The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is 26 courses at 11 sites across Alabama, built by the state’s public pension fund from 1992. With the Trail Card, rounds at most sites cost $51.95 to $66.95 including a cart; visitors pay more, or buy a package from $85 a day. Start with Grand National, Capitol Hill and Ross Bridge.
There’s nothing else quite like it in American golf. In the late 1980s, the man who ran Alabama’s state pension fund decided to build championship golf courses across a state with no reputation for golf, and hired the most famous architect of the century to do it. Thirty-odd years later the Trail runs from Muscle Shoals near the Tennessee line to Point Clear on Mobile Bay, and it’s still one of the best-value collections of big, demanding public golf in the country. The courses are long, hilly and full of water. They aren’t subtle. For a golfer who likes a stiff test and a fair price, though, it’s hard to beat.
How we built this. Fees, booking rules and scorecards come from the Trail’s own site, rtjgolf.com, and are current as of October 2026; the Trail Card rates quoted are the 2027 card’s, valid from October 1, 2026. The Trail doesn’t publish its full public rack rates, so where we give one it comes from a third-party booking site in April 2026 and is marked “reported”. The history comes from the Encyclopedia of Alabama and the Trail’s own guide. We haven’t played every course on the Trail. Where a note leans on the scorecard, the design history and published data rather than our own rounds, we say so.
At a glance
- Best site: Grand National in Opelika, two championship courses on Lake Saugahatchee plus an 18-hole par-3 course; it has hosted NCAA championships and a PGA Tour event
- Toughest courses: Ross Bridge, 8,168 yards from the back (78.4/147), The Shoals’ Fighting Joe (8,092 yards; 78.6/146) and Capitol Hill’s Judge (78.5/147)
- Best value: the Trail Card rate at The Shoals, Cambrian Ridge, Highland Oaks and Silver Lakes, $51.95 Monday to Thursday with a cart
- Best deal for visitors: two-day-plus packages from $115 per person per day in autumn and $85 in winter, cart and range balls included
- Most famous hole: the first on the Judge at Capitol Hill, played from a tee high above the fairway
- Best short course: the Back Yard at Oxmoor Valley, nine par 3s, walking only, from $35
- Best months: March to May and October to mid-November
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at a glance
The table lists every site with its courses, the hardest rating and slope there, the Trail Card rate and, where available, a reported public rate. Course rating is what a scratch golfer is expected to shoot; slope measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer, on a scale where 113 is average. The USGA explains both.
| Site | City | Courses | Opened | Toughest rating/slope (back tees) | Trail Card rate, with cart | Reported public rate (Apr 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand National | Opelika | Lake, Links, Short Course | 1992 | Links 76.2/141 | $56.95-$66.95 | About $129 |
| Capitol Hill | Prattville | Judge, Senator, Legislator | 1999 | Judge 78.5/147 | $56.95-$66.95 | About $119-$129 |
| Ross Bridge | Hoover | Ross Bridge | 2005 | 78.4/147 | $102.95-$112.95 | About $159 |
| Oxmoor Valley | Birmingham | Ridge, Valley, Back Yard (par 3s) | 1992 | Valley 75.6/147 | $56.95-$66.95; Back Yard from $35 | About $99 |
| Hampton Cove | Owens Cross Roads (Huntsville) | Highlands, River, Short Course | 1992 | River 77.5/140 | $56.95-$66.95 | About $109 |
| The Shoals | Muscle Shoals | Fighting Joe, Schoolmaster | 2004 | Fighting Joe 78.6/146 | $51.95-$61.95 | About $149 |
| Silver Lakes | Glencoe (Anniston) | Three nines plus a short course | 1993 | Backbreaker/Heartbreaker 76.7/142; slopes to 147 | $51.95-$61.95 | About $79 |
| Magnolia Grove | Mobile | Crossings, Falls, Short Course | 1992 | Falls 74.6/130; Crossings slope 139 | $56.95-$66.95 | About $79-$89 |
| Lakewood Golf Club | Point Clear | Azalea, Dogwood | Joined the Trail 2004 | Dogwood 73.7/136 | $152-$157 (six visits a year) | About $245 |
| Cambrian Ridge | Greenville | Three nines plus a short course | 1993 | Canyon nine slope 152 | $51.95-$61.95 | About $89 |
| Highland Oaks | Dothan | Three nines plus a short course | 1993 | Highlands nine slope 149 | $51.95-$61.95 | About $109 |
Trail Card rates are for 18 holes with a cart, Monday to Thursday and then Friday to Sunday and holidays, valid from October 1, 2026 (rtjgolf.com). Ratings and slopes from the Trail’s scorecards; ratings for the three 27-hole sites are published nine by nine, except Silver Lakes. Reported public rates from a third-party booking site, April 2026.
