When you think of golf in the USA, a handful of locations are synonymous with world-class golf.
Pebble Beach leads the way for California and it’s not alone, with a supporting cast including the likes of Spyglass Hill, Torrey Pines and Cypress Point.
South Carolina is home to the world-famous Kiawah Island. The flagship course there is the mighty Ocean Course but countless other world-class tests are also awaiting.
And then there are the desert courses of Arizona, led by TPC Scottsdale which we get to see each year on the PGA Tour.
But what about Alabama?
I’d be more inclined to think of Forest Gump when asked about the Cotton State but what if I were to tell you that, from a golfer’s perspective, Alabama is an absolute gold mine?
You’ll of course all be aware of the name Robert Trent Jones. As one of golf’s most respected architects, he’s laid down some of the world’s finest courses including the likes of Spyglass Hill, Valderrama in Spain and Hazeltine, host of the 2016 Ryder Cup.
He’s also sprinkled his magic dust all over Alabama, forming the amazing Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
If you’re in the market for an American Golf Holiday, you’d be mad not to consider a trip to the Deep South, and here’s why…
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Courses
Cambrian Ridge
Play any combo of the Canyon, Loblolly, Sherling & Short Course. While the Sherling / Canyon Course combination is regarded as the best 18-hole layout at Cambrian Ridge, a popular opinion of golfers in the know is that the resort as a whole is home to some of the most challenging and picturesque golf on The Trail.
Gently undulating fairways cut their way through the age old pine forests that dominate the land here and sizeable water hazards and excellently placed bunkers make for an entertaining round of golf from start to finish. Play any combination out of the Canyon, Loblolly and Sherling nines and you will be guaranteed one of the finest golfing experiences in the USA.
The Short Course presents a great way to practice you iron play with nine stunning par 3s back to back. With water in play on five of the holes, the Short Course is both scenic and challenging.
Did You Know?
Sherling / Canyon combo was named 3rd Best New Course by Golf Digest upon opening!
Capitol Hill
Set in more than 1,500 acres of quintessential Alabama countryside, the pure magnitude of the facility at Capitol Hill is simply amazing, as are the names for the three 18 hole golf courses; The Judge, The Legislator and The Senator.
The Judge is ranked inside the top 50 courses in the USA and is all at river level. Picking its way through marshy areas and around small lagoons, this course is a real joy to play where golfers will lay their eyes on a broad range of wildlife.
The Legislator is a classic Trent Jones design with holes defined by huge, gleaming white bunkers that contrast strikingly with the towering pines that line the fairways. Situated around the clubhouse on the site’s higher ground, The Legislator offers amazing views across Cooters Pond and all the way to Montgomery.
The Senator brings a slightly different feel to the table as it has been largely based on the classic links courses of the UK & Ireland. Man made dunes and pot bunkers dominate the course and perhaps if it wasn’t for a lack of the sound of waves crashing on the shore and the icy breeze blowing in from the North Sea, you may well think you were strolling some Celtic coastline hundreds of miles away!
Did You Know?
Golf Magazine described the Judge Course as one of just 10 public courses in America worthy of hosting the US Open!
Grand National
Set on the shores of Lake Saugahatchee, have a crack at the Lake or the Links, or enjoy 18 amazing par 3s on the beautiful Short Course. Perched on the shores of the breathtaking 600-acre Lake Saugahatchee, with 32 of the 54 holes coming within a whisker of the water’s edge, Grand National, according to Trent Jones himself, was reportedly the single greatest site for a golf complex he had ever seen.
The cornerstone of the complex is the Links Course, which is without a single weakness but with 12 of its 18 holes hugging the shores of Lake Saugahatchee, the Lake Course is one of the most scenic courses you could hope to play anywhere in the world. It’s a tough choice to pick the stronger of the two so I guess you will have to play both on your Alabama Golf Tour!
Golf World ranked Grand National as the best public golf course in the Golf World Readers’ Choice awards which is a testament to the quality of golf on offer here.
Did You Know?
Grand National plays host to the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship and both the Links and Lake courses were named in the top 10 of Golf Digest’s list of “America’s Top 50 Affordable Courses”.
