A Golfer’s Dream & More in Alabama!
What to do for a summer getaway? This summer it’s an exciting road trip from our home in Oldsmar, Florida to North Carolina to Colorado ending in New Mexico. It’s an entertaining trip with a variety of activities from tours to jeep rides to train rides to an aerial tram to a mountain top and even bathing in natural mineral springs. Peering at the map, what’s the best route for our return trip? Where to go? What to do? Being golf enthusiast, we always like sneaking in a few rounds of golf. Decision made! Let’s play a few courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. Last year, we enjoyed golfing at Grand National on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Opelika, Alabama. We are ready for a fun “golf finale” on the last stretch of our 5,800 mile road trip. Fore! Alabama here we come!
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail – The Vision
The vision of Alabama’s golf trail started with Dr. David Bonner, CEO of the Retirement System of Alabama. In the late 1980’s, seeking to diversify the assets of the state’s pension fund and to help the state of Alabama, he had an idea of creating a trail of public golf courses throughout the state. His dream was GRAND. Bonner envisioned building 378 holes in eight spectacular sites in Alabama. His unique idea was to construct all the courses at one time. Bringing on Robert Trent Jones, Sr. to design the courses, added tremendous name recognition to the “Trail.” Definitely a dream come true, today the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail has 468 holes of golf in eleven sites. It brings golfers from all over the world to Alabama. The RTJ Trail in Alabama spans hundreds of miles from the Appalachians in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. It is a haven or maybe even heaven for golfers, having brought over 12 million visitors to the state. We are ready to experience a few of these courses on our way through Alabama.
RTJ Golf Trail at Oxmoor
Our first stop for golf on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is Oxmoor Valley. Centrally located in the state, the course is just outside Birmingham. With 54 holes of golf, the Oxmoor Valley courses are sculpted from peaks and valleys of the Appalachians. It features the Ridge Course and the Valley Course, along with a Short Course. On our visit The Ridge Course is closed so we are off to experience the excitement of the Valley Course. First thing we notice driving the winding roads to Oxmoor Valley is the change in elevation. From the Clubhouse we are at the highest point in the area. Completely renovated in 2021, the Valley course features new tees, bunkers, and beautiful TifEagle greens. Each of the RTJ Golf courses offer very good practice areas. We consistently take time to loosen up our muscles in preparation for a day of golf.
At our 12:30PM tee time, we are ready tackle The Valley. Standing on the tee box of Hole No. 1 a par-4, it’s all downhill with a dogleg left fairway. Before teeing off, we take time to appreciate the views from this hilltop. Now to begin our descent into the valley. Happy with bogey’s, we find Hole No. 2 a par-3 is also downhill to a huge green and a large pond to the right. The course begins to wind through the valley offering a variety of challenges from bunkers, to water hazards, and more. Overall the course is good shape. Beware! Afternoon showers start as we approach Hole No. 5. Just like Florida, the rain shower lasts about 20 minutes. Luckily, a nearby shelter keeps us reasonably dry. We play the front nine learning and appreciating the nuances of the course. Playing No. 7 a par-5, we make sure to stay away from the creek on the left. Then on No. 8 a par-4 a lake on the left protrudes into the fairway near the green with bunkers on the right. A tight opening into the green. We opt to layup to avoid the bunkers and water. HURRAH! Sinking our putts, we are both thrilled with a pars.
As we make the turn, we find plenty of challenges playing the Valley Course. We are thrilled with pars and bogeys on the first few holes on the back nine. Elevated greens add an extra touch for approach shots. Be sure to have plenty of club, as short shots just stop. Then arriving a No. 13 this par-3 is very unique. It has rectangular tiers in front of the green and even a rectangular bunker. Wow! This is a different perspective in club selection and approaching the green. It’s a fun hole! Some holes have multi-tiered greens requiring precise shots to the green and reading putts carefully. As we approach the 18th hole on the sloping fairway we hope for a flat lie. Then it is an uphill carry to a multi-tiered green. Rain clouds threaten overhead. Just as we approach the green the siren sounds to get off the course. We take two putts for our bogeys and head to the Clubhouse. It’s a great day of golf at Oxmoor Valley on the Valley Course. Next stop Capitol Hill in Prattville.
CAPITOL HILL
Marriott Prattville Hotel & Conference Center at Capitol Hill
After sightseeing in Montgomery and Prattville, Alabama we check in at the Montgomery Prattville Hotel & Conference Center at Capitol Hill. The resort is busy with both golf guests and conferences. With accommodations upgraded to VIP status, our room is in the President’s Cottage. Entering the President’s Cottage we find an expansive living area, a dining room, game room, bar area, and large kitchen on the main floor. Outside is a patio with tables and chairs to accommodate large groups. This two story cottage has private bedrooms on the main and upper level. Our master bedroom suite is conveniently on the main level. The President’s Cottage is terrific. A great place for golf groups to rent the entire cottage, enjoy the golf courses and afterwards relax in this comfortable spacious setting. A feature of the Resort is other units with a central living area and private rooms like the President’s Cottage. Perfect for group golf getaways and family reunions. Strolling over to the main lodge, we enjoy cocktails on the patio of the Oak Tavern. Here we watch golfers tackle The Senator, a true links style course at Capitol Hill.
RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill
With recognition of being named the #2 public golf facility in the country by Golf World readers, Capitol Hill consistently receives praise from golfers. Today, we are most impressed with the clubhouse, the staff and the conditions of the course. Featuring three unique championship golf courses, it offers golfers three drastically different golf courses. The Senator is a Scottish-Links style course, while The Legislator is a more traditional course that plays in and out of pine trees and along a bluff overlooking the Alabama River. Today we are playing The Judge that features stunning vistas along the backwaters of the Alabama River. As we head to the first tee for our 10:30AM tee time, the starter shares that The Judge has water on 14 of its 18 holes. That will definitely keep us alert in playing this course.
