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Ross Bridge is the best of Birmingham
on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
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I'm starting my Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail vacation in Birmingham at Ross Bridge Resort, then heading south to Lakewood Golf Club on Mobile Bay. Is it worth the price to play both courses at Lakewood or should I go to nearby Magnolia Grove to play its Crossings and Falls courses?
Yes, we would recommend playing one of the courses at Magnolia Grove in lieu of playing both at Lakewood. Here's why:
First, you'll get a nice change of scenery and topography. Second, you're going to Alabama to play the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, right? Well, neither Robert Trent Jones nor any of his design associates did any of the work at Lakewood, as it wasn't originally part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Yes, the original layout there, called the Old Course, was designed in 1947 by the great Perry Maxwell (who did Oklahoma's Southern Hills, site of three US Opens and Four PGA Championships), but rather than keeping the grand Old Course intact, Lakewood mixed and matched it with two additional nines, by Joe Lee in 1966 (to form the Dogwood Course) and Ron Garl in 1986 (to form the Azalea Course).
Then, about three years ago, the facility underwent an $18 million renovation and reconstruction (the affiliated Grand Hotel completed its own, $50 million renovation in 2006). It's always nice to play golf courses that have been recently updated and improved, but it may be even harder to detect Sir Maxwell's work.
At Magnolia Grove, we found that the Crossings Course was a bit easier than the Falls, despite being the more famous of the two (and host site of an LPGA event). Keep in mind that easier doesn't necessarily mean "inferior," unless you're the type of player who wants the most challenge possible on your Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail vacation.
Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't recommend first making a stop at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Capitol Hill site to take on the ultra-challenging and dramatic Judge course. Heading south on I-65 from the Ross Bridge Resort, it's directly on the way to Magnolia Grove and Lakewood.
By the way, if you want the inside scoop on The Shoals, the newest 36-hole venue on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (with two, 8,000-yard courses!), we covered it from top to bottom in a recent issue of Golf Odyssey, and I'll send it to you for free, just for trying our flagship publication. This back issue normally costs $17 and only subscribers can buy it, but I'll send it to you, AND the next two issues of Golf Odyssey, absolutely free, if you try Golf Odyssey in the next five days. There is no risk or obligation to subscribe, so click here for instant access.
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