Opelika, AL
RTJ Grand National
54 holes on Lake Saugahatchee — the Trail's crown jewel at buddy-trip prices.
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The place
The flagship stop on Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and the easiest yes on this list. Grand National sprawls across 600 acres of Lake Saugahatchee outside Auburn-Opelika, with two championship courses and a celebrated par-3 Short Course — dozens of holes touching water. It has hosted PGA Tour golf, the conditioning runs way above the price point, and the Marriott resort on property keeps the whole trip inside one gate. Leave Birmingham after breakfast and be on the tee by late morning.
The courses on property
| Course | Designer | Notes | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Course | Robert Trent Jones Sr. | Host of the PGA Tour's Barbasol Championship, 2015-2017; island-green 15th | public |
| Links Course | Robert Trent Jones Sr. | Open, rolling and championship-length — the sterner all-around test of the two big courses. | public |
| Short Course | Robert Trent Jones Sr. | 18 par-3s over water and hills — among the best short courses anywhere. Perfect for skins at sunset. | public |
| Auburn University Club | Jack Nicklaus design group | A nearby Auburn-side bonus round if the crew wants a fourth track. | public |
Where you crash
The resort
Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National
The full-service resort right on property — spa, pools, and the first tee minutes from your room. Stay-and-play packages bundle the golf.
◆ The private house
The Private House
A big lake or golf-course home in the Auburn-Opelika orbit — game-day-sized porches, a grill deck, and a short cart of a drive to Grand National. Rentals run deep thanks to Auburn football weekends.
5-6 BR · sleeps 10-12 · ~$400–$1,200/nt
The 5-day plan
- 1
Short hop & the Short Course
AM Two easy hours down from Birmingham — arrive by late morning.
PM Check in, then a full-crew skins match on the 18-hole par-3 Short Course; dinner in downtown Opelika.
- 2
Lake Course
AM The marquee round along Lake Saugahatchee.
PM Afternoon replay or pool and porch; low-country boil and cards at the resort.
- 3
Links Course (36 optional)
AM The Links — longer, windier, the trip's toughest scorecard.
PM Keen players re-loop the Lake; others hit the spa or Auburn's bar scene.
- 4
Cup day on the Lake
AM Back to the Lake Course for the team match — the island finish decides it.
PM Trophy steaks at the resort, one last Short Course loop under the lights of sunset.
- 5
Morning nine & home
AM An early nine or a lazy breakfast, then the two-hour cruise home — back before lunch.
Why it wins
The best golf-per-dollar within two hours of Birmingham. Three courses on one lake, a full resort on site, and green fees that let the crew play 36 a day without wincing.
Booking notes
Trail golf is public — book tee times through the RTJ Trail or as part of a stay-and-play package at the on-site Marriott. Unlimited-golf Trail cards can pencil out for a 36-a-day crew.