Sweet Tee in Birmingham

<p>The star of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama is this course, Ross Bridge. It’s a big, muscular 18-hole layout that stretches a whopping 8,200 yards. That length makes Ross Bridge the fourth longest golf course in the world; it’s certainly the longest course I’ve ever tackled.

As the temperatures started to dip a couple of weeks ago, the colors started to pop. Over the next couple of weeks, the colors should become even more impressive, says a Birmingham PR rep , who tracks these  things.

It’s perfect golf weather here–cool nights, warm days, blue skies. The best part? Anybody can play Ross Bridge, a public course owned by the state pension plan that’s as good as any private course in town. That is, if you can secure a tee time. I just checked, and there’s not an open slot all day. Guess I’ll have to head to Oxmoor Valley, another Trail course a few miles away that golfers say is every bit as good.

Have you played here before? Where should I play next?