Hampton Cove Golf Course, Alabama, United States

4marenostrum 5:00 PM Oct 11, 2017

River Course- Not scenic but definitely a challenging 18 holes
I have always wanted to play on the RTJ Golf Trail in Alabama. Its creation was rather unique as it was funded by the Alabama State Retirement system to spur tourism and started with four courses. Designed by my favorite course architect, Robert Trent Jones, hence the name sake, the course trail starts in the north of the state around Huntsville and ends up in Mobile and its bay. Hampton Cove was one of the first to be built with two very different courses taking advantage of the surrounding topography. The River course, the more difficult of the two, meanders along a floodplain and river. As one can image, water is everywhere and the greens are elevated (to avoid the flooding). Here is a summary of the River Course having played it twice (orange tees first day and purple tees, the tips, the next). Also, played the 18 holes par 3 called the Short Course as a bonus to my trip. Exceptional • All around, the staff is superb, from the starter to the restaurant, the Proshop to the Marshall. Great- • This is a course that requires accuracy and target shots • Greens are difficult- rolling true, wicked breaks and large • Course offers a good variation and choice of tee boxes and distances Nice • the facilities, practice range, chipping & putting greens and clubhouse are good • The restaurant has good food (breakfast and lunch) • Proshop has an excellent selection of apparel and golf items for men and women. Okay- • Greens were very hard and did not hold the shots without strong backspin Course design and layout- 4 stars with a + for the difficult greens The course lies along the banks of a river and floodplain. You can see from the vegetation how high the water gets. In fact, the sprinkler controls are perched up on stilts! So, it stands to reason that the greens are all elevated and there are NO bunkers. But who needs them when there is so much water. Errant drives or either short or long shots into the green will find water and add an enjoyable 1 -stroke penalty to your hole. The ninth hole does not come back to the club house finding yourself throughout the round in the middle of a verdant forest. The choice of tee boxes is impressive as it permits the player to craft the desired challenge. Forward tees come in at 5,278 yards and rate at a 71.3/123 while the “tips” are 7,668 yards and rate at a 77.8/136. Between these two challenging bookends, a player can choose an additional three sets of tee boxes base on individual skillset. The greens are incredibly well protected as they are raised from the ground and typically in the form of a 3 or 4 leaf clover. Critical undulations abound and makes for an easy 3 or 4 putt if one is not close to the hole. Conditions- 3.5 stars The entire course is rich with Bermuda grass as well as the greens. This southern hot climate makes for a good environment for this type of grass. It really thrives in the heat. The course is well maintained from tee to green. It is nice to have your ball sit up on the grass. And when necessary, one can really get some needed spin action for short distances and near the green. The big drawback is that the greens were hard. Shots that would come into the green at a low angle frequently ran away. Price- 4 stars The price of $69 is a good one considering weekend. This also includes a cart. The range balls are included. Pace of Play- 4.5 stars The first day I played as a threesome with two other local residents whose knowledge of the layout was vital not only to my score but to the pace of play (it certainly would have been longer). The first round was 4 hours while the second, as a single, was 2:50 minutes. Staff- 5 stars It should be noted that all the staff were extremely hospitable and wonderful hosts to a visitor like me. It is clear that they not only enjoy their work but take pride in such a good course. Finally, I did have a chance to play the 18hole par 3, short course. It was a nice diversion with many difficult holes. Regrettably, I did not have a chance to play the Highlands course, the second course on the complex, which is easier and from the appearance it is more a links style layout. It will be for next time.

4cordyroy 5:00 PM Aug 23, 2022

Good Golf
Played both courses recently. Usual great conditioning and layouts. However service at the club drop was very subpar. It was blamed on the usual post-Covid difficulty in getting staff. (Hint to management, Try paying more than minimum wage!) If you live in Ala. or within 100 miles of any of the RTJ Trail courses and plan to play more than once, BUY THE TRAIL CARD! It more than pays for itself after just 1 round.