Alabama: RTJ Trail (Grand National, Capitol Hill, Ross Bridge, The Backyard)
BENJAMIN GOLF OVERALL RATING: ★★★⯪
History: The RTJ Trail was born out of an unlikely idea that I wish NY or CT would do. Use Alabama's state pension fund to build world-class public golf courses and turn the state into a golf destination. David Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, brought in Robert Trent Jones Sr. to make it happen. Starting in 1992, they built 26 courses across 11 sites statewide, making it one of the largest golf construction projects ever attempted. It worked.
As you'll see, some of the ratings below are pulled down by our own budget choices, but make no mistake, this trip punches well above its weight. If you are looking for a cheap golf trip with a road trip element, look no further.
Hotels: ★★
We did this trip on a shoestring budget. Ross Bridge has great lodging on site, but we skipped it and bounced between budget motels near whatever highway was closest to the next day's course. This is part of the appeal of the trip, as you are spending time on the road and the course with friends that you have not seen in a while. You get what you pay for, but you don't pay much.
Food: ★★
By choice, this was a fast-food dominated trip. The highest quality meal we enjoyed was at a Hooters… Again, by choice. The one exception was T-Bones in Birmingham before the Shane Gillis show. Best cheesesteak I've ever had. Not an exaggeration.
Practice Facilities: ★★★★★
Varies by course. Grand National's range was a letdown — downhill and off mats, and you had to pay for balls. Capitol Hill and Ross Bridge more than made up for it with spacious grass ranges. The bunkers in the target areas are filled with white concrete, so be prepared for your ball to bounce a mile in the air.
Short game areas were solid and consistent across the board. Bunkers, a green, and a pitching area at every stop.
Course Layout: ★★★
Grand National - Lake: My second favorite. 32 of the 54 holes wrap around 600-acre Lake Saugahatchee, making for one of the most scenic and fun rounds on the entire Trail.
Capitol Hill - Judge: My least favorite. Water comes into play on 14 holes, so bring extra balls. The back-nine par 3s are a true challenge. You can tell from the first hole that you are going to be in for a challenge if you do not have your stuff that day.
Ross Bridge: My favorite. The most visually impressive course on the Trail. Two large lakes, serious elevation changes, and a waterfall between the 9th and 18th greens make for a memorable round. Extremely fun set of par 3’s.
The Backyard: A fun, low-key nine-hole par 3 course at Oxmoor Valley that you can knock out in under an hour. Walking only, no water hazards, and you only need a wedge and a putter. Bring a few beers and don’t take it too seriously and you’re in for a great time.
Course Conditioning: ★★★
Decent to pretty good across the board. Nothing to complain about, nothing to write home about.
Price: $
3 rounds, 4 people, $1,700 all in — $425 per person. Add hotels, food, and flights and you're looking at $1,000–$1,500 per person total. Hard to beat for the quality of golf you're getting.