Hampton Cove
Hampton Cove Golf Club is the Northern most stop on the Trail and is home to two 18-hole courses, the Highlands and River Courses, as well as the Short Course, which is an 18-hole par 3 course. Both of the championship courses offer a very different challenge to the other.
The Highlands Course, as the name may suggest, is modelled on the great links courses of Scotland while the River Course is a much flatter, yet equally challenging proposition. Both courses are as beautiful as they are challenging and believe me, measuring 7,262 and 7,667 yards from the tips they are certainly challenging! The River Course is one of very few Trent Jones courses without a single bunker.
Did You Know?
The River Course is the only Robert Trent Jones layout without a single bunker on the entire course… good news for those of you who struggle from the sand! It does feature water on 16 of the 18 holes though so watch out!
Oxmoor Valley
Built on former mining land owned by US Steel, Oxmoor valley is largely shaped by the peaks and valleys of the Appalachians and in their current form the courses feature scenic forests, numerous creeks and elevation changes that add a degree of difficulty to approach shots to the well protected greens.
As the name would suggest the Valley Course stretches out across the valley overlooked by the clubhouse and its collection of short par 4s and strategic par 5s are sure to be enjoyed by the more thoughtful golfer. The Ridge Course on the other hand lies amidst the crests and hollows that dominate this remarkable piece of land. Here the golfer is taken on a thrilling journey amongst rocky outcrops and over disused dams…a real roller coaster ride around the forest.
Did You Know?
The Ridge Course at Oxmoor Valley features some elevation changes of over 150 feet in a single hole!
Ross Bridge
Ross Bridge is one of the only stops on the Trail to boast just one golf course but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for with quality. Sitting directly across the road from Oxmoor Valley, Ross Bridge is big in every way. The course sprawls across over 600 acres of stunning Deep South countryside and has been designed with tournament play in mind…in fact, it already hosts a Seniors Tour event so it’s well on its way.
The course sits comfortably in its natural surroundings and in addition to the undulations, bunkering and water hazards, other touches such as the watermill halfway house and the waterfall behind the final green add to the other-worldly aura of Ross Bridge.
Did You Know?
Measuring over 8,000 yards from the tips, Ross Bridge is one of the world’s longest golf courses. Fear not though, a total of 5 sets of tees makes the course playable for all manner of golfers.
Silver Lakes
Home to 4 nine hole loops, aptly named the Heartbreaker, Mindbreaker and Backbreaker, as well as another superb Short Course comprised of a superb collection of par 3s, Silver Lakes is an incredible place to tee it up on an Alabama Golf Holiday.
The Backbreaker and Heartbreaker nines have become the most popular combination but the Mindbreaker is equally enjoyable. Sweeping undulations and large elevation changes add to the challenge of getting your ball round safely and then of course there is the small matter of a never ending network of streams and lakes, especially on the Mindbreaker nine.
While they shouldn’t really come into play, the mature pines that border the course add character and create a sense of total isolation from the stresses and strains of everyday life.
Did You Know?
All 36 greens at Silver Lakes are constructed to the highest of standards using Champion Ultra Dwarf grass strains which produce arguably the best putting surfaces on on The Trail.
The Shoals
The Fighting Joe Course at The Shoals was the 1st on The Trail to break the 8,000 yard barrier from the championship tees, and the Schoolmaster Course joined the show in 2005. Lying between the Wheeler and Wilson dams on the Tennessee River, these courses offer two distinct challenges.
Named after General Joseph “Fighting Joe” Wheeler – the only Confederate General to attain the same rank later in the United States Army, the Fighting Joe Course is long… really long… measuring over 8,000 yards from the back tees! Don’t let this put you off though as there are plenty of different tee positions that make the course accessible for golfers of varying abilities.
Although not as long, many golfers believe the Schoolmaster to be the tougher of the two tests due to the demand for accuracy and good club selection. The more traditional Shoolmaster is tree lined, undulating and truly spectacular.
Did You Know?
Travel & Leisure Golf named the Fighting Joe Course one of the top new courses in America.
Hey Rick,
Great write-up. These Alabama courses are definitely worth a visit, and I’m a huge fan of the short courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Thanks for sharing!