It’s an early start as its 36-hole today and one of them is the most requested course on the Robert Trent Jones Trail. After looking down the stunning first of the Judge course we head to the first tee on the Legislator track and like all the courses this week, it is perfectly sculptured and the manicuring is perfect.
I am playing with Charlie who is head of marketing here. From the Black tees the course measures a whopping 7,477-yards but fear not there are five teeing options so there is plenty of choice with Teal coming in at 5,253-yards.
The opening hole is a par 5 but this is no easy birdie chance but as I arrive at my ball I really like the way the mounding frames the fairway, but its when you arrive at the green you begin to see how tough the course can be with the many green complexes and a key ingredient in any RTJ design.
The 2nd is a dogleg right with perfect placing of the fairway bunkers with their white sand looking like jewels placed in an emerald carpet and with the Alabama river as a backdrop it’s a great little hole.
Next up is the first of the par 3s which is played from an elevated tee with the river below you to the left, but again it’s the green that will test every inch of your touch and feel, if you put your ball in the wrong portion here you will be lucky to get away with a 3-putt.
It’s a great driving course with rolling terrain and plenty of fairway to aim at and you will love the design of the holes all aesthetically pleasing on the eye and testing every part of your golf game. There are a great run of holes from the par 3 6th that brings you back to the clubhouse but a special mention for the green on the 8th again with the Alabama river as its backdrop, I miss staying on the top tier by an each which would have left me a 6-foot putt, I am now standing over a 25-yard putt back up hill with a 3-yard right to left break!
After travelling down what feels and looks like a rollercoaster from Coney Island in our buggy the back nine opens with yet another great driving hole from the elevated back tee. The par 3, 11th is played over a swamp with live oaks to the left and the Alabama river behind, it really is a beautiful hole.
I smash my drive down the fairway on the 14th and when I arrive at my ball a smile breaks across my face, it really is a visually stunning second shot to a green that sits below you protected by three bunkers – two on the right and one on the left – framing the green.
Standing on the tee on the 15th and looking out to the fairway below it must have at least a 100-foot drop, it’s a real grip it and rip it hole which is then played to an uphill green. The final hole is a fitting finale to what has been another wonderful course on the RTJ Golf Trail. A slight dogleg right played round some mounding to a raised green which if you get a good drive away will only leave you a wedge in and what better way to end a round than rolling in a birdie putt.
Top 8st hole. Above: The 4th green, live oaks at the 11th and a fitting finale at the 18th