Here Comes The Judge! Are we ready? Standing on the tee box 200 feet above the fairway on the first hole of The Judge the scenery is magnificent. Wow! We can actually see the Montgomery skyline peeping above the treetops in the distance. Now to tackle this challenging and demanding course. We quickly understand why The Judge continues to receive top ratings as a public golf course. It is impressive! First deciding the best strategy to play Hole No. 1 with the tee high above the fairway. Awesome! Landing safely in the fairway, we are off for an exciting and demanding game of golf. Initially, water isn’t a factor. When water doesn’t come into play, hazards and bunkers bring challenges of precise shots. Don’t get too comfy! Think No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass. Yes, No. 6 a par-3 is all carry over water. It definitely plays longer. I think I have a great shot but land in the rough short of the green. Glad to make a bogey. Then No. 7 a par-5 has water along the fairway and encroaching in front of the green. Richard plays it perfectly for an awesome par. Approaching the 9th hole, we are glad water is not in play but massive bunkers protect the green.
On the back nine we find a hole or two that seem simple but quickly find hazards that come into play. On No. 12 a par-3 it is surrounded by water and a marsh. I take extra club to be sure to reach the green. Awesome! I am on the green and make by par. At number 13 the lack of water is definitely made up by extensive fairway bunkers. It seems adding extra challenge to the par-3s is a theme for The Judge. At. No. 16, it is another water hazard surrounding the green. Are we finally getting our club selection right for these par-3s? YES! Landing on the green, each of us make our pars. Umm, with a 200 foot elevation from the first tee on The Judge, we know that as we approach No. 18, we have to start going uphill to get back to the Clubhouse. Standing on the No. 18 tee we look down the fairway. Where is the green? It’s not visible from the tee box. It is an uphill dogleg with the green tucked off to the right and protected by bunkers, water, and rocks. Now that is a lot of extra challenge. It’s a fantastic day of golf on The Judge. The course is in very good shape and is thrilling to play. The water challenges add extra excitement to playing the course well. Now for a tasty lunch at the Clubhouse and some shopping in the Pro Shop. Next and last stop before heading home is Highland Oaks in Dothan.
RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks
Our final stop on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail before heading home to Florida is Highland Oaks. It’s located in the southeast corner of the state in Dothan, Alabama. Very convenient for our last leg of our driving trip to Florida. Highland Oaks features three 9-hole championship courses of Highlands, Marshwood and Magnolia. Plus it even has a 9-hole short course. Playing mid-afternoon we are hoping for temperatures to begin to cool off later in the day. After a short warm up, we are off to play Highlands and Marshwood. With this being our third golf course on the Robert Trent Jones Trail, we are looking forward to seeing the difference in playing the courses at Highland Oaks. For one thing the terrain will be a bit flatter than the hills and valleys of Oxmoor Valley and Capitol Hill.
Starting on the Highland Course, we appreciate the relatively open course with water coming into play on only a few holes. The course has a gentleness as we play but offers challenges, too. The opening holes have nice wide fairways easily having us feel confident with our golf game. Don’t get too cocky! Hole No. 3 a par-4 plays over a large waterway with a bit of a peninsula green. Then, Hole No. 4 is a slight downhill to a peninsula green. Guess we best be more alert to the nuances of each hole. Thinking we are in the clear, we find Hole No. 6 is an island green. Goodness, we should be getting really good at these by now. Landing on the green is critical to avoid the massive bunker in front and the water, too. Reaching No. 9 a par-5, as we look down the fairway it almost looks like it is all bunkers. Thankfully, we figure out how to use the bunkers to our advantage on the tee shot and then literally play around them. Now to Marshwoods, our next nine holes for today.
So much for the flatter terrain at Highland Oaks, approaching No. 1 of Marshwood it is all uphill. In fact the fairway almost looks terraced with its rolling terrain on a hillside. There is actually a valley to carry on tee shots before starting the uphill fairway to the green. The next few holes offer challenges of bunkers protecting the greens. Then water can come into play on No. 4 and No. 5. Marshwood is famous for its “behemoth” No. 5 Hole a par-5. From the tips it stretches 701 yards. Thankfully, for our tees it is a little long but not overwhelming. It still brings plenty of challenge with a marsh to carry in front of the green. Richard plays the hole perfectly for his par and I am pleased with a bogey. The next few holes are challenging but with no water, we enjoy the wide open fairways despite the bunkers. As we play Marshwood the temperatures drop. Proving a great time of day to play in the summer to avoid the heat of the day and thunderstorms. Yes, another fun day of golf at Highland Oaks. Good conditions, good course and exciting golf. A great finale to our golf on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is truly a golfer’s dream. It offers a wide variety of golf courses that will thrill and delight golfers of all levels. Each course has its own uniqueness and its location offers multiple courses to play. So many options from staying in one location and playing the courses at one site to traveling the trail from location to location to experience different courses. Additionally, several of the courses offer premier resort accommodations on site or nearby that are fantastic for accommodating golf groups. Be sure to check out these premier resorts on their website when planning a golf getaway. Golfers can go to Alabama just to experience the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail or add some sightseeing while in the area. We enjoy a visit to Montgomery to tour the Capitol and also enjoyed strolling downtown Prattville. The RTJ Trail can be a destination or stop along the way through Alabama.