After spending several days traveling Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, I came home wondering how something this substantial can still feel so underrated.

Golfers routinely build destination trips around places like Pinehurst, Bandon Dunes, Kohler, Pebble Beach and northern Michigan – and for good reason. But Alabama offers something increasingly difficult to find in golf travel: a huge collection of distinctive, challenging and beautifully maintained public golf courses that can be combined into a relatively easy road trip without requiring a once-in-a-lifetime budget.

Along with The Island Resort & Casino in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the RTJ Golf Trail stands out to me as one of the best values I’ve experienced in destination golf.

But value is only part of the story.

What makes the Trail truly unusual is that it was never conceived simply as a collection of golf courses. It was part of a much larger strategy for Alabama.

Dr. David Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, saw an opportunity to do two things at once: strengthen the state’s tourism economy while diversifying the organization’s investments into golf, hospitality and other destination assets.

The concept was extraordinarily ambitious: create multiple signature-quality golf facilities across the state, make them publicly accessible, build several courses at many of the sites and position them close enough together that golfers could travel from one to another as part of a larger trip.

Just as importantly, the Trail could help reshape how visitors viewed Alabama – turning the state from somewhere many travelers simply passed through into a destination worth planning trips around.

And rather than cautiously testing that concept with one or two courses, Alabama went all in.

Robert Trent Jones Sr., already retired following a prolific career in golf course architecture, was intrigued enough by the idea to return to work. He personally visited all seven of the original Trail sites, and construction began across them at roughly the same time in what was described as the largest golf course construction project ever undertaken. The first wave opened in rapid succession in 1992 and 1993, with four of the original facilities offering 54 holes and three with 36.

The response was almost immediate.

Within the Trail’s first two years, more than 5,000 articles were reportedly written about it around the world. National publications took notice of an undertaking unlike anything golf had seen before, helping turn an audacious statewide golf project into a legitimate destination almost overnight.

The premise was essentially Field of Dreams on a statewide scale:

Build it and they will come.

And they did.

The Trail continued expanding beyond those original seven sites, eventually growing to 25 courses at 11 locations.

After Jones Sr.’s death, his longtime associate and protege Roger Rulewich carried the architectural work forward on later additions including Capitol Hill, The Shoals and Ross Bridge. The latter opened in 2005 as the final course added to the Trail.

More than three decades after the first courses opened, the remarkable thing is how little of the original idea feels dated.

The sites are spread throughout Alabama but are intentionally close enough together to make multi-stop golf trips practical. Many are connected by interstates and major highways, and the Trail gradually expanded beyond golf alone with resort lodging and other amenities that turned several locations into true stay-and-play destinations.

And then there’s the golf itself.

After playing several of the Trail’s courses for the first time, I quickly began to recognize a common architectural personality: enormous greens broken into shelves and tiers, dramatic elevation changes, intimidating water features, demanding (and often uphill) approach shots and par threes that often require considerably more than a short iron.

These are big golf courses built across big landscapes, and they rarely apologize for demanding bravery or precision.

But what struck me just as much as the challenge was the scenery.

The courses we played wound through forests, around lakes and across surprisingly dramatic terrain, often with the kind of elevation and scale most simply wouldn’t expect from Alabama golf. I certainly did not.

And nowhere was that combination of size, difficulty and beauty more apparent than at Ross Bridge.

Ross Bridge: The Trail’s Crown Jewel?

If the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail was created to make golfers reconsider Alabama, RTJ Ross Bridge might be its ultimate statement.

Opened in 2005 as the newest course on the Trail, Ross Bridge is regarded by many as its crown jewel. It is also one of the biggest golf courses most players will ever encounter, stretching to a staggering 8,168 yards from the tournament tees.

But reducing Ross Bridge to its scorecard misses what makes it so memorable.