What is the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
It’s a chain of 11 public golf sites across Alabama, owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama, the state’s public pension fund. The first seven sites opened in 1992 and 1993 to a design by Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s firm; Capitol Hill followed in 1999, The Shoals in 2004 and Ross Bridge in 2005.
The idea came from David Bronner, who has run the Retirement Systems of Alabama since 1973. According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, he was inspired partly by the film Field of Dreams: build something good enough and people will come, and spend money in the state when they do. Bobby Vaughan, a golf-course manager, put the team together, and Robert Trent Jones Sr., then in semi-retirement, agreed to lead the design, with his longtime associate Roger Rulewich doing much of the detailed work. Jones’s philosophy, which runs through every site, was “hard par, easy bogey”: the courses are brutal from the back but give a sensible player plenty of room.
Oxmoor Valley opened first, in May 1992, followed that year by Grand National, Hampton Cove and Magnolia Grove; Highland Oaks, Cambrian Ridge and Silver Lakes came in 1993. Jones died in 2000, so the two newest sites, The Shoals and Ross Bridge, were built after his death under the Trail’s banner. Lakewood Golf Club at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, an older club that joined in 2004, isn’t a Jones design at all. The Trail’s own guide puts the total at 26 courses and 468 holes, a little fewer now that Oxmoor Valley’s 18-hole short course has become a nine-hole par-3 course.
It worked. The encyclopedia estimates the Trail brought about $1 billion to Alabama between 1995 and 2005, and the pension fund became the state’s biggest hotel developer along the way, with properties like the Grand Hotel at Point Clear and the Renaissance at Ross Bridge. For our take on Jones’s wider career, from Oakland Hills to Spyglass Hill, see our guide to golf course architects and our guide to Robert Trent Jones Sr. golf courses.
Which courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail are best?
Grand National’s Lake and Links courses, Capitol Hill’s Judge, Ross Bridge and The Shoals’ Fighting Joe are the usual top five, with Oxmoor Valley’s rebuilt Valley course and Hampton Cove’s Highlands close behind. For value, Cambrian Ridge, Highland Oaks and Silver Lakes are the best-kept secrets.
Here’s how we’d order the sites for a first visit, based on the courses’ design, difficulty, history and condition reports rather than a scorecard of our own. Our separate guide has every course on the Trail ranked.
- Grand National (Opelika): two strong courses wrapped around a lake, plus a full par-3 course, and the best all-round site.
- Capitol Hill (Prattville): three courses, including the Judge, the Trail’s most dramatic, and the Senator, a links-style course.
- Ross Bridge (Hoover): the longest course on the Trail and the most expensive, with a resort hotel beside it.
- The Shoals (Muscle Shoals): two huge, modern courses along the Tennessee River.
- Oxmoor Valley (Birmingham): the original site, with a rebuilt Valley course and the Back Yard par-3 course.
- Hampton Cove (Huntsville): a hilly Highlands course and a River course with no bunkers at all.
- Cambrian Ridge (Greenville): 27 holes that many Trail regulars rate among the best, at the lower price tier.
- Lakewood (Point Clear): the resort experience on Mobile Bay, at a resort price.
- Highland Oaks, Silver Lakes and Magnolia Grove: solid, cheaper sites that are well worth a day if you’re nearby.
Grand National and Capitol Hill: the heart of the Trail
The two best sites sit in the middle of the state: Grand National near Auburn, an hour east of Montgomery, and Capitol Hill in Prattville, just north of it.
