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4.1
37 Reviews (37)
5 Stars
23
4 Stars
10
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.1
Value
4.9
Layout
4.8
Friendliness
4.9
Pace
4.9
Amenities
4.8
96.8%
Recommend this course
33 out of 37 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 72
Length 7971 yards
Slope 143
Rating 78.0

Course Details

Year Built 2005
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Roger Rulewich (2005)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - $20
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Teaching Pro Yes

Policies

Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Collared shirt, no cutoffs, denim allowed.

Available Facilities

Lockers

Accolades

Reviews

4.1
37 Reviews (37)
Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

One of My Favorite RTJ Courses

The Schoolmaster never dissappoints. The course conditions are always top-notch. The practice area has everything one could need and the staff is the friendliest you'll find anywhere. Even at it's length, The Schoolmaster is a fair test and rewards good shots while punishing errant ones. The bent grass graans rolled true even thought they were a bit slower than I was used to. The Alabam summer heat will not allow them to be cut to the same stimp as I see back home in the North East US. Make sure to allow time for a drink on the back veranda overlooking the Tennesse River. It's a spectacular view!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 311
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Birmingham Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played

Par 3s stand out

This review is for the Fighting Joe course.

Healing of the greens from recent aeration has been hampered by cooler than normal temperatures. Greens were very bumpy. Putts habitually bounced. You will make some putts you should miss and miss some you should make.

Overseeded fairways were very good.

Bunkers have too much sand in them. Sure, they are supposed to be hazards, but too many plugged lies in bunkers.

The strength of the course is the collection of par 3s. When the wind is howling, these holes - particularly the fifth and ninth - are difficult to club and present great challenges.

Tip: Buy a $4 yardage guide in the pro shop if it is your first time playing. There are a couple of tee shots that can fool you if you aren't familiar with the landing areas.

Conditions Fair
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 311
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Birmingham Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Autumn golf at its finest

One of the best autumn golf courses I have ever played. Back nine this time of year it as good as it gets. Fairways were not lush - looks like they decided not to overseeded the fairways - but weren't thin either. Greens are superb. Bent has come in and they are rolling good. Will only get faster. Bunker renovation looked good.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
2.0

Very disappointing. Not worth the money.

Use to be well maintained. Fairways not cut. Course looks Jd like a farm. Use to like visiting here. No more!!

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/10/2020

You've got to be missing me!! We drove an hour and play this course once a week, and the fairways are always cut!! Sorry you didn't play well, don't take it out in the course

Played On
Reviews 311
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Birmingham Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Fighting Joe falls short of hype

This review is for the Fighting Joe course, which is ranked by Golfweek in the Top 5 public courses in Alabama. The course is a better-than-average public track, but in my honest opinion, it wouldn't make my top 5 Trail course list. I've tried hard to fall in love with this layout, and it has its moments, but I just don't understand the hype. The Schoolmaster is a better course in my opinion. I'm not sure the 15-handicapper is going to enjoy this course. Who this course will appeal to is a scratch to 6 handicapper that isn't afraid to play it from the back with the wind blowing. The Fighting Joe plays 8,092 yards from the tips and 7,126 from the purples. That length, combined with an ample breeze, is really the course's only defense in my opinion. Though windswept, and mostly void of trees, this is not a links style layout. You cannot run shots into greens. What this track does have going for it is a brilliant set of par 3s, including the 5th and 9th, which reside on peninsulas a stone's throw from each other in a lake in the center of the property. These are interesting holes, especially given the 15-mph winds that were encountered today. The 18th is also a par 3, and is not only the Fighting Joe's signature hole, but one of the Trail's marquee holes as well. It is a short-to-medium length one-shorter framed by the clubhouse and the Tennessee River. Combined with the risk/reward par-5 17th, it is truly a spectacular finish to the round. What I think leaves this course a bit lacking for me is the number of similar par 4s, particularly on the front 9. They resemble each other but for the water hazard juxtapositioned left or right. One thing that is challenging about this course is laying up on the par 5s. Other than No. 17, which I was able to reach in two shots, cross bunkers and water hazards pinch the layup zones, so beware! The greens were aerated about two weeks ago. Though they haven't fully recovered, it wasn't much of an issue, as I only had one putt that was definitively redirected by a plughole. The greens aren't severely undulating, and slopes were gentle. Bottom line: Fighting Joe makes for a good pairing with its sister course for buddies trips to the Shoals area, but I don't believe the lofty ranking it receives is warranted. If you have bug one round to -jay at the facility, play Schoolmaster.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/10/2020

Stay home and write a book then

Played On
Reviews 311
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Birmingham Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Among the best closing nines on the Trail