Yes, it is enormous. The par threes stretch as long as 239 yards, the par fours to 518 and three of the par fives measure more than 600 yards, including one that reaches 698. Severe elevation changes only add to the scale, while uphill approaches, tucked pins and heavily contoured greens with closely mown run-offs make the course demanding even when sheer distance is not the primary challenge.

Ross Bridge is a behemoth.

But it is also beautiful.

To me, the heart of the course is the massive lake that anchors much of the property and borders several of its most dramatic holes. Bridges, long water carries and elevated approaches repeatedly bring the lake into view, while the nearly 1,000-foot waterfall flowing toward it between the 9th and 18th greens creates one of the Trail’s most recognizable settings.

The nearly 1,000-foot waterfall splits the greens for 9 and 18 at RTJ Ross Bridge

That area around the finishing holes is especially impressive. The Renaissance Ross Bridge resort rises behind the course, the waterfall cuts down through the property and the golf wraps around the water in a way that makes the whole setting feel much more expansive than your average resort course.

The Renaissance Ross Bridge is a beautiful, sprawling hotel and spa just outside of Birmingham, Alabama

And in the early-morning Alabama light, Ross Bridge was spectacular.

The course was immaculately presented during my visit, with the combination of long shadows, elevation and water making it one of the most photogenic properties I saw all week. For a course known primarily for its extreme length, I was surprised by how much its visual appeal has stayed with me.

The golf itself has no shortage of teeth.

Ross Bridge’s greens were renovated in 2022-23, including a conversion from bentgrass to TifEagle, along with work on the bunkers and greens complexes. The result is a set of putting surfaces that can be both beautiful and severe – large, quick and heavily shaped, with enough internal movement and surrounding run-offs to punish approaches that find the wrong section.

That combination of length, elevation and greens complexity is what makes Ross Bridge feel like more than just a novelty built around an outrageous yardage number.

I also came away thinking this would be a fascinating venue for high-level tournament golf.

RTJ Ross Bridge hosted the Champions Tour’s Regions Charity Classic from 2006-2010, and it certainly has the scale to challenge elite players today. From the tournament tees, the course asks for long carries, precise approaches and control into greens where simply hitting the putting surface does not guarantee an easy two-putt.

There is plenty of room for power, but very little room for indifference.

What makes Ross Bridge especially interesting within the larger Trail story is where it falls in the timeline. Oxmoor Valley was part of the original wave of RTJ Golf Trail development in the early 1990s (it was the first opened). Ross Bridge came more than a decade later, opening in 2005 as the final course added to the network.

In that sense, it feels almost like the culmination of the entire idea: bigger, more dramatic and more resort-oriented, but still unmistakably tied to the bold Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design philosophy that defines the Trail.

If there is one course that best captures the scale and ambition of the RTJ Golf Trail, Ross Bridge makes a compelling case.

Oxmoor Valley: Where the Trail Began

If Ross Bridge represents the fully developed resort side of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, nearby Oxmoor Valley feels much closer to its roots.

Built on former U.S. Steel mining land just outside Birmingham, Oxmoor Valley was one of the Trail’s original facilities and today offers 45 holes of golf: the 18-hole Ridge Course, 18-hole Valley Course and the nine-hole Back Yard par-3 walking course.

We played nine holes of the Ridge, and that name fits.

The land rises and falls throughout the routing, with heavy tree cover, elevated greens and plenty of approach shots that require much more than just the number on the rangefinder. I also found the Ridge a little more demanding off the tee than the courses we played later at Grand National, with fewer places where you could simply swing away and recover from a miss.

The greens were noticeably slower during our round, though in the extreme August heat of Alabama (every day was in the 90s) that didn’t surprise me. More than anything, the challenge came from finding the right portions of greens that often sat above the fairway and were framed by substantial elevation.

My favorite hole was easily the par five third.

The third is Oxmoor Valley’s signature hole, and the reason is obvious once you reach its approach zone. The green sits dramatically against a shelf of exposed shale, a direct visual connection to the property’s mining history. From the fairway, the rock wall rises behind the putting surface and gives the hole a rugged, almost quarry-like character unlike anything else I encountered on the Trail.

