Birmingham, AL
The hometown heavyweight — a monster championship course twenty minutes from your driveway.
The staycation entry, and no consolation prize. Ross Bridge is one of the longest courses on earth — over 8,000 yards from the tips — draped over the hills of Hoover beside a castle-like Renaissance resort, and it has hosted Champions Tour golf. Ten minutes away, Oxmoor Valley's Ridge and Valley courses carve through old U.S. Steel mining land, with a beloved par-3 Short Course for evening games. It is the trip for the year the crew can only steal a long weekend — nobody burns a day driving.
| Course | Designer | Notes | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ross Bridge | Robert Trent Jones Sr. design group | 8,000-plus yards of waterfalls and ridgelines beside the resort — a past Champions Tour host. The marquee. | resort |
| Oxmoor Valley — Ridge | Robert Trent Jones Sr. | Dramatic elevation over former mining land — the local favorite. | public |
| Oxmoor Valley — Valley | Robert Trent Jones Sr. | The gentler, walkable companion loop through the hollows. | public |
| Oxmoor Short Course | Robert Trent Jones Sr. | 18 downhill-and-back par-3s — ideal for a rowdy evening skins game. | public |
| FarmLinks at Pursell Farms | Hurdzan & Fry | A pristine agronomy-showcase course an hour south — the trip's best day-trip add. | public |
The resort
The castle on the hill — spa, pools, and the first tee out the back door. Staying on site is what turns a hometown weekend into a real trip.
◆ The private house
A big rental in the Ross Bridge or Greystone orbit — pool, grill deck, poker table, ten minutes to every tee. Keeps the crew under one roof so it feels like a trip, not a commute.
5-6 BR · sleeps 10-12 · ~$500–$1,300/nt
AM No highway today — wrap up work, meet at the house or resort by early afternoon.
PM Oxmoor Short Course skins opener, then a Birmingham barbecue dinner to set the week's bets.
AM The Ridge's rollercoaster elevation to open the real golf.
PM Optional Valley loop for the diehards; dinner and drinks in downtown Birmingham.
AM Cruise an hour south to Pursell Farms for FarmLinks' tour-quality turf.
PM Sporting clays or the fire pits at Pursell, steak dinner back in town.
AM The monster itself for the team match — pick your tees with humility.
PM Trophy dinner at the resort; cigars on the terrace above the 18th.
AM A final nine at Oxmoor or breakfast on the terrace, then everyone is home in twenty minutes.
Zero travel tax, maximum golf. When the calendar is tight, skip the highway and pour every hour into rounds — one of the longest courses in the world plus 54 more Trail holes, all inside Birmingham.
All courses are public RTJ Trail stops; Ross Bridge tee times come easiest with a stay at the Renaissance resort. FarmLinks at Pursell Farms is a worthy add-on day trip about an hour away.