Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa

Nicest course I've ever played in terms of course conditions. Each green was like a carpet and the fairways rolled nice and long. This is a challenging course, but depending on which tees you shoot from you can have a decent round. I shot from the white tees (2nd ones back) and managed to hit a few pars and even a birdie on a par 5. Very few flat fairways (like most RTJ courses) but I didn't mind. Lots of water too. Would definitely return if I were to get another coupon for a free round, as this course is on the pricey side.

$100 to play and they hit you for an additional $3-5 for range balls. Come on! When you pay $100 to play golf you should get range balls. Course shape was average...greens and fairways were nice but the areas surrounding the greens were not in great shape. Greens are very tricked up with huge amounts of undulation. On 18 of the Valley my partner had a 15 foot uphill putt….he got it all the way to the hole and it rolled back at him. Stupid! On two other occasions playing partners putted the ball past the hole where it continued to roll off the green and down the hill about 40 yards into long rough. Every single green was like putting on a roller coaster...and 2 putting from outside 15 feet was a huge challenge.

It was a beautiful sunny day and the parking lot was full of cars yet I saw the beverage cart one time. When I asked the ranger about it he said he would see what he could do...but nothing happened.

Big beautiful clubhouse but very limited in the restaurant/bar department. They close the kitchen at 4pm!!!! I guess they don't like people coming in after a round to have some drinks and eat a meal. Some of the players in my group did not get done before 4pm and as a result all 8 people in my group left and went to drink and eat somewhere else. The bartender (who said she was a manager) was very unfriendly and even a bit confrontational when we were puzzled as to why the kitchen would be closed. They probably lost at least $2-300 dollars from our group alone by closing the kitchen at 4pm..

I have played Ross Bridge as well as all 3 courses at Capitol Hill and loved them. This one was below par for the trail and I would not go back.

Ross Bridge was a truly outstanding course. You have many options on each shot which enables you to take risks or enjoy a more peaceful approach round of golf. There was a mix of golf holes that were relatively flat or had significant elevation changes. Overall, it was a beautiful course that I would love to play again.

On spring break golf vacation with my son. Beautiful course and nice individuals providing quality service. Biggest difficulty was the significant change in elevations and wind. Fairways and greens were nice, rough and areas around the green were in spring season condition. Overall, tough course to play after winter layoff.

I was very disappointed in this course as I've played othe rtj s courses that I loved.

Where to start

The lady checking me and in was not trained and couldn't answer simple questions

The starter didn't let me tee off at my tee time because the players they paired me with didn't show up.

As a result he let 5 foursomes who already played 18 go out in front of me and made me follow them for a 5 hour round.

The course was wide open at my tee time.

Bad course management.

The course is extremely difficult with many blind shots and lots of slopes,traps ,water,woods etc,therefore a gore caddie is needed. Otherwise you will lose lots of balls.

The course does not drain well with lots of wet areas( I was lucky to get 5 inches of roll on my drives which made it impossible for me to reach any greens in regulation)

There was not one friendly hole on the course and it is really designed for scratch golfers. Everyone else will find extreme trouble on every hole.

Cart to tee box and cart to green is a long way and hilly.

It is not for a player who cannot climb hills or you will never finish 18 holes.

Green are well protected so a perfect shot is required to reach the green.

An example is a 140 yard approach shot i hit at the flag which checked up,stopped and rolled left as the green sloped and went down off the green into a 30 foot ravine.

That is the type of frustration the course holds and I won't be back.

Wasn't a fun day.

The short course but it was very wet and slippery walking.

I play this whenever I’m visiting my daughter in BHM. Challenging, peaceful and lightening fast greens. Grady- the starter is great. Clubhouse staff is very friendly and accommodating. I wish I played slower because the setting is beautiful. Can’t wait to come back and play again.

I did not care a whole lot for this course. I think it is over priced.It shouldn't be more than maybe $40. I guess your paying for the name Robert Trent Jones.I wont play that course again. It is not worth the 5 and a half hr drive.

The Ridge course is undergoing a minor facelift, resulting in a few cosmetic upgrades.

There is a ton of sod being layed throughout the course, mostly around greens and bunkers.

As for the bunkers, many are being overhauled through the course, rendering many GUR.

There are some cart path repairs as well, which were due.

The greens were still recovering from recent aeration, but weren’t bad - just slower than you would expect for these fall temps and bentgrass this time of year.

There is also some extensive tree removal being undertaken.

I would give this course a month and it should be back to somewhat normal playing conditions. Valley course may be a better option in the short term.

Course conditions were certainly no pristine - lots of rough spots and areas that need work. After playing Highland Oaks on Dothan (excellent) we were disappointed with the condotions and pace of play here.

Hoping for more outstanding golf and was disappointed. Oxmoor Valley does not compare to Ross Bridge in every category.

My brother and I played 54 holes at Ross Bridge. The course is amazing. When you look at the course from the some of the tees, it appears like it goes on forever. Truly incredible! I give it an 8.5, but only because some of the edges on some greens weren't in great condition and they're doing maintenance on the #10 green. This is one of the most impressive courses we've ever played. If you're planning to play the RTJ Trail, this needs to be on your list!

Another gem in Birmingham. The Ridge greens are very, very nice. Dramatic elevation changes and blind shots. My brother and I loved this course. Several holes will jump up and bite you if you're not careful. We would definitely play here again!!!!

My brother and I played 54 holes at the Valley Course. Great course!! Dramatic elevation changes and blind shots. On the day we played, the bunkers were not great. Very fluffy. There were several instances where we hit a ball into the face of the bunker and it either stuck into the face or buried completely in the sand. Also, no GPS in the carts and the pro shop doesn't sell yardage books. Overall, it's an awesome course.

The course layout is tremendous and fun -- lots of unique holes to make for an interesting and never boring round of golf. The course was in excellent condition, especially considering the recent dry heat. Seemed like people left a lot of pitch marks on the greens, but generally everything was well maintained.

Some members of the staff were very friendly; I even had a ranger drive a scorecard out to me on the 7th hole. Sadly, this was only necessary because the starter wasn't one the first tee as I was told he/she would be. Also some staff in the clubhouse and at the cart return were not very friendly.

I paid the twilight rate and would HIGHLY recommend this course at that price. If I didn't live three hours away, I would play here very regularly. As a weekend warrior, I RARELY pay the full rate of $80 to play golf anywhere, let alone somewhere I can wait a few hours to play for half the price.

This review is for the Valley course.

Course has responded well from a year ago. Grass has grown back in throughout and conditions were excellent.

Greens are firm but will hold a properly struck shot.

Bunkers still have a little too much sand in them for my liking.

A car issue forced me to miss my tee time on the Valley course. So I played the short course twice, from the tips and forward tees. Challenging, beautiful elevation changes, greens pretty large yet still require a accurate tee shot for a birdie. Only reason the pace gets 4 stars is my first round it was packed. Another great RTJ Trail value!

I have played this course many times since I live close by. It is one of my favorite Robert Trent Jones courses. The course is always in good shape no matter what time of year and the pace of play is almost always 4 hours.