It was the kind of feature that makes you stop for a moment before hitting your approach – both because of the difficulty of the shot and because the setting is so unusual and beautiful.

We did not get onto the Valley Course or The Back Yard, but the latter is one I’d especially like to play on a return visit.

The nine-hole short course features holes ranging from roughly 59 to 132 yards and is built around old-school, Golden Age-inspired design concepts. I’ve heard repeatedly that it is one of the most fun tracks on the Trail.

The Back Yard short course at RTJ Oxmoor Valley is said to be one of the most fun golf experiences in all of Alabama

That 45-hole setup also helps explain why Oxmoor Valley is such an important part of the Trail’s larger story. From the beginning, the idea was never simply to build one good public golf course at a time, but to create substantial golf facilities where players could spend a full day – or several – without exhausting the experience.

For more than a decade, Oxmoor Valley stood largely on its own in the Birmingham area. That changed in 2005 with the opening of Ross Bridge just a short drive away in Hoover. Together, the two properties now give Birmingham a remarkably deep golf offering, with 63 holes between them and two very different expressions of the RTJ Golf Trail.

Ross Bridge is bigger, more polished and more overtly resort-driven. Oxmoor Valley feels rougher around the edges in a very good way – more rugged, more closely tied to the land and more visibly connected to the industrial history of the property. Between the elevation, exposed rock and heavily wooded terrain, it has a sense of character that feels distinctly its own.

RTJ Grand National: Three Courses, One Spectacular Setting

If Ross Bridge is the Trail’s showpiece and Oxmoor Valley represents its origins, RTJ Grand National may be the best example of just how much golf the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail can pack into one property.

Set along Lake Saugahatchee in Auburn/Opelika, Grand National includes the Lake Course, Links Course and an 18-hole Short Course, all built across a property where water, elevation and dramatic landforms constantly shape the experience.

The Lake and Links courses are remarkably similar in style, despite what their names might suggest. The Links Course, in particular, didn’t strike me as especially links-like at all. Both felt much more like classic RTJ golf: bold, highly visual, demanding and built around large greens, substantial elevation changes and difficult approach shots.

And those greens are enormous.

Both courses feature putting surfaces filled with shelves, ridges and multiple distinct sections, making distance control and angles into the greens just as important as simply hitting them. Many approaches play uphill, and tucked pins can make already substantial targets feel considerably smaller.

Of the two championship courses, I found the Lake Course more demanding off the tee, while the Links offered a little more room to miss. Neither is lacking for challenge, though. These are courses that ask a lot from tee to green, with water, elevation and heavily shaped greens all contributing to the difficulty.

The Lake Course was probably my favorite of the two.

Its routing along Lake Saugahatchee creates a number of spectacular settings, particularly on the par threes, where water and elevation repeatedly combine to produce some of the most visually memorable shots we encountered on the Trail.

The Links Course has plenty of drama of its own, including the 18th hole, where the approach plays uphill and over water to a large raised green that runs long from left to right but is relatively shallow from front to back.

That hole also saw one of my better swings of the week.

I hit one of my best approach shots of the trip into the 18th and made what I believe was my only birdie of the day – a nice way to finish a course that had otherwise spent several hours reminding me just how demanding Robert Trent Jones golf can be.

But Grand National’s biggest surprise may have been the Short Course.

Calling it a “short course” almost undersells it.

These don’t feel like novelty holes or scaled-down versions of championship golf. They look and feel like 18 legitimate par threes, with enough yardage, elevation, water and architectural interest that almost any one of them could fit comfortably onto either championship course.

In many ways, it may be the purest expression of what makes Grand National fun. You get all the visual drama and shot-making demands of the full-length courses without the long walks/rides or more stressful driver swings.

