Central Region

RTJ Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley, Birmingham

Golf locales in this region are a dichotomy of sorts, featuring both the bustling nightlife of the state’s largest city and many laid-back, small towns with a slower pace. Those two distinct golf vacation styles are highlighted by the fact that the top two GolfWeek’s “best courses you can play” in Alabama are located in the region. They are Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa near Birmingham and Pursell Farms in Sylacauga. Both resorts offer 18 holes of golf and they were named in GOLF® magazine’s inaugural “best resort for buddies” list. Alabama’s largest city, Birmingham, has certainly become golf central, with so many great courses from which to choose. And the RTJ Golf Trail’s Ross

Bridge leads the way. The 8,191-yard golf course is the fifth longest in the world. The layout flows in a clover leaf fashion, returning to a central locale no fewer than five times. Even with its intimidating length from the back tees, elevational changes, and water holes, Ross Bridge is still a welcoming resort course at heart with wide fairways and receptive greens. Situated just a mile away from Ross Bridge is Oxmoor Valley, the RTJ Golf Trail’s first Birmingham site. It offers two unique full-length courses, The Ridge and The Valley, plus an

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exciting new 9-hole, par 3 course called The Backyard. The Ridge Course has tight tree-lined fairways and huge changes in elevation, while the Valley Course is more open off the tee with its gently, rolling fairways and meticulously landscaped backdrop. Located in the historic Highlands neighborhood of Birmingham, sits Alabama’s oldest golf course, Highland Park. The course has been the site of many important golf tournaments including one of Bobby Jones' first victories and boasts smooth Bentgrass greens and rolling terrain. Most notably, GOLF® Magazine named Highland Park to its “30 best U.S. municipal golf courses” list in 2021. Just south of Birmingham in Pelham is Ballantrae Golf Club. This Bob Cupp-designed course meanders through a scenic valley, surrounded by gorgeous woodlands and breathtaking views. The clubhouse resembles a Scottish manor and the club is the home of the Dixie Section of the PGA. Also in Pelham, the Alabama State Parks boast the 18-hole championship course at Oak Mountain State Park. The Oaks Golf Club is another Earl Stone design, featuring Bermuda greens and many challenging dogleg holes. Playing 7,000 yards from the back tees, FarmLinks at Pursell Farms, located southeast of Birmingham in the small town of Sylacauga, is the world’s first "research & demonstration" golf course. The facility was built to experiment with and showcase golf course machinery, irrigation systems, and fertilizer to visiting course superintendents. In addition to its number one ranking from Golfweek, many golfers who have played the course and submitted reviews on GolfAdvisor have rated FarmLinks the best course in the state. Just west of Greater Birmingham, Tuscaloosa is home to an awardwinning golf course. The Ol’ Colony Golf Complex offers an 18-hole Jerry Pate design. It features rolling hills, tall

Highland Park Golf Course, Birmingham RTJ Golf Trail at Silver Lakes, Anniston/Gadsden Photo by Michael Clemmer

Ol’ Colony Golf Course, Tuscaloosa

pines and live oaks, plus large fairway bunkers and water throughout. It’s been named a “Best Municipal Course” by several golf publications. About an hour northeast of Birmingham, between Anniston and Gadsden, lies the RTJ Golf Trail at Silver Lakes. The site is made up of three tough 9-hole courses, suitably named Mindbreaker, Backbreaker and Heartbreaker, all offering magnificent views to soothe the ego. Twin Bridges, located along the Coosa River in Gadsden is a CooreCrenshaw design was named a “Best New Course” by Golf Digest upon opening. The 6,800-yard course challenges golfers with its rolling fairways and strategic bunkers. The Central Region, has a great variety of courses, plus historic sites and culinary adventures, around which to build an exciting golf trip. OFF THE COURSE...

Don’t miss Birmingham’s Civil Rights Institute, Dread River Distillery and Barber Motorsports Park; Mercedes Benz Visitor Center and the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa; Noccalula Falls Park and Back Forty Beer Company in Gadsden, one of Alabama’s first craft breweries; and Talladega Superspeedway. Sample the food at Dreamland BBQ in Tuscaloosa; Harp & Clover or Blackstone Pub in Gadsden; Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ in Cullman; and the James Beard award-winning Highlands Bar & Grill, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Irondale Cafe, the inspiration for the cafe in Fried Green Tomatoes, and Automatic Seafood & Oysters, home to James Beard’s 2022 Best Chef in the South, all located in Birmingham. Visit www.Alabama.Travel for more information.

FarmLinks at Pursell Farms, Sylacauga