Reviews
Played the Ridge Course for the first time. For winter, the course was in excellent condition, even though it was wet due to recent heavy rains. The Ridge Course is a target style course. The fairways are wide, but to score well one must be in the correct position off the tee. Most of the greens are elevated and protected by sand traps which forces you to carry the ball onto the green. All the greens were very fast, but held my approach shots. To be able to score well you need to play the course multiple times. I look forward to playing the Ridge Course again. Also the Valley Course looked very challenging as well especially hole number 1. The Clubhouse Staff along with the wait staff were very professional.
Birmingham Alabama has a lot of options for golfers, both residents, and visitors. There are nearly 40 public, private and municipal courses within a 20-mile radius of downtown Birmingham, including the infamous Shoal Creek Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus which has hosted a couple of PGA Championships, as well as several courses accessible to the public. Arguably, none are as fine as Ross Bridge and the two championship courses at Oxmoor Valley. Ross Bridge and Oxmoor Valley are part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, the largest golf course construction project ever attempted. The trail was the brainchild of Dr. David Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama whose “build it and they will come” mentality paid off. Over the years I have had the opportunity to play several of the RTJ Trail courses and ultimately my goal is to play them all. I found The Ridge Course at Oxmoor Valley to be a lot more of a challenge than I thought it would be, mainly because all of the greens were extremely elevated. The starter told us that if your range finder tells you to hit a 7-iron, it’s probably a good idea to hit a 6! After my approach shot into the first green came up a little short, I too was a believer! Oxmoor Valley offers 54 holes of golf with two championship courses Ridge and Valley and a Short Course. It’s built on mining land that was once owned by U.S. Steel and the holes are sculpted from the peaks and valleys that make up the Appalachian Mountains. As you play your way around the courses, you’ll encounter over 200 feet of elevation changes, scenic forests, and several creeks that you may or may not know are there. The Ridge Course features roller coaster-like fairways, lots of tree-lined holes, elevated greens, and over 200 feet of elevation changes. Uneven lies are the norm out here. It’s one of the most photographed courses on the entire RTJ Trail and boasts some of the most thrilling par 5s in the state. Case in point, the Par 5 3rd hole, which is considered by many to be the course’s signature hole. It’s the second of back-to-back par 5s, and it’s best to put the last hole out of your mind before teeing off! Number 3 plays 506 yards from the White Tees and is handicapped the hardest hole on the outward side. There’s water between the tee and green but it probably won’t come into play until your second shot. Tee off from an elevated tee box and favor the right side of the fairway. Do the same thing with your layup shot but by all means, keep it in the fairway. That will leave an uphill approach shot into a green with an outcropping of rock. Be warned that the green is not as deep as it looks. Eighteen is an impressive par 5 and is ranked the hardest hole on the golf course. At 543 yards from the White tees, not many players will reach it in two. If they do, they should probably have been playing from the longer tees! Your aiming point is the chimney on the clubhouse. As is often the case on the Ridge course, there are steep drop-offs from the edge of the fairway. Playing your layup shot right of the 150-yard marker will give the best angle into the green which is protected front and right by bunkers. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail offers some incredible Stay & Play packages. The Renaissance Ross Bridge offers golfers the chance to relax in the style and comfort associated with the Renaissance Hotel group. Each room and suite is equipped with elegant furnishings, luxurious bedding, and a private balcony that offers astonishing views of Alabama’s hilly countryside. Whether you’re looking for breakfast, dinner, or something in between, you have several dining venues on the property to choose from including Brock's, The Clubhouse Restaurant, and JT's Lounge. Other hotel amenities include a 24-hour fitness center and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. There is also a full-service spa to help you rejuvenate after tackling those monster links. For more information on these or any of the other amazing properties along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, visit them online
Staff is very friendly and both courses have beautiful and challenging elevation changes. Short course is fun too. The scenery is really beautiful. Greens could be a little better, but might’ve just been due to the timing of my visit.
I've played both courses here several times. Currently the conditions are not great. Greens are long, fringes are overcome with thick and tall grass, fairways not cut, etc. Much better value at other courses around the city.
Beautiful golf club. They have two courses here to choose from. Normal pricing for 18 with a cart is around $70-80 but you can get twighlight rates toward the end of the day in the $20-30 range. The greens are large, forgiving and well maintained. The staff is friendly and the club is simple but classy. One of the guys on staff driving around stopped to give me a cold towel and a glass of icewater which was a nice touch. I plan to return. Great experience.
The course was unbelievably beautiful, but the yardages were tough to play and all the greens are elevated or crowned. There must have been a heavy rain recently because a lot of the ground was squishy and soft. Played the ridge course, glad to check out valley.
Very good course, fairways were in very good condition. There needs to be signals on holes longer than the eye can see to point towards advancement. Several times we needed to drive ahead for clarity of playing. The tee times are rough, partnered with a couple of new players was stressful and we had to break away from he group. Altogether a great place, no so great price for the course for a busy weekend of play. However it is a very nice course.
This course was absolutely in great shape. Nice course to play for all skill levels. We were a 4-some that played 18 holes in 4 hours teeing off at 7am. It was very hit and the course ranger brought around cold wet towels, which was very nice. $106.00 for 18 holes/cart. Will play again when back in the area to visit my son, who lives very close by.
Really great course. The clubhouse staff is super friendly. The food is also pretty good as well. The course is always in great condition as well. Even the par 3, which at a lot of golf courses is not kept up as well as the full length course, is super nice here. The driving range is always in great condition as well, and even has turf pads to use on days where the grass is too wet.
Just wow! What a layout and experience this golf course was when we played it. The views and elevations were outstanding combined with the course conditions.