It's sister course, the Fighting Joe, seems to get the better rating, but The Schoolmaster is among my top 3 favorites along the RTJ Trail. In my opinion, The Schoolmaster's holes have more character than FJ's, and the back nine that plays through hardwoods after a mostly open front nine is as fun a closing stretch you'll play. The overseeded fairways propped balls up nicely and the bent grass greens, while not overly slippery were rolling as good as I've seen. They were not pockmarked, so a tremendous "well done" to the course superintendent and his staff. This course is among the longer tracks on the Trail as well. I generally prefer to play 6,200 yards and my skill level and enjoyment are compromised once the 6,500-yard barrier is breached. That said, the normal orange tees play a toothy 6,700 here. The tips are a touch under 8,000. I went with the 6,100-yard white tees and found it to be very enjoyable, while still providing a worthy challenge. Fairways are very generous, particularly on the front nine. Greens are rather expansive as well, providing multiple pin locations. Much more elevation change on the back nine than the front. There are numerous water hazards on the course, but they are not front and center and don't dominate tee shots and approaches. They are more present to penalize a very poor shot. Picturesque par 3s are a highlight. The par-4 14th hole is among my favorite holes anywhere. The piece of land it rests on was made for a golf hole. The 18th, while rather short, caps the round with a view of the Tennessee River.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Sand & Water Everywhere

Enjoyed playing this course. Arrived for a 7 am tee time and there was light play through the morning. Greens and tees were cut, fairways in good shape, bunkers raked up, May 1st and there was some dormant grass remaining. All in all, the course was in great condition.

Each hole was a Trent Jones challenge with plenty of sand and water, by 9 am the wind picked up and made the par 3's make you think about where to aim. If you can stay in the fairways and hit greens you can score on this course.

The greens are not the biggest I have played, I'd call them medium sized. The greens are quite fast and run true. Pin placements were mostly challenging, a few centered on the green, some close to hazards, some that took guts to shoot for the pin. I came in high to all greens and the greens held shots very well.

Friendly, helpful staff. Nice clubhouse. I will play this course again, it was fun.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
4.0
First Time Playing

Good course but not good value

The staff was great. There is no GPS on the carts. I thought for the price of the course GPS would be an included amenity. I have also played Ross Bridge which was a much nicer course. Ross Bridge had no GPS but the course was much nicer and seemed more worth the money

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great course and early-season conditions.

Enjoyed again the Trail. We like all the sites we've played, and this is par for our expectations.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 25+
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great course

Beautiful course. Played on a Tuesday and it felt like we were the only foursome on the course. Lots of water - and sand, but I enjoyed it. The views from some of the holes were spectacular. Trees were just starting to turn :)

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 59
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing

Great golf course

The entire golf experience was top notch from beginning to end. The staff was pleasant, the golf course in great shape, and the greens were true. Will return.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 28
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Great place to play

Our first time at a RTJ course. What a fun course. Keep the ball in the fairway is a must. Take your time around the greens to get a good approach shot to the green. Staff was friendly but, the grill was slow for an after round bite to eat.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

rude cart boys

We arrived 6/7/13 at 12noon. A bus of golfers were leaving. We made a 12:40pm tee at Schoolmaster. We went to get our clubs loaded before getting a bite to eat. I asked one of the cart boys if we could get a cart to go get our clubs. He stated we couldn't but we could wait and he would shuttle us down to the lot. We didn't have much time if we were to get a bite and hit some before our tee time, so we walked back to the car to get our clubs. When we walked back to the bag drop, the two guys were sitting in their carts, feet propped up. My wife put her bag on the cart before one of the guys came over and strapped it on. I strapped mine on myself. Later, 4 carts were seen in the parking lot. I didn't say anything. Lazy cart boys!

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Fantastic course for the money.

Just another great RTJ Golf Trail course. I prefer this one over The Schoolmaster at The Shoals.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Featured
Verified Purchaser

Fighting Joe is a must visit for any golfer

What a course. Beautifully manicured, friendly staff and a beautiful North Alabama setting. Who could ask for more? Did not play from the tips. Even from the Mid-Tees the course was long but very fair. Can't wait to get back for another visit!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 33
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

There is long and then there is this

Lovely Course as usual with RTJ courses. I miss hit one ball and it seemed as if I would never get to that hole. Greens are beautiful. Fairways are well manicured. Pen placement was nasty.
But once again I'm where I truly love being on the golf course so I'm in Heaven. Will play every chance that I get

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
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Golf Packages

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail – The Shoals Stay & Play Package

FROM $217 (USD)
FLORENCE, AL | Enjoy 3 nights' accommodations at the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa and 2 rounds of golf at The Shoals Golf Club - Schoolmaster & Fighting Joe Courses.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail – Gadsden Golf Around Package

FROM $197 (USD)
GADSDEN, AL | Enjoy 3 nights' accommodations at the Hampton Inn - Gadsden and 3 rounds of golf at Silver Lakes Golf Club - Championship & Short Courses.

Saddlebrook Preferred Golfer Experience Package

FROM $217 (USD)
TAMPA, FL | Enjoy 2 nights' accommodations at Saddlebrook Resort and 3 rounds of golf at Saddlebrook Resort - Palmer or Saddlebrook Courses. Includes Preferred Golfer experience.

Saddlebrook Value Golfer Experience Package

FROM $167 (USD)
TAMPA, FL | Enjoy 2 nights' accommodations at Saddlebrook Resort and 2 rounds of golf at Saddlebrook Resort - Palmer or Saddlebrook Courses. Includes Value Golfer experience.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail – Best of Birmingham Package

FROM $237 (USD)
BIRMINGHAM, AL | Enjoy 4 nights' accommodations at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa and 3 rounds of golf at Ross Bridge Golf Club and Oxmoor Valley Golf Club - Ridge & Valley Courses.
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