The entire property also has a strong sense of movement and scale. Bridges cross the water throughout the complex, the routings work around Lake Saugahatchee in interesting ways and elevation is used constantly to create long views and thrilling shot values.

Grand National felt like a facility where the Trail’s original concept is fully realized: multiple high-quality courses at one destination, enough variety to stay for several rounds and a setting that’s substantial enough to support at least a full weekend golf trip in a single setting.

The Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National alongside the Links Course at RTJ Grand National

Pursell Farms: Alabama Golf Beyond the Trail

Not every great golf experience in Alabama sits on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

In fact, my favorite stop of the entire trip was probably Pursell Farms, where their FarmLinks course has one of the more unique origin stories of any golf property I’ve visited.

When it opened in 2003, it wasn’t conceived simply as another resort course. The Pursell family’s roots were in fertilizer and turf technology, and FarmLinks was created as a living research and demonstration facility where golf course superintendents, agronomists and other turf professionals could see different grasses, products and maintenance practices performing under actual golf course conditions.

At various points, the property has maintained more than two dozen turf varieties, essentially turning the course into a sprawling outdoor laboratory. Superintendents and other industry professionals have traveled to Pursell Farms from around the country to study how different grasses and agronomic practices perform before making decisions for their own courses.

Pursell Farms’ FarmLinks course has doubled as a research and demonstration golf course for the turf grass industry

That history especially resonated with me because of the work I do with golf course superintendents and the WGCSA here in Wisconsin. Even while I was at Pursell Farms, Strawberry Creek Superintendent Matt Kregel texted me about how much he loves the property and how valuable his own visits there have been from a turf and research perspective. He even once got a hole-in-one on the downhill par three 17th.

Today FarmLinks has evolved into a world-class resort golf experience, but that research and demonstration DNA is still part of what makes the place so special.

Set across a sprawling property in Sylacauga, Pursell Farms felt different from everything else we visited. The golf is excellent, but what stood out most was how thoroughly the entire experience has been considered.

The Inn is polished and comfortable, the grounds were beautifully maintained and the property has a sense of history and identity woven into seemingly every corner. Signs, plaques and displays throughout the resort help tell the story of the land and the Pursell family, while small hospitality touches make the experience feel personal and elevated.

That same attention to detail carried onto FarmLinks, the resort’s Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry-designed course.

The property is expansive, with substantial elevation changes and long views across the foothills of the Appalachians.

“Hang Time”

The most memorable hole on the FarmLinks course for me – and for most as it’s one of the most awe-inspiring golf holes I’ve ever seen – was the par three fifth, appropriately nicknamed “Hang Time.”

Eight tee boxes are carved high into the mountainside, setting up tee shots that drop dramatically up to 180 feet into the valley below.

The scorecard yardage almost becomes irrelevant.

The ball seems to hang in the air forever, with the extreme elevation changing both club selection and players’ perceptions of distance from the tee.

On the day we played, my 205-yard tee shot played closer to 165 with slope.

It’s all carry – anything short of the green will be lost in the crevasse while shots left will spill into the bunker or woods.

This hole is mind-blowingly cool, fun and memorable.

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And then, in a touch that perfectly sums up Pursell Farms, players can grab chilled watermelon on their way toward the green.

Also, I’m sure you won’t, but don’t forget to grab a group photo from the tee overlooking this incredible golf hole.

Michael, me, Ken, Tim and Kerry on the 5th hole at Pursell Farms’ FarmLinks Golf Course

The Special Touches

That kind of detail appeared throughout our experience at Pursell Farms. Fresh apples were available near the opening hole, while the new “Apple Shack” served as the key hospitality stop pre-, mid- and post-round.

Pursell Farms reminded me in many ways of the Dismal River Club in Nebraska – not necessarily because the properties are architecturally similar, but because both feel like places where the golf is only one part of a much larger, carefully curated getaway experience.

Of all the places we visited in Alabama, this is the one I most immediately want to return to.

