By Mike May
Some of the most desired places to play golf in the U.S. are Augusta National, Seminole, and Pine Valley, but they are inaccessible for the average golfer. If you want to experience your own unforgettable golfing memory, find it on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones (RTJ) Golf Trail, which features 468 holes of championship golf, on 26 courses, at 11 different sites.
While each course is special, challenging, fun, memorable, and affordable, the ‘jewel’ of the RTJ Golf Trail is Ross Bridge near Birmingham. When golfers walk off the 18th green at Ross Bridge, they admit that they just experienced an unforgettable golfing memory at the ‘Cathedral of the Trail.’ 
“It all starts when people drive onto our property and see the castle-like structure that is the resort,” says Chip Purser, the director of golf at Ross Bridge. “On the golf side, our job is to keep that ‘Wow’ factor alive. We have an incredible golf product that is lots of fun. At Ross Bridge, that service factor is important for our guests who come to play golf, plus the views are spectacular.”
While all golf courses have one ‘signature hole,’ Ross Bridge, in my opinion, has 18 of them which are both appealing to the eye and irresistible. Ross Bridge presents golfers with a true, thorough and fulfilling golf experience.
“It’s not a daunting course. We have very wide fairways off the tees. At Ross Bridge, the onus is on the approach shot.”
The course architects were mindful of this location’s historical past, as a working mine and saved an old gristmill, which stands adjacent to the 4th green. Adding to the property’s beauty, a multi-tiered waterfall starts at the gristmill and drops 80 feet between the 9th and 18th greens.
At just over 6,200 yards, the white tees at Ross Bridge offer the best overall experience for any visitor. Birdies are always a possibility, pars are common, and the occasional eagle on a par five remains an accessible dream. Of course, bogeys and worse are forever looming at Ross Bridge.
“When I first walked on the golf course and stood on the 8th tee, it reminded me of the 11th at Augusta National,” recalls Purser. “The second shot to 17 is great because you see the 18th green, the gristmill, and the big waterfall in the background.”
The Clubhouse at Ross Bridge was named one of Golf Digest’s “Favorite 19th Holes.”
Other activities at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort & Spa include, tennis, relaxing by the pool, soaking in the outdoor hot tub, or time at the Spa at Ross Bridge.
Every day, just before sunset, a bagpiper walks around the hotel property and plays an assortment of songs and hymns.
When you combine a world-class resort with a world-class golfing destination, RTJ’s Ross Bridge can be mentioned alongside Augusta National, Seminole, and Pine Valley as one of the most special places to play golf in the U.S., plus hear the bagpipes at sunset!
