Ross Bridge Golf Resort
On the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Hoover, just southwest of Birmingham, Ross Bridge is the Trail's grandest resort course and one of the longest in the world, a par 72 that can stretch beyond 8,000 yards. Ten holes play along two lakes joined by an 80 foot waterfall, with the resort hotel rising behind a finish built for photographs.
Photograph: Ross Bridge Golf Resort, via Google
The verdict
Ross Bridge is the showpiece of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, the public golf system that put Alabama on the destination map, and it is built to impress. Opened in 2005 and laid out by the Trail's design team under Roger Rulewich, the course flows through Shannon Valley with the kind of scale the Trail is known for: wide fairways, bold bunkering, large greens, and a closing sequence beside twin lakes and a tumbling waterfall, with the resort hotel framing the eighteenth like a stadium. It is grand, generous and photogenic, and from the right tees it is one of the most enjoyable resort rounds in the South.
For the travelling golfer, Ross Bridge matters because it offers championship scale golf at public, resort prices, with a hotel and spa on the doorstep and a string of other Trail courses within easy reach. It has hosted professional golf, including a stop on the senior tour, and it carries a reputation as one of the longest courses ever built, a fact that draws the curious and the big hitters alike. The trick is to ignore the back tees: from a sensible marker it is a fair, scenic and walkable test, and the multiple tee sets make it as much fun for a mid handicapper as for a scratch player. As the anchor of a Birmingham golf trip on the Trail, it is the easy course to build a stay around.
Ross Bridge at a glance
- Opened
- 2005
- Designer
- RTJ Trail / Roger Rulewich
- Type
- Resort parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Up to ~8,200 yds
- Access
- Public, resort
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from course databases and Trail sources. Ross Bridge plays as a par 72 and reaches roughly 8,200 yards from the very back tees, with the resort markers far shorter. It is a public, resort course; green fees are set by the operator and vary by season and demand. Rates are indicative for the 2026 season and change, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The first thing to understand about Ross Bridge is the tee sheet, not the scorecard. Six sets of tees stretch from a friendly distance to a championship length that few should ever attempt, and choosing the right one transforms the day. From a marker matched to your game the fairways are broad and welcoming, the trouble is visible, and the scale of the place becomes a pleasure rather than a punishment. Try to take on the full length and the course turns into a grind of long irons and fairway woods that flatters nobody.
The routing makes the most of the valley. Holes climb and fall across the rolling ground, the bunkering is large and shapely in the Trail style, and water enters the picture on the run of holes beside the lakes. The greens are big and contoured, so distance control matters more than raw power: a long approach to the wrong tier leaves a putt that can slide well away. There is room to miss in many places, which keeps the round flowing, but the par 3s and the water holes demand a committed, well judged strike.
The finish is the signature. The ninth and eighteenth greens sit together beside the 80 foot waterfall that links the two lakes, with the resort rising behind, and the closing tee shots ask for nerve with the water and the gallery setting in mind. It is theatrical, photogenic golf, the kind of finish a resort course is built to deliver, and it sends most groups back to the clubhouse talking about the last two holes. Played sensibly, Ross Bridge is big, scenic and genuinely fun, exactly what the Trail set out to provide.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A public, resort course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail; tee times are open to visitors and resort guests and booked online or by phone |
| Green fee | An indicative premium Trail resort rate for 2026; pricing varies by season, day and time, and resort guests and Trail card holders may see different rates, so always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking | Reserve ahead through the resort or the Trail, especially in spring and fall; carts are standard and caddies are not the norm |
| On the day | Choose a tee that matches your game rather than the championship length; a standard golf dress code applies |
| Best months | April to June and September to November, when Alabama heat eases and the resort is at its best |
| Getting there | About twenty minutes southwest of downtown Birmingham, with the airport close by, so it is an easy first or last round on a Trail trip |
Access and indicative fees verified June 2026 from resort and Trail sources; rates change with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee times at Ross Bridge.
Where to stay nearby
The simplest base is the resort hotel at Ross Bridge itself, which sits beside the eighteenth green and puts the first tee a short walk from your room. For a wider trip, the hotels of Birmingham and Hoover are close at hand, and the city's airport makes Ross Bridge an easy first or last round on an Alabama golf week. A stay and play package at the resort is the natural way to pair the golf with the spa and the restaurants on site.
Most visitors fold Ross Bridge into a wider Robert Trent Jones Trail trip. Pair it with the long, public championship test of the Capitol Hill Judge Course up at Prattville, the resort golf and oak lined fairways of the Lakewood Golf Club Azalea Course on the Gulf coast at Point Clear, and, for the bucket list round you arrange privately, Jack Nicklaus's championship layout at Shoal Creek near Birmingham.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts at Ross Bridge and around Birmingham.
Build an Alabama golf trip
Ross Bridge is the easy course to build a Trail stay around. We plan trips through Alabama and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, secure the tee times, and handle hotels, the order of play and the bucket list private rounds. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Ross Bridge questions
Can the public play Ross Bridge?
Yes. Ross Bridge is a public, resort course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, attached to the resort in Hoover, Alabama. Tee times are open to visitors and resort guests and are booked online or by phone. Green fees vary by season, day and demand, so always confirm the current rate directly before booking.
Who designed Ross Bridge?
Ross Bridge was designed by the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail design team led by Roger Rulewich, with Bobby Vaughan, and opened in 2005. It carries the Robert Trent Jones name as part of the statewide Trail, routed through the rolling Shannon Valley in Hoover, southwest of Birmingham.
How long is Ross Bridge?
Ross Bridge is one of the longest courses in the world, reaching roughly 8,200 yards from the very back tees, with the resort and member markers playing far shorter. It is a par 72, and the multiple tee sets mean most visitors play a sensible distance rather than the full championship length.
What is the signature hole at Ross Bridge?
The closing stretch is the signature, where the 9th and 18th greens share a setting beside an 80 foot waterfall that links two large lakes, with the resort hotel rising behind. Ten holes play along the water, so the finish is the most photographed and most demanding part of the round.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.