Golf Guide: Montgomery - AL

Montgomery lying in central Alabama at the junction of I-85 and I-65 is a perfect location for golfers traveling the Robert Trent Jones Trail who come to play the Capitol Hill Golf Courses. The capitol of the state, Montgomery' is on the move building the Riverwalk and restoring more than 50 historic buildings.

There are more than a dozen courses you can play in Montgomery including the RTJ tracks and gently rolling Cottonwood Golf Club designed by Masters Champion Byron Nelson and the legendary Joe Finger. Just six miles from the city center, Cottonwood's green fees are just $23 to $35.

Some like the Tallapoosa Lakes pair, may be on the short side by today's standards, but they are fun to play with wide landing areas and green fees a great bargain at $22-$27.

The starring trio and host site for the Navistar LPGA Classic tournament, the Senator, Judge and Legislator courses which make up the Capitol Hill complex, was named the #2 site for public play in the country by Golf World.

Sitting 200 feet above the fairway, #1 on the Judge has been voted the most difficult and scariest tee shot on the Trail. With plenty of elevations, water coming into play on 14 holes and an island green, The Judge is simply stunning. The Legislator snaking through pines and along a bluff is more traditional while the Senator recalls a Scottish links track with pot bunkers and mounds up to 40 feet high.

Check into the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa, a swanky new high rise hotel at the Convention Center or book a room at the first hotel to be built directly on the Trail, the Montgomery Marriott Prattville Hotel & Conference Center at Capitol Hill, both part of the RTJ Trail resort system.

After golf take in a production at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival or visit the Rosa Parks Museum, the Hank William Museum and Civil Rights Museum.