“The Trail” stretches North to South across Alabama offering 468 holes of golf, on 26 courses, over 11 destinations. Experience breath-taking scenery, different landscapes on exceptional golf courses for amazing prices. Welcome to the RTJ Trail.
The Shoals and Huntsville Area
Muscle Shoals became a haven for artists who recorded many of their greatest hits, billing Muscle Shoals as the “Hit Recording Capitol of the World”. Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Cher to name a few, recorded hits here. Two of the original studios FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio are still recording music today. Rolling Stone’s guitarist Keith Richards called Muscle Shoals Sound Studio “Rock-n-Roll Heaven”. Visit Rattlesnake Saloon and see “Father of the Blues”, W.C Handy’s birthplace and museum. Dine at 360 Grille with exquisite views of the area.
Huntsville (Space and Rocket City USA) is home to the largest space museum in the world, the U.S Space and Rocket Centre. The museum has one of the most extensive collections of space artefacts and displays with more than 1500 rockets, engines, spacecraft, simulators, and hands-on exhibits. It is also home to Space Camp and where the engines that powered the Saturn V rocket for the 1969 moon landing were built. Head to The Avenue for great food and retail therapy or check out one of the eleven breweries on Huntsville’s Craft Beer Trail. In May, Huntsville’s newest attraction will open its doors. The Orion Amphitheatre, an 8000-capacity outdoor music venue will open. 20 concerts have already been confirmed for 2022.
The Shoals – 36 Holes
The Fighting Joe Course at The Shoals opened in 2004 and was the first “Trail” course to break 8000 yards. Bordered by dunes like mounds and tall grasses, Fighting Joe, with wide fairways, large and beautifully maintained bent grass greens, can play long, really long if played off the wrong set of tees, but this course is simply good, straight-forward golf. Some say the spectacular 17th hole is the signature hole of the course, but with the 18th green overlooking Wilson Lake on the Tennessee River will distract you with its beauty, if not its treachery. The Schoolmaster Course may be a tougher course than Fighting Joe, but only time will tell. One thing’s for sure it is a shot-maker’s golf course with narrow fairways, demanding approaches to well protected bent grass greens, and still at a length of nearly 8,000 yards! It’s hard to beat the beauty that the 18th hole holds on the high bluffs over the river, but the waterfall guarding the 2nd green sure comes close.
Hampton Cove – Huntsville – 54 Holes
The Northern gateway to the “Trail” is Hampton Cove in Huntsville, a 54-hole facility with terrain that drastically changes from one side of the property to the other. The Highlands Course is one of the most picturesque and playable courses on the “Trail”. Long waving grasses frame dramatically rolling terrain and beautiful bent grass greens. One of the most recognisable landmarks on the “Trail” is the old mule barn beside the 5th hole, while the finishing holes on the Highland Course are among the most scenic and challenging on the “Trail”. Completely different from the Highlands Course is the River Course, the only Robert Trent Jones layout in the world designed without a single bunker. The River Course is laid out on former soybean fields in the flood plain of Flint River. The River Course is a throwback to the way courses were built long ago, where dirt was merely pushed up to create greens and tees, leaving all else, including massive oak trees, as is. With water in play on 16 of the 18 holes, the River Course will challenge your shot-making ability. The Short Course at Hampton Cove is open links-like, with water in play on 11 holes. It is a great venue for golfers of all skill levels and alternating tees allow golfers to hit every club in their bag.