Grand National
Opelika, near Auburn · public · Robert Trent Jones Sr., with Roger Rulewich (1992); the Links has new tees, bunkers and TifEagle greens · Lake: par 72, 7,314 yards; 76.2/139 (Purple) · Links: par 72, 7,404 yards; 76.2/141 (Purple) · Short Course: par 54, 3,126 yards · Trail Card $56.95 Monday to Thursday and $66.95 Friday to Sunday, with cart (from October 1, 2026, official); public rate reported at about $129 · walking allowed
Grand National is the Trail’s flagship, three courses wrapped around Lake Saugahatchee, with water on a lot of holes and big, rolling greens. The Lake course hosted the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship from 2015 to 2017, and the site has held the NCAA Division I men’s (2000) and women’s (2004) championships. The Links is the slightly longer and, for many players, the better of the two, especially since its renovation. The Short Course is a full 18 holes of par 3s, from 3,126 yards at the back, and is a fine round in its own right. Our Grand National course guide goes hole by hole.
Which tees: both big courses are over 7,300 yards from the Purple tees. A 10-handicap should play around 6,300 to 6,500 yards; an 18 around 5,800 to 6,000; a 25 the forward set.
Verdict: if you play one site on the Trail, make it this one.
Capitol Hill
Prattville, north of Montgomery · public · Robert Trent Jones Sr. firm (1999); Senator greens rebuilt 2020 · The Judge: par 72, 7,806 yards; 78.5/147 (Black) · The Senator: par 72, 7,643 yards; 77.4/132 (Black) · The Legislator: par 72, 7,454 yards; 76.0/143 (Black) · Trail Card $56.95-$66.95 with cart; packages add $15 a round for the Judge (official) · public rate reported at about $119 to $129 · walking allowed
Capitol Hill has the hole everybody photographs: the first on the Judge, played from a tee perched high above a fairway beside the water. The Judge is the most dramatic course on the Trail, full of water and elevation, and its 147 slope from the Black tees is about as stiff as public golf gets. The Senator, built in a links style with big mounds and few trees, is easier to score on. Capitol Hill has hosted LPGA events and, from 2004 to 2006, the old Nationwide Tour’s season finale. The Legislator is a parkland course through the trees. Our Capitol Hill course guide compares all three.
Which tees: from 7,806 yards, the Judge is a course for very good players only. Most golfers should play it from 6,000 to 6,400 yards; it’s still plenty hard.
Verdict: play the Judge once for the first hole and the drama, the Senator for a more enjoyable round. If your group is buying a package, the Judge’s $15 surcharge is money well spent.
Birmingham: Ross Bridge and Oxmoor Valley
Ross Bridge
Hoover, south of Birmingham · public, next to the Renaissance Ross Bridge resort · built in 2005 under the Trail banner · Par 72, 8,168 yards; 78.4/147 (Black) · Trail Card $102.95 Monday to Thursday and $112.95 Friday to Sunday, with cart; packages $190 per day in autumn and $125 in winter (official); public rate reported at about $159 · carts required
Ross Bridge is the Trail’s showpiece and its most expensive course, a parkland layout around a chain of lakes below a big resort hotel. At 8,168 yards from the Black tees, it’s one of the longest courses in the world, though most people play it at a fraction of that. It had a rough patch: a herbicide mistake damaged the greens and closed the course for more than a year, and it reopened on October 13, 2023, with new Bermuda greens (reported). Our Ross Bridge course guide covers the tees in detail.
Which tees: ignore the 8,168. There are five or six sets of tees, and a 10-handicap will have plenty of golf from about 6,500 yards.
Verdict: a very good resort course, but at roughly double the Trail Card rate of the standard sites, it’s not the Trail’s best value. Play it if you’re staying at the Renaissance, or as the treat at the end of a trip.
