state, and with as we did in the early morning light and so many routings you won’t really care about the diffithere is bound culty of the routing because you’ll be so to be something seduced by its beauty. Every course on the Trail has five sets unique w h e r - of tees, so sensible choices can lead to ever one pleasurable rounds. For the foolhardy, winds up though, there’s the Fighting Joe course at teeing off. The Shoals, the first of the Trail courses H a m p t o n — though not the last — to exceed 8,000 Cove has yards from the tips. (But hey, it’s only three 18- rated 78.7/138, so feel free.) hole tracks — includ- Off the Trail ing a Short Our group did manage 36 other holes Singin’ River Brewing Company in Florence. Course, a — a total of 99 for the trip, the last of most of the which I unwontedly birdied — the other other states, though no one has topped feature of Trail sites — and the River two courses strongly hinting the original. that it pays to not limit I felt like a bit of a piker playing a mere Course is the only Trail course withoneself to Trail tracks 63 holes on the Trail, and only in the out a single bunker. But it does when visiting. north. But it did give me a chance to play sport a 250-year-old black oak The Lake Course at one of the original 1992 sites, Hamp- behind the 18th green, said to be at the ingratiating ton Cove in Huntsville. Silver Lakes the third oldest in the state. At Silver Lakes, the three reguand bucolic Goose from 1993 was also on the dance card, Pond Colony Resort near Anniston and Gadsden, and The lation nines are called Backbreakin Scottsboro is a 1971 Shoals in Muscle Shoals, a late bloomer er, Mindbreaker and Heartbreaker, and the latter is said to be just that George Cobb design playfrom 2004. Bertis McGriff ing around the Tennessee No RTJ Golf Trail site is more than (or worse) if played from the chamtwo hours removed from another in the pionship tees. Show up at Silver Lakes River. After the turn, the course ups the
22
GOLF OKL AHOMA • 2018 DIRECTORY & TR AVEL
W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG