Robert Trent Jones at Oxmoor Valley (Ridge)

Robert Trent Jones at Oxmoor Valley (Ridge) – Played May 2013

• Rankings: None of the four lists
• Location: 100 Sunbelt Parkway, Birmingham, Alabama
• Year: 1992
• Original Architect: Robert Trent Jones
• Additional Work By: Roger Rulewich
• Course Access: Public
• Walking Rules: Carts Available

Score Card Information:

• Purple: 7,055 yards, Par 72, 74.3 Rating/141 Slope
• Orange: 6,527 yards, Par 72, 72.1 Rating/136 Slope (Men’s), 78.6 Rating/141 Slope (Women’s)
• White: 6,148 yards, Par 72, 70.3 Rating/133 Slope (Men’s), 76.4 Rating/137 Slope (Women’s)
• Silver: 5,546 yards, Par 72, 67.3 Rating/128 Slope (Men’s), 72.8 Rating/128 Slope (Women’s)
• Teal: 4,974 yards, Par 72, 64.9 Rating/120 Slope (Men’s), 69.4 Rating/122 Slope (Women’s)

I’ve got some good news regarding Oxmoor Valley (Ridge) and some other courses I’ve played.  Brian from @virginiagolfguy on Instagram and vagolfguy.com let me take a peek through more of his pictures.  Fortunately, this will allow me to do many more course tours of places I may not get back to soon.  I want to give a sincere thank you to Brian again for that.  Going forward, I’ll credit him at the beginning for the photos he supplied.

Anyways, back to this post.  I went over my trip down to the RTJ Trail in some earlier posts.  We also played both courses at Oxmoor Valley.  This stop on the trail has 54 holes, which includes a short course.  It was built on land formerly owned by US Steel for mining purposes.  You will see from the photos, but the land offers forests, creeks, and plenty of elevation change.

All yardages are from the orange tees.

Hole 1 – 404 yards – Par 4

The first hole starts with one of the most audaciously rolling fairways I’ve seen.  Play it down the middle.

You will want to carry your approach all the way to the green as any short shots will roll back quite a ways.

Hole 2 – 513 yards – Par 5

This tee shot should shade just left of center to give you the best angle.  Sharp fall offs are present on the right and left.  The fairway is important here.

Below is the view down towards the green that can be reached in two with a solid drive.

Hole 3 – 520 yards – Par 5

Back to back par fives here.  Keep the tee shot to the right side of the fairway for the best angle.  On your layup you will need to navigate a water hazard.

This hole has one of the cooler green settings that I played on this trip.  The exposed shale rock surrounds the green and makes for a cool visual.  Be sure to take some more club for the uphill approach.

Hole 4 – 382 yards – Par 4

You’ll want to stay to the left of these bunkers.  The hole plays uphill necessitating more club for the approach shot.

Hole 5 – 146 yards – Par 3

The biggest trouble here is the bunker in front of the green.  Focus on hitting the center of the green and you’ll be in good shape.  Sometimes par is a worthy goal.

Hole 6 – 405 yards – Par 4

Due to the deep ravine, the right side of the fairway is the play.  The green is elevated, which you can’t see here.

Hole 7 – 346 yards – Par 4

Err on the left side here.  The hole is uphill all the way so it plays longer than the marked distance.  There is plenty of space though so pound away on the driver.

Hole 8 – 159 yards – Par 3

Whew, quite a view here.  The downhill slope makes club selection a bear.  Anything short will probably catch the sand.

The green has plenty of slope as you can see below.  It is also a large target.

Hole 9 – 384 yards – Par 4

Uphill holes have been a theme on the front nine.  The ninth is no departure from that.  Favor the right side off the tee.  The hole bends to the left as you go.

Hole 10 – 379 yards – Par 4

This dogleg right is tough off the tee.  You can drive through the fairway on the left and get into trouble on the right.

The best angle is from the left side of the fairway so you don’t have to deal with the large greenside bunker.

Hole 11 – 393 yards – Par 4

This slight dogleg right offers a lot of space off the tee.  If you can hit a fade you are in good shape here.

The green is elevated and doesn’t give the opportunity to run up shots.  Make sure to choose the correct club.

Hole 12 – 465 yards – Par 5

This hole has a double fairway giving you options.  The left fairway is much narrower and daring.  From this angle it is a difficult spot to reach.

This look at the approach shows the downhill slope and bunkering around the green.  Shots need to be exacting here.

Hole 13 – 162 yards – Par 3

This mid-length par three features a gargantuan bunker in the front.  You will want to avoid being above the hole on this green.

Hole 14 – 348 yards – Par 4

This one plays longer than the yardage.  Avoid the bunkers with the tee shot. There is quite a bit of space here as you can see.

Hole 15 – 366 yards – Par 4

This hole tightens things up a bit.  There are two sections of the fairway here.  Long hitters and others need to focus on hitting the flat section of the fairway.

Hole 16 – 172 yards – Par 3

Long is better than short.  You can see the change in elevation from the rough to the green to illustrate that statement.

Hole 17 – 411 yards – Par 4

Keep the tee shot up the left side.  The approach shot can convince you to do more than you should.  There is a bunker to the right and trouble behind the green.  be careful!

Hole 18 – 572 yards – Par 5

The final hole at Oxmoor Valley (Ridge) is an exacting test.  They say to aim at the chimney of the clubhouse.  This one will most likely not be reached in two.

You can see the drop off to the left and short of the green.  The high grass is not to be trifled with.  The green is elevated and guarded by a couple of bunkers.

Oxmoor Valley (Ridge) is a fun track.  It is just a solid course.  The views aren’t out of this world, but the course challenges you from start to finish.  You need to think about angles and strategies to shoot your best score.  Thanks again to Brian for the pictures!