Oxmoor Valley
Birmingham · public · Robert Trent Jones Sr., with Roger Rulewich (May 1992, the Trail’s first site); Valley rebuilt 2021; Ridge greens renovation scheduled May 10 to October 1, 2027 · Ridge: par 72, 7,055 yards; 74.3/141 (Purple) · Valley: par 72, 7,327 yards; 75.6/147 (Purple) · The Back Yard: nine par 3s, 911 yards, walking only, from $35 plus tax · Trail Card $56.95-$66.95 with cart (official); public rate reported at about $99 · walking allowed
Oxmoor Valley is where the Trail began, on hilly, wooded ground on Birmingham’s southwest side. The Valley course, rebuilt in 2021, is the stronger of the two, with a 147 slope from the Purple tees; the Ridge is shorter and tighter, and it will be closed for a greens renovation from May to October 2027. The Back Yard, which replaced the old 18-hole short course, is nine par 3s for $35, walking only, and is one of the best casual golf options in Birmingham. Our Oxmoor Valley course guide has the details.
Verdict: the best value in Birmingham, and an easy pairing with Ross Bridge, 15 minutes away. The Trail sells the two together as a combination deal.
North Alabama: Hampton Cove, The Shoals and Silver Lakes
Hampton Cove
Owens Cross Roads, near Huntsville · public · Robert Trent Jones Sr., with Roger Rulewich (1992) · Highlands: par 72, 7,428 yards; 76.2/143 (Purple) · River: par 72, 7,668 yards; 77.5/140 (Purple), no bunkers · Short Course: par 54, 3,635 yards · Trail Card $56.95-$66.95 with cart (official); public rate reported at about $109 · walking allowed
Hampton Cove has two very different big courses. The Highlands climbs over rolling hills with views of the mountains, and it’s the classic Trail course. The River runs through low-lying wetland and has no bunkers at all; the water and the length do the work. The 18-hole Short Course is one of the longest par-3 courses on the Trail. Our Hampton Cove course guide covers all three.
Verdict: a strong site, and the obvious stop for anyone in Huntsville. Play the Highlands first.
The Shoals
Muscle Shoals · public · built in 2004 under the Trail banner · Fighting Joe: par 72, 8,092 yards; 78.6/146 (Black), the first Trail course over 8,000 yards · Schoolmaster: par 72, 7,971 yards; 77.6/148 (Black) · Trail Card $51.95 Monday to Thursday and $61.95 Friday to Sunday, with cart (official); public rate reported at about $149 · walking allowed
The Shoals is the Trail’s modern giant: two enormous courses near the Tennessee River, opened in 2004. Fighting Joe was the first Trail course to top 8,000 yards from the back, and the Schoolmaster, a touch shorter, has the higher slope. They’re wide and big-shouldered, built for driver, and they’re cheaper on the Trail Card than any of the sites further south. Our guide to The Shoals compares the two.
Verdict: worth the drive to the northwest corner of the state if you like big modern courses. With the Trail Card at $51.95, they’re some of the best-value championship courses in the South.
Silver Lakes, in Glencoe near Anniston and Gadsden, has three nines with suitably dramatic names, the Backbreaker, the Heartbreaker and the Mindbreaker, rated from 75.9 to 76.7 on the 18-hole scale from the Black tees, with slopes from 142 to 147, plus a nine-hole short course. At $51.95 to $61.95 on the Trail Card, and reported at about $79 to the public, it’s the cheapest full-size site on the Trail.
South Alabama and the Gulf Coast
Magnolia Grove
Mobile · public · Robert Trent Jones Sr., with Roger Rulewich (1992); Falls reopened October 2010 · Crossings: par 72, 7,212 yards; 73.7/139 (Purple) · Falls: par 71, 7,158 yards; 74.6/130 (Purple), the Trail’s only par 71 · Short Course: par 54, 3,140 yards · Trail Card $56.95-$66.95 with cart (official); public rate reported at about $79 to $89 · walking allowed
Magnolia Grove, on Mobile’s western edge, is flatter than the inland sites, with water and magnolia trees everywhere. It hosted the LPGA’s Tournament of Champions from 2002 to 2005. The Crossings is the tougher course by slope; the Falls is the only par 71 on the Trail. Our Magnolia Grove course guide covers both and the Short Course.
Verdict: good golf at the Trail’s lower public prices, and the best base on the Gulf Coast if Lakewood is out of budget.
