What is the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a collection of championship caliber golf courses, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., distributed across the state of Alabama, as part of investments by the Retirement Systems of Alabama.
Can I transfer my Robert Trent Jones Trail card to someone?
Robert Trent Jones Trail Card is non-transferable. 2022 Trail Card is good from date of purchase through December 31, 2022. Rights reserved for cardholder only. Please present card upon registration.
How much does it cost to play golf on the trail?
GREEN FEES & RATES Championship 18 Hole Green Fees Start at $65 plus tax (prices vary by Trail site and season) Save more with the Trail's current specials Championship 9 Hole Greens Fees 60% of Rack Rate; 50% of Rack Rate at Lakewood Golf Club Short Course Greens Fees $18 for 18 Holes Junior Rates (17 and under)
Is Alabama’s RTJ Golf Trail worth the money?
Alabama’s RTJ Golf Trail has been acclaimed since it opened 25 years ago, and deservedly so. There are better courses in the Yellowhammer State, but few would deny the Trail was an inspired (if slightly wacky) idea, has made a considerable contribution to the wealth and identity of the state, and really is a magnificent achievement.
How much does it cost to play the Robert Trent Jones Trail?
Green fees on the Trail are very affordable: Most courses may be played for around $65 plus tax. The Lakewood Golf Club in Point Clear, associated with the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa, and Ross Bridge in Birmingham are a little more, from $120 to $130 plus tax.
Who owns the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
the Retirement Systems of AlabamaThe Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a collection of championship caliber golf courses, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., distributed across the state of Alabama, as part of investments by the Retirement Systems of Alabama.
How many courses make up the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
26you to our sweet home, and to our pride and joy, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Trail encompasses 11 locations that proudly offer 26 spectacular courses. From north to south, east to west, you can quickly and easily access the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
When was RTJ Prattville built?
In 2002, RSA purchased the Prattville Marriott Hotel/Conference Center on the site from the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama who built it in 2000. The golf resort was ranked Number 1 out of Marriott's 25 golf resorts in the U.S. and Canada in 2010 and Marriott's Top North American Golf Destination in 2011.
Is RTJ only in Alabama?
It's Hosted Nearly 12 Million Rounds Of Golf Annually, more than 500,000 golfers play on the 468 holes that are part of the Trail. In an average year, people visit the trail from all 50 states and an average of 20 foreign countries, totaling almost 12 million rounds of golf played to date.
Which Robert Trent Jones course is best?
Best Robert Trent Jones Golf CoursesAdare Manor Golf Club. An upcoming Ryder Cup host venue, Robert Trent Jones Snr originally laid out the design for the course in 1996. ... Augusta National. ... Spyglass Hill. ... Ballybunion. ... Horseshoe Bay. ... Palmetto Dunes.
How long is the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
One of the most unique aspects of the Trail are the tee locations. The tee markers on the Trail are pegged to ability level, not age or gender. The courses were designed to measure as short as 4,700 yards and as long as about 8,200 yards from the tournament tees, with as many as 12 tee boxes in-between.
How many golf courses are in Alabama?
There are 124 golf courses in or near Alabama. The best 18 holes golf course in/near Alabama is Rock Creek Golf Club and the most reviewed golf course in/near Alabama is Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Cambrian Ridge.
What golf courses did Robert Trent Jones Jr design?
Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Designed CoursesAlabang Country Club. Muntinlupa, Manila. ... Alcanada Golf Club. ... Alpensia Troon Golf & Country Club - Forest Course. ... Alpensia Troon Golf & Country Club - Lake Course. ... Alpensia Troon Golf & Country Club - Meadow Course. ... Antognolla Golf Club. ... Anyang Country Club. ... View Tee Times.More items...
Who designed RTJ courses?
Robert Trent Jones, Jr.In a career spanning more than four decades, Robert Trent Jones, Jr. has designed more than 270 golf courses in more than 40 countries on six continents. RTJ II courses have won countless awards and accolades, been ranked among the best layouts throughout the world, and hosted tournaments on every major golf tour.
Who designed Augusta National?
Alister MacKenzieAlister MacKenzie designed Augusta National, in collaboration with Jones.
What is Robert Trent Jones known for?
golf course architectRobert Trent Jones Sr. (June 20, 1906 – June 14, 2000) was a British–American golf course architect who designed or re-designed more than 500 golf courses in 45 U.S. states and 35 countries.
MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS ON THE TRAIL
All memberships listed below include 15% off merchandise at the Pro Shop, discounted range balls and discounted golf instruction.
Annual Platinum Membership
The Ultimate Golf Experience on Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Annual Platinum Membership includes:
Annual Membership
The Annual Membership provides unlimited greens fees at all Trail sites, except Lakewood Club and Ross Bridge.
Who wrote the first golf trail?
I’d come to Montgomery to learn about the Trail’s origins, to hopefully get behind the marketing boilerplate and to ask, specifically, how in 1989 Robert Trent Jones — well into his eighties with almost no current work and no connection to Alabama — came to author the first and most emulated golf trail in the world.
What state opened the Judge's hole in 1992?
Via mass advertising, the now famous shot of The Judge’s opening hole at Capitol Hill. In 1992 the state of Alabama brought in less than $2 billion in tourism. That was the same year the first four courses on the Trail opened: Oxmoor Valley (Birmingham), Hampton Cove (Huntsville), Magnolia Grove (Mobile) and Grand National (Opelika).
How much was the RSA pension when Bronner took over?
When Bronner took over the RSA in 1973 the pension was worth $500 million and only 25-percent funded.
