RTJ Golf Trail Rec

IMO the top RTJ courses are

Cambrian Ridge
Grand National
The Judge course in Prattville (other 2 there are only so so)

Next level are
Magnolia Grove in Mobile
Silver Lakes (but haven't played since tornado years ago )

Ross Bridge is a fantastic course

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Cambrian ridge is the hidden gem of the trail. The combination of canyon and sherling may be my favorite course I've ever played.

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I've played all of them except shoals and I agree with this.

I'll add Ross bridge reminds me most of the canyon 9 at Cambrian.

Links course at grand national is the best pure test of golf. You'll hit tough shots with every club in the bag.

Silver lakes (three nines) is amazing test also. I'm not sure how anyone can tip it out on that course.

Grand national Links is a fun course but I haven't played it since it was decimated by storms several years ago. I had heard that it lost a large percentage of trees on it making it pretty open.

Ross Bridge is a really nice course that has a nice layout that is fine for playing it the first time.

I don't remember which course we played at Magnolia Grove, I believe it was Falls, but most of the tee shots were blind tee shots and it takes playing the course a few times to figure it out. I played it in a high school state championship and I remember hitting a lot of irons and still getting fricked by bad bounces going through fairways.

Cambrian Ridge was a lot of fun, elevated tee boxes and fair greens.

Dothan is just fricking goofy golf and not worth the trip. Three tier greens that are worse than the other courses. it can be stretched to a long way if you feel randy though.

Prattville is pretty awesome, the Judge hosts one of the LPGA events (or used to) and they used to keep it in great shape year round.

Never played Silver Lakes.

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I played Dothan the day after they finished up a web.com q school qualifier. It was just silly with the greens that fast and dried out. I think the leader of the qualifier shot 76-72

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I played a high school match there when I was 18 and they had shaved the greens and put the pins on crowns for every green. The kid I played with 12 putted one green and never missed a putt by more than 6 inches including sending two back off the green. It was really just unfair.

I used to work there and should actually have the course record there but me and one of the assistant pros got rained out with two holes left. I shot 28 on Marshwood and was 6 under after 7 on the back. The pro refused to go back out and left the course because we were playing for money and he kept pressing hoping that I would frick up, he was down around 180 with a couple holes left. That was off the orange tees so we weren't all the way back though so it cut the course down a good bit.

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Once upon a time, I was the Head Pro there.

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How many balls did you find in the canyon between Canyon #9 and Sherling #9 every year?

For those who do not know, here is a photo of the canyon between the 2 #9's. (Cambrian Ridge has 3 9 hole courses)
The Sherling 9 is on the left, Canyon 9 on the right outside the picture.

The 2 holes share a double green at the top of the hill, jut below the club house.

Not a particularly good photo though. Very scenic course.

I've only played the Shoals. I live in Florence area but both courses are top notch and best in the area.

i don't think farmlinks layout is all that ... it's very decent, but the maintenance of the course is what sets it apart ... they fill in the pitch marks on the green with sand every other day ... and the different grasses in the fairway ... bunkers have the best sand, and the range/green/chipping area are probably the best in the state ... think they're running a special thru february ... might have to be on their email list ... can't remember ...

for the op, i'd take grand national's two courses over ov valley/ross bridge ... but there's more to do in the ham after the round (could roll the trees since alabama lost today in bball - it IS auburn) ...