Lakewood Golf Club
Point Clear, at the Grand Hotel on Mobile Bay · public, with priority for hotel guests · an older club that joined the Trail in 2004; the Trail’s guide credits Perry Maxwell with the original 18 (1947); Azalea reopened November 2019 and Dogwood renovated 2018 · Azalea: par 72, 7,202 yards; 74.4/131 (Purple) · Dogwood: par 72, 7,104 yards; 73.7/136 (Purple) · Trail Card $152-$157, limited to six visits a year; packages $215 per day in autumn and $180 in winter (official); public rate reported at about $245 · carts required
Lakewood is the odd one out: not a Jones design, much older than the rest of the Trail, and set among live oaks beside the historic Grand Hotel. Both courses are flat, pretty and much less brutal than the Jones sites, with slopes in the low 130s. They’re also the most expensive rounds on the Trail. Our Lakewood Golf Club guide covers both courses and the hotel’s golf packages, and for the beach courses an hour east, see our guide to Gulf Shores golf courses.
Verdict: play it if you’re staying at the Grand Hotel; it’s a lovely, relaxing round. If you’re on the Trail for the golf, Magnolia Grove across the bay offers more for far less.
Cambrian Ridge and Highland Oaks
Cambrian Ridge, Greenville · public · Robert Trent Jones Sr., with Roger Rulewich (1993); nines rebuilt 2013-2016 · Canyon, Loblolly and Sherling nines, par 36 each, 3,524 to 3,571 yards; Canyon 37.3/152 (Purple) · Highland Oaks, Dothan · public · 1993; greens regrassed 2020 · Highlands, Magnolia and Marshwood nines, par 36 each, 3,701 to 3,892 yards; Highlands 37.9/149 (Black) · both sites: Trail Card $51.95-$61.95 with cart (official); public rates reported at about $89 (Cambrian Ridge) and $109 (Highland Oaks) · walking allowed · each has a nine-hole short course
These two southern sites are where Trail regulars go when they want great golf without crowds. Cambrian Ridge, south of Montgomery on Interstate 65, is built through deep ravines and pine forest, and its Canyon nine carries the highest slope of any nine on the Trail. Highland Oaks in Dothan, in the state’s southeast corner, has three long nines, the Highlands, Magnolia and Marshwood, and was regrassed in 2020. Our Cambrian Ridge course guide covers the three nines there.
Verdict: if you’re driving between Montgomery and the Gulf, stop at Cambrian Ridge. It’s the best-value site on the Trail.
How much does it cost to play the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
With the Trail Card, 18 holes with a cart cost $51.95 to $66.95 at nine sites, $102.95 to $112.95 at Ross Bridge and $152 to $157 at Lakewood. Visitors can buy packages from $115 a day in autumn or $85 in winter, cart and range balls included. Public rack rates aren’t published; one booking site reported $79 to $245.
| Option | Who it’s for | Price (from October 1, 2026) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Card (2027) | Alabama residents and golfers living within 100 miles | $49.95 plus tax through December 31, 2026, then $54.95 | Discounted rounds and an earlier booking window |
| Trail Card rounds, standard sites | Cardholders | $56.95 Mon-Thu / $66.95 Fri-Sun (Grand National, Capitol Hill, Oxmoor Valley, Hampton Cove, Magnolia Grove) | 18 holes with cart; nine holes 60% |
| Trail Card rounds, value sites | Cardholders | $51.95 / $61.95 (The Shoals, Cambrian Ridge, Highland Oaks, Silver Lakes) | 18 holes with cart |
| Trail Card rounds, premium sites | Cardholders | Ross Bridge $102.95 / $112.95; Lakewood $152 / $157 (six visits a year) | 18 holes with cart |
| Two-day-plus package | Anyone | $115 per person per day in autumn (to November 15), $85 in winter (November 16 to March 7); Ross Bridge $190 / $125; Lakewood $215 / $180 | Golf with cart and range balls; Judge $15 extra per round |
| Unlimited day | Anyone, booked 48 hours ahead | $155 in autumn and $115 in winter; Ross Bridge $275 / $180; Lakewood $345 / $260 | As many rounds as you can fit in at one site |
| Annual membership | Locals who play a lot | $2,375 individual, $4,025 couple | Member benefits as set out on the Trail’s site |
| Back Yard at Oxmoor Valley | Anyone | From $35 plus tax | Nine par 3s, walking only |
Prices from rtjgolf.com, October 2026. Packages and unlimited rates can’t be combined with the Trail Card. Summer 2027 package rates are listed at $115, $190 and $215 a day.