What is the second irony of Alabama?
The second irony is this: Alabama’s moribund tourism industry was resurrected through the image of a Yankee. Robert Trent Jones was born in England, raised in Rochester, New York and spent nearly half of the 20 th century as the world’s best known and most marketable golf course architect.
Did Robert Trent Jones design the Robert Trent Jones Trail?
Even though Robert Trent Jones didn’t technically design the Robert Trent Jo nes Trail, traces of his historical style are evidenced throughout it via Rulewich, just on a much larger, more outrageous scale — particularly the bunkering and the green designs.
Do you savor golf courses so much you survive them?
You don’t savor them so much you survive them, and, yes, by reputation and intent, they are difficult. That directive came from Bronner, often clashing with the more gentlemanly instincts of Rulewich. But this was the late 1980s and early 1990s, after all, when the trend was to make golf courses audacious.
Who was the golfer who taught Jones?
During design and construction of the courses, Jones relied heavily on his young associate Roger Rulewich, who graduated from Yale in 1958 with a degree in civil engineering. Rulewich learned everything he knew about golf from Jones, and the holes he built were clearly inspired by his mentor.
How many miles of golf is on the Ross Bridge?
There probably are people—mad golf addicts—that have played all 26 courses in one trip. Such a voyage would mean roughly 85 miles of golf, and over 700 miles of driving, however, so it’s probably best to do it in chunks.
How much does it cost to play Ross Bridge?
The most you’ll pay for a round on the Trail is the $142 (including cart) it costs to play Ross Bridge—considered the Trail’s flagship facility—before 10:30 am during Fall and Winter. But the typical price for 18 holes with cart on the majority of Trail courses is less than $90.
Who is Robert Vaughn?
History of the RTJ Trail. Bronner hired Robert Vaughn, a former Director of Golf at Tanglewood Golf Club in Clemmons, N.C. to expand the idea and put together a design team. Vaughn also set up Sunbelt Golf Corporation to manage the courses, and worked hard on selling the idea to municipalities, corporations, and private developers in order ...
What is Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail?
Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is the largest golf course construction project ever attempted. In the late 1980's, two important things were on the mind of Dr. David Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama.
How many golf courses did Tom Jones design?
In his unparalleled career Jones had designed more than 500 golf courses around the world, many of which are listed among Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses.". Jones jumped at the chance and emerged from semi-retirement to tackle the project. Once final approvals were given, Vaughan and his staff at SunBelt Golf took off with ...
How many holes are there in the Sunbelt Golf Trail?
The Trail would offer 378 holes stretching to over 100 miles of golf.
Who was the director of golf at Tanglewood?
Bronner set out immediately to find the right group to put his plan in motion. He brought in Bobby Vaughan, the former director of golf at Tanglewood in Clemmons, N.C., to put together the team for this massive project. Vaughan formed SunBelt Golf Corporation which would develop, construct, operate and manage all 18 golf courses.
Who is Sunbelt Golf Corporation?
Vaughan formed SunBelt Golf Corporation which would develop, construct, operate and manage all 18 golf courses. Vaughan began hiring experts throughout the golf industry and, from that moment, the dream of creating an easily accessible group of public golf courses, which combine quality, value and genuine hospitality, was being realized.
List of courses
Broadmoor Golf Club West Course (7th–14th holes), Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1964
Original designs
Broadmoor Golf Club West Course (7th–14th holes), Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1964
Overview
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a collection of championship caliber golf courses, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., distributed across the state of Alabama, as part of investments by the Retirement Systems of Alabama. The Trail started with 378 holes at eight sites throughout the state, but has grown to 468 holes at eleven sites.
LPGA Tour
Two of the courses currently host events on the LPGA Tour: The Senator course at Capitol Hill near Montgomery, which hosts the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, and The Crossings course at Magnolia Grove near Mobile, home to the Airbus LPGA Classic.
PGA Tour
The Grand National course in Opelika hosted the first PGA Tour event in Alabama since the 1990 PGA Championship, the 2015 Barbasol Championship.
Courses and locations
• Cambrian Ridge (Greenville)
• Capitol Hill (Prattville/Montgomery)
• Grand National (Auburn/Opelika)
• Hampton Cove (Huntsville)
External links
• Official site
• Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail article in the Encyclopedia of Alabama
Membership Programs on The Trail
- All memberships listed below include 15% off merchandise at the Pro Shop, discounted range balls and discounted golf instruction. Are you interested in earning rewards for playing the Trail? You can find information on the Trail's Loyalty Program here.
Annual Platinum Membership
- The Ultimate Golf Experience on Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Annual Platinum Membership includes: 1. Unlimited green fees for 12 consecutive months at all Trail sites, except Lakewood Club and Ross Bridge 2. Unlimited range privileges at your home facility as well as day of play range privileges throughout the RTJ Trail 3. USGA/GHIN handicap service for calendar ye…
Annual Membership
- The Annual Membership provides unlimited greens fees at all Trail sites, except Lakewood Club and Ross Bridge. Tee Time reservations can be made up to 10 days in advance in-person or by calling the course and 11 days in advance on RTJGolf.com and the RTJ app. The Annual Membership can be purchased at the Pro Shop of any of our Trail sites, except Lakewood Club a…
2022 Rtj Trail Card
- The RTJ Trail Card is only available for residents of the state of Alabama or those living within 100 miles of an RTJ Golf Trail site. Proof of identification and residency is required. Trail Cards can be purchased online or in the Pro Shop at any of our Trail sites, excluding Lakewood Club. 2022 Trail Cards are on sale for $49.95 and are valid thr...