Just over twelve miles down Fort Morgan Road in Gulf Shores sits Kiva Dunes—the only golf and beach resort in Alabama. For over 30 years, golfers and beachgoers have enjoyed the resort, returning year after year. Jasper, Alabama, natives and Kiva Dunes founders Larry Drummond and Jim “Scrappy” Edgemon created an elite golf course with luxury amenities while preserving the unique landscape of Alabama’s coast.
Scrappy (nicknamed by his aunt, who thought he was Scrappy as a baby) grew up playing golf at Musgrove Country Club in Jasper. After watching friends build golf courses, he figured, “If these guys can build golf courses, I can build one. I have played golf my whole life.”
In 1990, long before GPS and drone footage, Jim Edgemon scoured deed books at the Bay Minette Courthouse, hunting for land that could hold his dream. After narrowing the search to three potential properties, he hiked up the 35-foot sand dunes giving him a bird’s-eye view of the quiet and rugged 286 acres. From there, he could see the Gulf to the south, Mobile Bay to the north, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge to the east, and natural lakes and live oaks all around. He realized he’d found the Kiva Dunes property.
To bring the dream to life, Mr. Edgemon sought a partner for the venture. Through a mutual friend, Tad Hudson, he was connected to Larry Drummond, the late vice chairman of Drummond Company, a global coal business founded in Jasper and now based in Birmingham. Seated across from Larry’s desk, Edgemon laid out plans for how this stretch of untamed sand dunes could become a haven for golfers and vacationers. Larry, an avid golfer with experience building high-quality golf courses, decided to back the project.
“It was just that easy,” says Patrick Drummond, Larry’s son. “Dad was like, ‘Let’s do it.’”
With his commercial real estate background, Edgemon negotiated the purchase, wrote and finalized the contract. Larry purchased the land and two years later Kiva Dunes was born. Once the deal closed, the two Walker Countians traveled the country accompanied by Jerry Pate and his brother Scott, touring golf courses and taking detailed notes on creating a destination unlike any other on Alabama’s coast.
From the beginning, their shared vision guided every decision. The resort was designed to blend with nature rather than replace it. Golf cart paths wind around the dunes, passing under arbors of live oaks. Sabal palms line the perimeter of the tennis and pickleball courts, offering natural beauty. Each of the four pools on property features spacious seating and tranquil views, with Kiva Beach Club’s zero-entry pool, bar and dining facility, gives guests an unobstructed view of the Gulf. Even the beach feels timeless, as Kiva Dunes offers 3,000 feet of private shoreline, untouched by high-rise condos and crowded boardwalks.
Construction of the golf course began in December 1993. Larry Drummond and Jim Edgemon recruited Jerry Pate, a pro golfer known for his signature orange golf balls and his swan dive after winning The Players Championship in 1982, to help design the course. Larry had long supported several young golfers, including Jerry, sponsoring them on tour and helping them chase their golfing dreams.
“He [Larry] was a giving, loving person,” says Edgemon. “He gave many a shot.”
While Larry’s son Patrick was attending the University of Alabama, Edgemon suggested that Patrick should start a summer job helping build the course. Together with Edgemon and Jerry Pate, the group set out to create a course that offered wide fairways, a smooth pace of play with no houses on the interior of the course—just golf. Kiva Dunes and other legendary courses like Pinehurst and Augusta National are built on sand for a reason: it drains well and creates a firm and perfect playing surface. At Kiva, there was no shortage of it. Larry’s advice to Edgemon, drawn from years in the coal industry, was simple and wise.
“He told me, ‘When you are moving all this sand, just move it once,’” says Edgemon. “Then the other thing he said to me was, ‘Just spend my money like it was yours.’ That was good advice.”
Due to issues with federal permitting, opening day came later than expected. Kiva Dunes’ first round of golf was played April 1, 1995 by Larry Drummond, Jim Edgemon, and a small group of friends. The breezy conditions and long fairways still challenge even seasoned players. Many big names like Justin Thomas, the 2025 RBC Heritage champion, have played at Kiva, and the University of Alabama golf team visits each year to sharpen their skills on the gulf-side course.
That same commitment to quality has endured on and off the course. It began with Larry’s insistence on doing things right. After his passing in 2012, Larry’s wife Abbie, daughter Terri, and son Patrick continued the Drummond family’s commitment to the resort. When facing decisions at Kiva Dunes, Patrick says he often asks himself, “What would Dad want to be done?”
“And that makes a pretty easy decision because he wanted things done correctly,” says Patrick.
That mindset remains the guiding force behind Kiva Dunes. When Hurricane Sally tore through Fort Morgan in 2020, Edgemon spent weeks with the grounds crew, removing debris, repairing bridges, and cart paths in order to restore high standard. Restaurant manager, Angie Palmer and Director of Golf, Mark Stillings have served guests for 30 years; both have been there since day one.
“Everyone always brags about the consistency of the staff,” says Patrick. “Having the same people there year after year really makes it feel like home. We strive to treat people that work with us as family, the same way we would like to be treated ourselves.”
Larry Drummond and Jim “Scrappy” Edgemon built a lasting and high-quality golf and beach resort and created a place where families and friends have made memories and traditions for three decades.
Here’s to many more years of sport, play, and rest at Kiva Dunes. TG
Photos courtesy Kiva Dunes. For more information, please visit kivadunes.com