The maths is simple. If you live in Alabama, or near it, buy the Trail Card; it pays for itself in a single round. If you’re visiting, the two-day package is almost always better than the rack rate: at $115 a day in autumn with a cart and range balls, it undercuts the reported public rate at every standard site. And if you want to cram in golf, the unlimited day rate at $155 means a second 18 is essentially free. There are also combination deals: the Magic, Oxmoor Valley plus Ross Bridge, at $280 in autumn and $200 in winter, and the Swing, Magnolia Grove plus Lakewood, at $295 and $216. Our guide to RTJ Trail green fees and passes runs the numbers in more detail, and our guide to how much a round of golf costs puts them in national context.
How do the Robert Trent Jones Trail courses play?
Long, hilly and wet. Most Trail courses run 7,000 to 8,000 yards from the back, with big, contoured greens, elevated tees, lots of water and wide landing areas. They follow Jones’s “hard par, easy bogey” idea: tough to score well on, but forgiving to a sensible golfer who picks the right tees.
Jones’s fingerprints are everywhere: long “runway” tees with five or six sets of markers, big, undulating greens with distinct tiers, and water close to the putting surface. The fairways are generous, so a slightly crooked driver isn’t fatal, but the approach shots are demanding, and three-putts come easily on greens this size. The courses are hilly enough that most players ride, and carts are included in every rate; walking is allowed everywhere except Ross Bridge and Lakewood, where carts are required.
The biggest mistake visitors make is playing the wrong tees. The back tees exist for tournaments. A good rule on the Trail is to play about 400 yards shorter than you would at home, because the elevation, the water and the size of the greens make every yard play longer.
| Handicap | Suggested total yardage on the Trail | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0-5 | 6,800-7,200 | The tips are for tournaments; you’ll still hit long irons in |
| 6-12 | 6,200-6,600 | Mid-irons into most greens; water stays in play without dominating |
| 13-20 | 5,700-6,100 | Lets you reach the long par 4s in regulation |
| 21+ | 5,000-5,500 | Keeps forced carries manageable |
Our guideline; check each course’s tee options on the scorecard.
The short courses: the Trail’s best-kept secret
The Trail’s par-3 courses get overlooked, and they shouldn’t. Grand National, Hampton Cove and Magnolia Grove each have a full 18-hole par-3 course, from 3,126 to 3,635 yards at the back, with the same big greens and water as the championship courses. Cambrian Ridge, Highland Oaks and Silver Lakes have nine-hole short courses. Oxmoor Valley’s Back Yard, nine walking-only par 3s from $35, replaced its 18-hole short course. The Trail doesn’t publish short-course rates beyond the Back Yard, so ask when you book.
They’re perfect for a late-afternoon loop after a morning round, for beginners and juniors, or for a warm-up on arrival day. Our guide to par-3 golf courses explains why so many resorts are building them.
When is the best time to play the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
Spring (March to May) and autumn (October to mid-November) bring the best weather and conditions. Autumn packages run $115 a day to November 15; winter packages drop to $85 from November 16 to March 7, when the Bermuda grass is dormant but the courses are often quiet and playable. Summer is hot and humid.
| Season | Conditions | Package rate (standard sites) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| March to May | Best of the year; greens waking up | Spring rates not published | Busiest time; book ahead |
| June to September | Hot, humid; afternoon storms | Summer 2027 listed at $115 a day | Play early; Gulf Coast sites hottest |
| October to mid-November | Excellent; cooler, firmer | $115 a day to November 15 | Prime time for visitors |
| Mid-November to early March | Dormant Bermuda; cool mornings | $85 a day | Best value; frost delays possible inland |
Package rates from rtjgolf.com, October 2026.
One date to note: Oxmoor Valley’s Ridge course will close for a greens renovation from May 10 to October 1, 2027. For how warm-season grasses like Bermuda behave through the year, see our guide to golf course grass.
