Oxmoor Valley Ridge

Oxmoor Valley Ridge is where the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail began. Opened in 1992 on former U.S. Steel mining land south of Birmingham, it was the first course completed in the system that would eventually grow to 26 courses across 11 Alabama sites. Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed the layout, and the terrain he had to work with was unlike anything in his extensive portfolio: 200 feet of elevation change through hardwood forest, with exposed shale rock formations that the mining operation had left behind.

Jones Sr. incorporated the shale rather than concealing it. Rock outcroppings appear along fairway edges, in hazard areas, and occasionally within the visual frame of a tee shot, giving the course a geological character that distinguishes it from every other layout on the Trail. The hardwood forest, predominantly oaks and hickories, frames the holes in a way that changes with the seasons. Spring and summer play is enclosed by dense canopy. Autumn brings color that transforms the visual experience of the routing. Winter strips the trees back and opens sightlines that are hidden the rest of the year.

The course plays 7,055 yards from the back tees with a rating of 74.3 and slope of 141. These are honest numbers for a course that derives its difficulty from terrain and green contour rather than extreme length. The elevation changes create uneven lies throughout the routing, and the approach shots frequently play uphill or downhill to greens that are already contoured enough to demand precision. The fairways are adequate in width but shaped to favor specific sides, and the golfer who reads the terrain correctly from the tee will find shorter, flatter approaches than the one who simply aims at the center.

The green complexes reflect Jones Sr.'s design vocabulary: large putting surfaces with shelves and ridges that divide each green into distinct zones. Finding the correct zone with the approach shot is the difference between a birdie opportunity and a defensive two-putt. The bunkering is purposeful without being excessive, and the shale-edged hazards provide a visual distinctiveness that sand alone does not achieve.

At $45 to $75 per round with cart included, Oxmoor Valley Ridge is the most affordable featured course on the Trail. The price places it in competition with municipal courses that offer a fraction of the architectural interest. For golfers visiting Birmingham, the combination of Oxmoor Valley Ridge and Ross Bridge, 20 minutes apart and separated by $80 to $115 in green fee, provides the most efficient possible introduction to the Trail's range of quality and pricing.

Oxmoor Valley is a 54-hole complex that includes the Valley Course and the Short Course alongside the Ridge. The Short Course, an 18-hole par-3 layout, is a worthwhile addition to an afternoon or a warm-up day.

Booking is available through GolfNow and rtjgolf.com, or through Central Reservations at (800) 949-4444. The complex sits approximately 15 minutes south of downtown Birmingham with easy access from Interstate 65.