RTJ Trail Itinerary – 5 Days from ATL, Thoughts?

[conneronner]

Flying into ATL on Sept 11 (Thu), early, leaving Sept 15 (Mon), have a work thing in ATL on Tue. Trying to hit the best RTJ Trail stops without spending half the trip in the car.

 

Plan:

 

Thu: Grand National (Lake or Links)

 

Fri: GN AM, then drive to Capitol Hill, play Senator

 

Sat: Capitol Hill – Judge

 

Sun: Ross Bridge

 

Mon: Oxmoor Ridge early, drive to ATL

 

 

Thinking about squeezing in Cambrian Ridge after Capitol Hill—worth it or too much? Seems like a lot packed in already...

 

Would love any feedback or tips from those who’ve done it.

[bluedot]

Sounds like a great trip!  As you make plans, remember that the GA-AL state line is a time zone line; you gain an hour going into Bama, and lose an hour on your way back to the airport.

[Tyrus Webb]

Good lineup.  Pack gold bond.  

 

If you can switch Oxmoor and Ross Bridge I would.  Could feel like a letdown to play Oxmoor after The Judge and RB.

[conneronner]

Does this list have a lot of diversity of layout and scenery? I'd like to see as much as possible of what the RTJ trail has to offer 

[Abh159]

11 hours ago, conneronner said:

Does this list have a lot of diversity of layout and scenery? I'd like to see as much as possible of what the RTJ trail has to offer 

 

TBH there really isn't a lot of "diversity of layout" when it comes to the RTJ trail. Don't get me wrong, they are fun courses and are almost always in great shape, but they are all pretty similar from a design standpoint. 

 

I think Grand National, Birmingham (Ross Bridge/Oxmoor), and Capitol Hill are probably the best three sites on the trail.

[OnTheBag]

I live in Birmingham and was a long time Platinum member on the trail.  I agree with all the comments above but will add that Cambrian Ridge is my favorite on the trail, by far.  It sees the least play due to location (45 minutes south of Montgomery) but is challenging, well maintained and fun all at the same time.  This time of year, the Oxmoor courses see a high round count per day and in my humble opinion, Ross Bridge is overrated.  

 

My $0.02 worth.  Hope you have a great trip and enjoy your time.  Stay hydrated, it's still hot in mid-September down here.

[hollabachgt]

When does the Judge shut down for renovations?

[OnTheBag]

19 hours ago, hollabachgt said:

When does the Judge shut down for renovations?

Not sure about the Judge but Legislator is down now till mid/late September for renovations.

[Greg Larson]

Just starting to research this but I thought I'd ask the question. Group of 8 flying in from MA early - mid November so not tied to a specific airport. Looking for 3 -4 rounds. I saw on another thread someone said try to work FarmLinks in. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks

[Abh159]

1 hour ago, Greg Larson said:

Just starting to research this but I thought I'd ask the question. Group of 8 flying in from MA early - mid November so not tied to a specific airport. Looking for 3 -4 rounds. I saw on another thread someone said try to work FarmLinks in. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks

 

If you're flying, Birmingham is probably your best airport option. You could get 3-4 rounds in at Ross Bridge (18 holes), Oxmoor Valley (36 holes), and then drive over to FarmLinks for a day. It's about an hour drive from Birmingham.

 

You could fly into Montgomery, but that would most likely involve one or more connecting flights. There you have Capitol Hill (3 courses), but based on the info above it sounds like some may be closed for renovations.

 

Last option would be to fly to Atlanta, and then rent a car and drive 2 hours to Auburn/Opelika, AL. Grand National has two, 18 hole course and an 18 hole "short course".

[OnTheBag]

2 hours ago, Greg Larson said:

Just starting to research this but I thought I'd ask the question. Group of 8 flying in from MA early - mid November so not tied to a specific airport. Looking for 3 -4 rounds. I saw on another thread someone said try to work FarmLinks in. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks

FarmLinks is a good course but overpriced in my opinion for what it is.  There are many quality public courses around Birmingham that can be coupled with the 3 RTJ tracks (Oxmoor Valley and Ridge, plus Ross Bridge).  Some suggestions are Ballantrae, Timberline, Bent Brook, Limestone Springs, and many others.  None are top tier tracks but all offer a challenging round for a good price within an hour of Birmingham.

[Greg Larson]

19 hours ago, Abh159 said:

 

If you're flying, Birmingham is probably your best airport option. You could get 3-4 rounds in at Ross Bridge (18 holes), Oxmoor Valley (36 holes), and then drive over to FarmLinks for a day. It's about an hour drive from Birmingham.

 

You could fly into Montgomery, but that would most likely involve one or more connecting flights. There you have Capitol Hill (3 courses), but based on the info above it sounds like some may be closed for renovations.

 

Last option would be to fly to Atlanta, and then rent a car and drive 2 hours to Auburn/Opelika, AL. Grand National has two, 18 hole course and an 18 hole "short course".

Thank you! This is helpful.

[Greg Larson]

18 hours ago, OnTheBag said:

FarmLinks is a good course but overpriced in my opinion for what it is.  There are many quality public courses around Birmingham that can be coupled with the 3 RTJ tracks (Oxmoor Valley and Ridge, plus Ross Bridge).  Some suggestions are Ballantrae, Timberline, Bent Brook, Limestone Springs, and many others.  None are top tier tracks but all offer a challenging round for a good price within an hour of Birmingham.

I appreciate the response!

[me05501]

Playing the Senator is not much fun at all IMO. All I remember are winding narrow fairways lined with 3’ tall overgrowth. Anything that misses the fairway is lost/unplayable. Hated it. 
 

If you need a good course to add between Montgomery and Birmingham I would recommend Timberline. 
 

The Judge is a classic. 

[AU_Matt]

On 7/15/2025 at 8:53 AM, OnTheBag said:

I live in Birmingham and was a long time Platinum member on the trail.  I agree with all the comments above but will add that Cambrian Ridge is my favorite on the trail, by far.  It sees the least play due to location (45 minutes south of Montgomery) but is challenging, well maintained and fun all at the same time.  This time of year, the Oxmoor courses see a high round count per day and in my humble opinion, Ross Bridge is overrated.  

 

My $0.02 worth.  Hope you have a great trip and enjoy your time.  Stay hydrated, it's still hot in mid-September down here.

Second the Cambrian Ridge recommendation 200%, and would even consider avoiding Birmingham entirely to spend a day or two there. I live in Montgomery and will happily drive the hour to Greenville rather than Capitol Hill or Grand National.

[chippa13]

On 7/17/2025 at 3:03 PM, Abh159 said:

 

If you're flying, Birmingham is probably your best airport option. You could get 3-4 rounds in at Ross Bridge (18 holes), Oxmoor Valley (36 holes), and then drive over to FarmLinks for a day. It's about an hour drive from Birmingham.

 

You could fly into Montgomery, but that would most likely involve one or more connecting flights. There you have Capitol Hill (3 courses), but based on the info above it sounds like some may be closed for renovations.

 

Last option would be to fly to Atlanta, and then rent a car and drive 2 hours to Auburn/Opelika, AL. Grand National has two, 18 hole course and an 18 hole "short course".

Atlanta to Opelika is only about 1:15, I've done it many times. Plus, Opelik to Montgomery is only about 45 minutes.