved a home that reflects how much the game means to the state,” Gorrie said. “Pine Tree is grateful to be neighbors to the Alabama Golf Foundation, and I truly believe these two properties will bring out the best in each other for years to come.”
The newly created Alabama Golf Hall of Fame will recognize the state’s contribution to the game. An inaugural class of 27 honorees, drawn from Alabama’s inductees in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, will be celebrated at a formal ceremony in February 2028.
Irondale Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. said the project reflects the city’s long-range strategy for economic development and outdoor recreation. “When we launched our Billion Dollar Vision — 1 City, 1 Billion by 2033, we committed to transforming Irondale into a destination, not just a pass-through,” Stewart said. “The Alabama Golf Foundation and Pine Whisper LLC’s investment in 363 acres delivers on that promise. Blueprint Irondale identified outdoor recreation as a strategic pillar, and Golf House Alabama with the state’s first Golf Hall of Fame will bring visitors to Irondale year-round.”
The Alabama Golf Foundation will serve as an umbrella organization for the state’s golf associations and foundations, connecting more than 34,000 Alabama Golf Association members and supporting 250 golf courses.