Beyond the Golf

As memorable as the golf was, some of the things that made this trip feel like a true destination experience happened away from the courses.

At Renaissance Ross Bridge, the resort itself is as impressive as the course. The rooms were spacious and upscale, the pool complex was excellent and the Clubhouse Restaurant quickly became our go-to for meals.

The Renaissance at Ross Bridge, a Marriott property

The pork chop I got on night one was a standout, but the wings may have been even more memorable – a half-dozen that were the largest I’d ever seen. I thought I was ordering light and ended up not even being able to finish all six.

Pursell Farms was something else entirely. To me, it was the ultimate golf hang. It’s the kind of resort I’d happily return to for two or three days with no agenda beyond playing golf, eating well, having a few drinks and enjoying everything the property has to offer.

The vibe is golf-first, but everything around it is first-class: beautiful lodging, exceptional service, thoughtful amenities and a level of curation that makes the entire property feel intentional without ever feeling overdone. It’s Southern charm and hospitality paired with world-class golf.

Part of the appeal is simply the scale of the property and how much there is to do beyond golf. Pursell Farms is home to the Orvis Shooting Grounds and offers sporting clays, fly-fishing instruction, archery, UTV mountain rides, tennis, pickleball, yoga, bicycling, spa treatments and other outdoor activities across its rolling landscape. It’s the kind of place where a group could split up for an afternoon, do completely different things and still reconvene at Founders Pub for dinner and drinks afterward.

The Inn at Pursell Farms, alongside the 18th fairway of the FarmLinks course

Founders Pub was one of my favorite hangouts of the trip, with excellent food, large portions, signature cocktails and a massive bourbon selection. The atmosphere reminded me a lot of the Dismal River Club – refined but relaxed, with the kind of hospitality that makes you want to settle in for the evening rather than simply eat and leave.

Visitors to Founders Pub can even shoot a game on Jim Nabors’ old pool table. The Sylacauga native’s table was brought back from Hollywood to his hometown after reportedly being played on by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Marilyn Monroe, and today it sits right in the middle of the pub for guests to use.

Breaking on Jim Nabors’ old pool table – from Hollywood to Pursell Farms

Even the pool fits the personality of the place. It’s smaller and more intimate than the sprawling resort pools at Ross Bridge and Grand National, but warm and inviting, with a small waterfall and an infinity-style view across the 18th fairway at FarmLinks. Nearby fire pits, comfortable outdoor spaces and views across the property only add to the feeling that there really isn’t much reason to leave once you arrive.

Our time in Auburn/Opelika added an entirely different dimension.

A visit to Auburn University’s Rane Culinary Science Center was one of the most eye-opening non-golf experiences of the trip. The facility brings together world-class education in culinary arts, brewing, wine and oenology, hospitality and luxury hotel operations, all in one integrated environment.

We toured the culinary institute, hotel, restaurant and brewery, and the scope of it was remarkable. It felt less like a traditional academic facility and more like a full-scale hospitality ecosystem where students are learning every part of the guest experience.

Dinner that night at The Hound was one of my favorite meals of the trip – great steaks, excellent appetizers, a deep bourbon selection and a lively, comfortable atmosphere nearby Auburn’s campus.

And somehow, it still wasn’t the best meal we had.

That honor went to Botanic.

Botanic was one of those places where the setting and atmosphere are almost as memorable as the food itself. A few of us were admittedly nervous beforehand that it might be a vegetarian restaurant because the menu names many of the dishes around the vegetables that accompany them.

We were very wrong.

The food was exceptional, the drinks were excellent and the overall atmosphere was unlike anything else we experienced on the trip. This place is honestly a destination in its own right.

The Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National also felt like a place I could easily bring my family for a few days. The pool area is huge, with indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs and a great pool bar, and there are sprawling tennis and pickleball facilities along with plenty of other ways to spend time away from the course. It’s the kind of resort where the kids could have a great day even if golf wasn’t part of the plan.