Mountain Brook Club

Mountain Brook Club is a private course, designed by Donald Ross. Therefore, the green complexes are the draw. There are examples of his pushed-up greens throughout, but unlike the turtle-backs that are his signature, Ross relied more on slope here. What makes them really challenging is several have a flat, defined compact shelf that is pinnable, with slopes carrying slightly imprecise approaches maddeningly away from the hole.

The outward nine meanders to the the back of the property and holes 3-9 feature elevation change, while the inward nine is relatively flat, except for the uphill 16th and plays in a parkland fashion.

A sizable canal winds throughout the property, so you have to always be aware of it. It plays prominently into the back nine, particularly the par-5 11th where it crosses the fairway and again short of the green. The 12th is a short par-4 and is one of my favorite holes in Birmingham. The canal divides the fairway lengthwise of the hole with the green resting to the right of it some 240 yards away. A stand of pines prevents a direct route to the green, so you must play a cut, or play a 180-yard shot that will leave a flip wedge for the approach.

The bunkering is very attractive. Greens were pure. Practice area is superb.