How do you book tee times on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
The public can book 7 days ahead; Trail Card holders and annual members get 10 days through the pro shop or 11 online and through the app, and Platinum members 14. Packages can be booked up to 12 months ahead, and unlimited-day rates need 48 hours’ notice.
- Decide whether you qualify for the Trail Card. If you live in Alabama or within 100 miles, buy it first; it costs $49.95 plus tax through the end of 2026.
- If you’re visiting, price a package. Two days or more brings the rate down to $115 a day in autumn and $85 in winter, with cart and range balls.
- Pick your sites by region. Grand National and Capitol Hill are an hour apart; Ross Bridge and Oxmoor Valley 15 minutes; Magnolia Grove and Lakewood sit on opposite sides of Mobile Bay.
- Book the Judge and Ross Bridge early. They’re the most popular rounds on the Trail.
- Mind the cancellation rules. Packages carry a $25 per person fee 15 to 30 days out and $50 inside 14 days.
- Play the right tees. See the table above. Your scorecard, and your playing partners, will thank you.
- Add a short course. A late-afternoon par-3 loop is the best-value golf on the Trail.
Our guide to how to book a tee time explains booking windows nationally, and our guide to the best golf courses in Alabama covers the state’s courses beyond the Trail.
America’s other golf trails
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail made “golf trail” a marketing idea, and several states have copied it. Most are looser collections promoted by tourism offices rather than courses under one owner, but a few are well worth knowing. Our guide to the best golf trails in the US compares them in more detail.
| Trail | State | What it is | Green fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Dye Golf Trail | Indiana | Seven Pete Dye courses promoted by the state, from French Lick to Purdue and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway | French Lick’s Pete Dye Course $450-$500 with cart (official); others vary |
| Alamo City Golf Trail | Texas | San Antonio’s eight city-owned golf facilities, led by Brackenridge Park | $28-$88 from October 1, 2026 (official) |
| Audubon Golf Trail | Louisiana | A state-promoted trail of 18 courses | Varies by course |
| Natural State Golf Trail | Arkansas | A public-private trail founded in 2004, about 14 courses at 13 sites (reported) | Varies by course |
| Oklahoma Golf Trail | Oklahoma | A state tourism trail launched in 2022, including state-park courses (about 22, reported) | Varies by course |
The Pete Dye Golf Trail in Indiana is the best for architecture fans: seven courses by the man who built TPC Sawgrass, including the Pete Dye Course at French Lick, Brickyard Crossing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, The Fort in Indianapolis, Maple Creek, Kampen-Cosler and Ackerman-Allen at Purdue, and Tippecanoe Country Club in Monticello. Our guide to the Pete Dye Golf Trail covers each one.
The Alamo City Golf Trail is the best value: San Antonio’s city courses, including Brackenridge Park, A.W. Tillinghast’s 1916 course and the oldest public course in Texas by most accounts, at $57 walking and $76 with a cart Monday to Thursday, and $69 and $88 at weekends, from October 1, 2026. The trail’s cheapest 18 holes, at Mission Del Lago, start at $28 walking. Our guide to the Alamo City Golf Trail lists every course, and our Texas course guide puts them in context.
Jones’s work outside Alabama is everywhere too, from Spyglass Hill at Pebble Beach to the Royal course at Ka’anapali on Maui, which costs $228 (2026).
How to choose your Robert Trent Jones Trail courses
- For the best one-site visit: Grand National, Lake and Links, with the Short Course in the afternoon.
- For drama: Capitol Hill’s Judge.
- For a resort stay: Ross Bridge with the Renaissance, or Lakewood with the Grand Hotel.
- For value: Cambrian Ridge, Silver Lakes and The Shoals on the Trail Card at $51.95.
- For big modern courses: The Shoals.
- For a Birmingham day: Oxmoor Valley and Ross Bridge on the Magic combination.
- For beginners and juniors: the par-3 courses at Grand National, Hampton Cove, Magnolia Grove and Oxmoor Valley’s Back Yard.
Frequently asked questions
How many courses are on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
Twenty-six courses at 11 sites across Alabama, 468 holes by the Trail’s own 2022 count. Today three sites have full 18-hole par-3 courses and four have nine-hole short courses, including Oxmoor Valley’s Back Yard, which replaced its 18-hole short course.
