Tee Up For The Troops Brings Veterans Day Golf Scramble to Craft Farms for Warrior Legacy Ranch

GULF SHORES, Ala. — Golfers will spend Veterans Day on the fairways for a good cause when the third annual Tee Up For The Troops charity golf scramble returns to Craft Farms Golf Resort on Wednesday, Nov. 11, with every dollar raised going to Warrior Legacy Ranch, a Robertsdale nonprofit working to prevent veteran suicide.

The tournament is organized by the Cotton Creek Men’s Golf Association, a men’s golf group named for one of the resort’s two courses, and will be held at the resort at 3840 Cotton Creek Circle in Gulf Shores. All proceeds benefit Warrior Legacy Ranch.

Tee Up For The Troops event details

• What: Third annual Cotton Creek Men’s Golf Association Tee Up For The Troops charity golf scramble
• When: Wednesday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day
• Where: Craft Farms Golf Resort, 3840 Cotton Creek Circle, Gulf Shores
• Format: Scramble
• Beneficiary: Warrior Legacy Ranch in Robertsdale
• Proceeds: 100% go to Warrior Legacy Ranch

In a scramble, each player on a team hits a shot, the team picks the best one, and everyone plays the next shot from that spot. The format keeps play moving and lets golfers of every skill level contribute, which is why it is a favorite for charity events.

Why Warrior Legacy Ranch

Warrior Legacy Ranch gives veterans a place to reconnect with the people they served alongside. The idea is simple: bringing members of a military unit back together in a supportive setting builds camaraderie, which the organization believes can help prevent veteran suicide and strengthen ties between veterans and the communities they call home.

The ranch was founded by Patrick Jump, a former Marine Corps corporal and the son of a Vietnam veteran. What began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a weekly virtual check-in among fellow Marines grew into a full-time mission to help veterans and their families, particularly with mental health.

When some of those Marines finally reunited in person after nearly 17 years apart, the experience left a lasting impression. It also exposed a practical problem: renting lodging large enough for a group reunion was expensive. That led to the idea of a permanent, affordable place where veterans could gather.

“It was the realization that reunions make an impact in the mental health of veterans,” Jump said at the ranch’s groundbreaking last year. With the ranch, he said, “we can provide a place where they can do what they want and be themselves.”

Jump, who traveled through 43 states in an RV before settling in Baldwin County, was named U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s “Veteran of the Month” in November 2024 for his work supporting veterans, especially those who served after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Building a home for veteran reunions

Warrior Legacy Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based on roughly 20 acres on Creekfront Drive in rural Robertsdale, land the organization bought at the end of 2023.

On Nov. 24, 2025, veterans and supporters broke ground on the ranch’s first building, the Gulf Coast Veterans Community Resource Center. The 3,500-square-foot facility is planned to open first for day and evening use and to offer counseling tailored to veterans, programs for spouses and families, and a range of therapeutic activities. A residential dormitory and reunion center are planned for later phases.

The Baldwin County Homebuilders Association’s Charitable Foundation took on management of the construction, with the association’s members contributing labor and materials. Once the ranch is fully built out, organizers hope to host as many as 50 veteran unit reunions a year.

Golf has already made a difference

The Cotton Creek Men’s Golf Association has been a key supporter of the ranch. At the time of the groundbreaking in November 2025, the group’s charity golf tournament was credited with raising $45,000 for Warrior Legacy Ranch.

This year’s tournament marks the third edition of Tee Up For The Troops, continuing what has become a Veterans Day tradition at Craft Farms.

Why Veterans Day matters

Veterans Day falls on Nov. 11 each year, marking the anniversary of the 1918 armistice that ended fighting in World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The holiday was known as Armistice Day until 1954, when Congress renamed it to honor American veterans of all wars.

Alabama holds a special place in the holiday’s history. Birmingham’s Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized a celebration in 1947 to honor all veterans, an effort widely credited as the origin of the national Veterans Day observance. Birmingham’s National Veterans Day celebration continues today.

Holding a charity tournament on Veterans Day gives golfers a way to turn the holiday’s spirit of gratitude into direct support for veterans in their own community.

About Craft Farms Golf Resort

Craft Farms Golf Resort in Gulf Shores is home to two 18-hole championship courses, Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend, both designed by Arnold Palmer. The Craft family, which brought the project to Gulf Shores, worked with Palmer’s design organization to create the courses, which wind through pines, lakes and wetlands where deer and herons are a common sight.

Cotton Creek features a classic layout with wide fairways, strategic bunkering, large greens and water in play, while Cypress Bend offers rolling terrain and undulating greens. The resort is a short drive from the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

How to take part or help

Golfers interested in playing in Tee Up For The Troops, and businesses interested in supporting the event, can reach out to Craft Farms Golf Resort for information on entries and sponsorships.

Those who cannot play can still support the cause by donating to Warrior Legacy Ranch directly. More information about the ranch and its mission is available at warriorlegacyranch.org and on the Warrior Legacy Ranch Facebook page.

For veterans and their families, the ranch’s message is that reconnecting with the people who shared their service can be a powerful part of healing, and that the community around them is ready to help.

If you or someone you know is struggling

Veterans in crisis and the people who care about them can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1, by texting 838255, or by chatting online at veteranscrisisline.net. Support is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day.