Best Course in Alabama?

[hanlesc]

Anyone golf in Alabama? I moved here a while back and have played the judge, oxford ridge, silver lakes and acc. Anyone have any recommendations?

Edited July 22, 2016 by hanlesc

[BamaWade]

I live in Tuscaloosa (a 40 year AL resident), and have played a good many AL courses.

East/Central - Farm Links in Sylacauga is a must play, though a tad expensive.  On the RTJ trail, I like both Opelika courses.  The Prattville ones are nice, too.  

West - Ol' Colony in Tuscaloosa is a great design, and reasonably priced, though overcrowded IMO.  The Tuscaloosa area needs another nice public course to thin things out.

In the Birmingham area, I really like Ballantrae (Pelham), and Timberline (Calera).  Bent Brook is a well kept public course, and spacious, allowing you to amp up on the driver in spots.  A little NE in Oneonta, Limestone Springs is a nice layout and fun to play, and a good value, too.  Ross Bridge (RTJ) is fun to play, but has a gigantic footprint, IMO.  Just a huge, huge course.  But super-well maintained (the super is my 1st cousin and does a great job there).  You can grip and rip most of the course.

Favorites of the bunch are Farm Links & Ballantrae.  Both are well maintained gems in beautiful, rolling country, and are as playable or challenging as you want them to be via tee selection.

I'm probably forgetting/omitting plenty of others I like.

BamaWade

[jusanothajoe]

I second Farmlinks, Ballantrae and Timberline. Sometimes Farmlinks puts on a special around holidays. Also Cider Ridge in Oxford is a nice affordable course. Favorite RTJ course is Opelika.

[hanlesc]

Yes I have been to Farmlinks and enjoyed it. Can't remember the hole where you go up the big hill (some might call it a mountain), but a lot of fun! Any courses up north that are any good? Say like near Huntsville?

[jusanothajoe]

 I have played the RTJ courses in Muscle Shoals, They both were great. Haven't played the RTJ in Huntsville.

Don't get to play up that way much

[BamaWade]

Strangely, I haven't played much in North AL.  Only course I've played north of Limestone Springs that I remember is Canebrake in Athens (near Huntsville), and that was ~2003.  It was a nice place, then, though it was a February round so most of the grasses were dormant.  Was in good winter shape, though, and had some nicely designed holes...a pretty place.  No idea on it since then.

I think the Farm Links hole with the big climb is #5 (?), a par 3 with a 100'+ drop from the back tee.  In fact, we like to play it from the back (even though we play up a box or 2 for the round).  Seems like it's around 227 yards, adjusted to ~165 for elevation change.  So it's a 6 or a 7 for me depending on pin and wind.  Ball stays in the air forever, it feels like.  A blast to play and a view that just makes you stand and stare a while.  Great place.  Biggest cottonmouth I've ever seen up close was on that course.

BamaWade