greens. The Trail quickly turned the misfortune, however, into an opportunity to make the course even better.
Not only were all the greens resurfaced and other improvements made (side sidebar graphic accompanying this story), but at least four holes have different looks than before. Those include holes Nos. 1, 10, 14 and 18. A new green was brought forward and moved to the right on the par-4 No. 10 creating a dogleg hole. And on No. 18, also a par-4, center-line bunkers were added to what was always a wide fairway (about 65 yards). The forward tees on the finishing hole now call for more of a shot down the left side and the back tees down the right, bringing the water more into play. The green on No. 14 – jutting out into the water – was lowered by about 6 feet. A rock retaining wall and a flat bunker were added and the back tee was also eliminated. “It was always a good little hole but we’ve really turned it into an iconic, beautiful par3,” said Beverly. “It was probably the most aesthetically pleasing hole we did.”
Ross Bridge can play over 8,100 yards from the back tees and is one of the longest courses in the world. But the renovations also addressed making the course more player friendly by softening the most challenging approaches to the greens and moving cart paths closer to the playing areas (Ross Bridge had always been one of the tougher walking courses on the Trail). The Trail was conceived by Dr. David Bronner in
the 1990s when most new golf course construction was all about making courses difficult to get them recognized. But there has been an industry-wide change of sorts to such a philosophy over the past couple of decades.
Trail management continues to re-invest in its properties with both the low and high handicap golfer in mind. A wide-view approach at most locations includes a return of the greens back to their original sizes (for more pinnable hole locations), ongoing work on bunkers, and tree removal for better turf health.
A great example of the latter is at Magnolia Grove to the south. The coastal region of the Trail consists of three courses there and two courses at the Lakewood Club. Mobile is one of the rainiest cities in the country and such a climate over the years produced almost a jungle environment of thick vegetation and an overgrowth of trees and their roots at Magnolia Grove. But a massive tree removal project two years ago (estimated at over 10,000 trees – probably more than when the course was built) has paid off dramatically. There is better sunlight, better airflow and thus better turf. New wonderful views of the landscape have been exposed, too. “Dr. Bronner’s commitment down there is that this should be the best course on the coast,” said Beverly. “It’s that good of a property and really is a phenomenal course… Every time I go down there it’s amazing how much the conditions have improved.”
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail has Always Met its Challenges, Offering a Golf Experience that Few Can MatchBy Matt Tevsh
The LPGA held its Q-Series down there last year at both the Falls and Crossings courses. While the Trail’s Capitol Hill (Prattville), Grand National (Auburn/ Opelika) and The Shoals (Muscle Shoals) properties might get more attention, the coastal sites and Cambrian Ridge in Greenville are true hidden jewels. “It’s a small town and has a smaller number of rounds played (versus other Trail courses),” said Beverly of Cambrian Ridge. “But I’m so proud of that property when I go down there because it’s probably the best conditioned property we have yearround. It’s a phenomenal layout. We do Korn Ferry Tour qualifying down there and the greens are rolling 11 or 12… It shows how Dr. Bronner’s commitment to every site is the same. There’s the consistent look of the clubhouses, the feel and just because it’s in Greenville, a small community, the commitment to the infrastructure and the building of the golf courses was exactly the same.”
Golf course designer Clyde Johnston sees the same thing. He was the chief overseer on the Ross Bridge makeover and also designed The Back Yard at Oxmoor Valley (Birmingham), a new short course that opened in 2022. As one of its many engaging variations, the Trail consists of six short courses as well across the different sites.
“I’ve known about the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail since its inception but due to my own work schedule was unable to visit any of the
courses until 2014,” said Johnston. “I’ve now worked at seven of their 11 facilities and on 12 of the 23 courses with varying degrees of scope of work. What I have experienced is that the Trail is a high-quality group of golf courses that are professionally managed. Golfers can rest assured that they will have a positive experience at any of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses.”
While the Trail will continue to work on improvements in 2024, all the courses will be open “for the first time in a long time” according to Beverly. That gives golfers the full gamut of options. For hardy groups who continue to come back to the Trail every year since basically its inception, there is more to explore. “Think about that, they could go anywhere in the country, but they come to the Trail every year,” said Beverly. “Even though you’re coming back to the same state, you can hit different types of properties and the topography is so different it’s like going somewhere else but they’re still committed to the Trail.”
In 2024, the Trail is expecting another record for total rounds played for the fourth straight year. Beverly also notes that many golf groups are booking or re-booking 12 months in advance. “It’s so good right now, it’s kind of scary,” he said.
For more information on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and its affordable stay and play packages, visit www.rtjgolf.com.
ROSS BRIDGE RESET
In addition to some design modifications to a handful of holes here are the general improvements made last year to Ross Bridge on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
• All 18 greens brought back to their original size and converted from bentgrass to TifEagle Bermuda
• Every bunker re-worked and some redesigned to be less penal; some new bunkers added while others eliminated
• Tree removal in some areas to allow for more sunlight and playability
• Sections of cart paths moved closer to tees, fairways, and greens for an easier and more efficient walking experience and better drainage
• Some approaches softened to allow the ball to run up onto the green