How much does it cost to play the RTJ Golf Trail?
With the Trail Card, $51.95 to $66.95 for 18 holes with a cart at nine of the 11 sites, $102.95 to $112.95 at Ross Bridge and $152 to $157 at Lakewood (from October 1, 2026). Visitor packages start at $115 a day in autumn and $85 in winter, cart and range balls included.
Who can get the Trail Card?
Alabama residents and golfers who live within 100 miles, according to the Trail. The 2027 card costs $49.95 plus tax through December 31, 2026, and $54.95 after that; it cuts green fees sharply and opens tee times 10 to 11 days ahead instead of 7.
What is the best course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
Grand National’s Links and Lake courses, Capitol Hill’s Judge and Ross Bridge are the usual top picks; The Shoals’ Fighting Joe and Oxmoor Valley’s rebuilt Valley course are close behind. Grand National is the best all-round site.
Did Robert Trent Jones Sr. design every Trail course?
No. Jones and his associate Roger Rulewich designed the original sites, opened in 1992 and 1993, and Capitol Hill in 1999. Jones died in 2000, so The Shoals and Ross Bridge came later under the Trail’s banner, and Lakewood Golf Club at Point Clear is an older club that joined the Trail in 2004.
Can you walk the RTJ Trail courses?
Yes, at most sites. Walking is allowed everywhere except Ross Bridge and Lakewood, where carts are required, but the courses are hilly and most players ride; a cart is included in every rate. The Back Yard par-3 course at Oxmoor Valley is walking only.
What is the longest course on the Trail?
Ross Bridge in Hoover, at 8,168 yards from the Black tees (78.4/147), followed by The Shoals’ Fighting Joe at 8,092 yards and the Schoolmaster at 7,971. Every Trail course has several shorter tee options.
When is the best time to play the Trail?
March to May and October to mid-November. Winter, from November 16 to March 7, brings the cheapest packages at $85 a day, with dormant Bermuda grass but often pleasant days; summer is hot and humid, so play early.
Our verdict
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is still one of the great bargains in American golf, as long as you play it the right way. Buy the Trail Card if you qualify. If you don’t, buy a package rather than paying the rack rate. Play tees that suit your game, not your ego. And don’t skip the short courses.
If you have two days, play Grand National and Capitol Hill, an hour apart, with the Judge’s first tee as the highlight. If you have a week, add The Shoals, Oxmoor Valley and Cambrian Ridge, and finish with Ross Bridge or Lakewood if you want a resort night. Thirty-odd years on, the pension fund’s gamble still pays: there are few places in the country where $115 a day buys this much championship golf.
Sources
- The Trail, rtjgolf.com
- Scorecards, rtjgolf.com
- Trail Guide 2022, rtjgolf.com
- Grand National, rtjgolf.com
- Capitol Hill, rtjgolf.com
- Ross Bridge, rtjgolf.com
- Oxmoor Valley, rtjgolf.com
- The Back Yard, rtjgolf.com
- Hampton Cove, rtjgolf.com
- Cambrian Ridge, rtjgolf.com
- Lakewood Golf Club, rtjgolf.com
- The RTJ Golf Trail, Encyclopedia of Alabama
- The RTJ Golf Trail, Wikipedia
- What exactly are Course Rating and Slope Rating?, USGA
- Pete Dye Golf Trail, Indiana
- Green fees, Alamo City Golf Trail
- Audubon Golf Trail, Louisiana Office of Tourism
- Natural State Golf Trail, Encyclopedia of Arkansas
- Oklahoma Golf Trail, TravelOK
- Pete Dye Course, French Lick Resort
- Ka’anapali Golf Courses
Image credits
| Image | Photographer | Licence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol Hill, the Judge, first hole (featured image) | Bill Sutton | CC BY 2.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| The Grand Hotel, Point Clear, Alabama | JEE1776 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Brackenridge Park Golf Course clubhouse, San Antonio | Pauliedigi | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Brickyard Crossing, Indianapolis | Doctorindy | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills | GeorgeVezza | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Ka’anapali golf course from the Beach Walk, Maui | Forest and Kim Starr | CC BY 3.0 us | Wikimedia Commons |