Robert Trent Jones Trail promotion

[David B]

Well, I hope this isn't viewed as spam, since I'm not affiliated with RTJ in any way, shape or form... but I was browsing around and thought I'd pass this tidbit along...

RTJ is having a summer promotion where you can play unlimited golf for three consecutive summer days at any of their trail courses for $129, aside from Ross Bridge.

It makes me wish I lived in Alabama...

You can read the details of the offer here: http://www.rtjgolf.com/reservations/summerspecials.htm

If you happen to go, let us know how it goes.

[Rockford35]

Alabama, eh?

Paging Bravo!



R35

[Pa Jayhawk]

I can play a RTJ course up here for $30 during the week, or $40 on the weekend all summer long. Well, actually it is $20 and $30 for a good part of the summer
http://www.tamiment.com/layout9.asp?id=323&page=7808

As mentioned in an earlier thread by Bravo, they let the course go a little and are just starting to try and bring it back. Certainly not comparable to what you linked.

Great deal, although up here $40 a round for most top courses is pretty common. I guess if there is an advantage to living up here it is golf.

[David B]

Well, what I thought was cool about the deal was you could start at like Highland Oaks, play the three courses there, then travel up to Grand National, stay the night at their resort, then play the three courses they have, then work your way over to Capitol Hill for the night (again at their resort), and play another 54 holes there (though the Judge course appears to be an extra $12).

That's hrm... 144 holes of golf for $129 in three days. Sounds like my idea of a good vacation.

Maybe I'll have to make it down to Alabama next summer when they got this promo going on again.

Oh, I do have one question though... I heard that RTJ is owned by the Alabama Retirement System? Is this correct?

[Bravo]

Hi David B...

I live in Alabama and play these courses from time to time. I have played two of them in the past six weeks.

The deal you mentioned is a really good value. And yes the courses are owned by the Retirement System of Alabama (RSA) which invests in a lot of real estate developments, TV stations, airlines and other strange stuff. To the best of my knowledge however, the courses are operated under a contract by a private company though. I played at the Ridge Course at Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham on July 4th (obviously a holiday for state employees) and the course was open...

These are tough courses and the weather is hot in the summer. As you can see from this chart..

http://www.rtjgolf.com/trail/greenfees.htm

the greens fees go up and down through the four seasons. Down in the summer and winter and up in the fall and spring when the weather is nice.

If heat doesn't bother you, I would recommend coming down to play. The courses are first class, the service is excellent (drive up to the bag drop and they are out to your car in seconds to get your clubs) and the club houses are beautiful. Bring your A game as the courses are tough and visually intimidating from most tees...I was very very pleased to shoot an 82 on the Oxmoor Valley Ridge course July 4th...

I see that you live in California. The best way to get here is by Southwest Airlines...

[Bama Duffer]

Southwest doesn't fly into Montgomery, Bravo, just Birmingham. Not sure about Mobile or Huntsville.

This is a good deal. I took advantage of it last year with a couple of friends and had a great time.

I'll second Bravo's opinion of the RTJ courses here. I regularly play at Capitol Hill in Prattville and, like the other RTJ courses here, it ain't easy. It is, though, fun.

You can get a good variety of different types of play at one location. For instance, Capitol Hill has 54 holes. The Senator course is straight links-style golf. The Judge course is a gimmicky, photo-op course. Every hole seems like it was made more to be photographed than played. The Legislator is a more typical style for our area, with tree-lined fairways.

Bring your A putting game. The greens undulate like crazy and the pin placements are often unfair. I played the Legislator course the other day with a guy had a ten-foot uphill putt on hole #15 for birdie. The putt rolled right back to him when he left it short. His next putt did the same.

He ended up taking a snowman. The only way he was able to sink his putt was to roll the ball about a foot beyond the hole and let it trickle back down into the hole.