Greystone Golf & Country Club (Legacy) – Played November 2022
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 330 Legacy Way, Birmingham, Alabama
- Year: 2000
- Architect: Rees Jones
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Black: 7,151 yards, Par 72, 74.3 Rating/146 Slope
- Blue: 6,808 yards, Par 72, 73.5 Rating/142 Slope
- White: 6,466 yards, Par 72, 71.9 Rating/139 Slope
- Gold: 6,065 yards, Par 72, 69.7 Rating/138 Slope
- Red: 5,286 yards, Par 72, 70.8 Rating/125 Slope
My dad and stepmom moved down to Birmingham last year and had been asking us to come down and visit. I’ll try to include golf on any trip and that’s where Greystone Golf & County Clun fits into this story. We waited out the hotter summer months and decided to head down in November.
Greystone has 36 holes of golf with an 18-hole course on two different sites. They are known as the Founders and Legacy courses. The Founders course has been the host to the Regions Tradition, a major on the Champions Tour, for some time. I was teeing it up at the Legacy course.
The Legacy was the second course built and opened about nine years after the Founders course. It has its own clubhouse and facilities and is fully standalone.
I was paired up with two very pleasant members on a blue bird fall day. Let’s get into the tour!
Hole 1 – 380 yards – Par 4
The round begins with a tree-lined drive towards a green bordered by bunkers on each side. Pars will be tough to come by if you find either of those.
Hole 2 – 150 yards – Par 3
If water freaks you out, this hole will be a fear-inducing ride. The green is quite shallow for an all-carry shot.
Hole 3 – 506 yards – Par 5
A generous fairway here is likely to coax you into whaling on the driver. If you succeed, the green will be within reach. Any indifferent second shots risk going into the crossing creek.
Chips from short and right are much easier than from the left side of this green.
Hole 4 – 395 yards – Par 4
A good tee shot is an important aspect of this hole. Bombing one over the bunker or fading one into the fairway fits best.
The approach presents you with a deep green and necessitates distance control to avoid a long putt.
Hole 5 – 361 yards – Par 4
This hole moves slightly to the left but anything between these bunkers is ideal.
The second shot is all about navigating the hazard. Front pins will be especially tough with bouncy greens. You simply cannot get greedy with the hazard so close to the green.
Hole 6 – 501 yards – Par 5
Here we have a hard dogleg to the right. At my length, the shape of the hole makes it a three-shot adventure.
The second half of the hole can be a bit tight with trees and bunkers.
Hole 7 – 295 yards – Par 4
For some players, this will be driveable. It does play severely uphill though. The green is situated just out of view to the right.
The severity of the slope obscures the view of the green.
Hole 8 – 158 yards – Par 3
For no particular reason, I can recommend not going way right of this green! If anything, short is the best miss here.
Hole 9 – 431 yards – Par 4
This is arguably the toughest hole on the front side. It plays long and has a dropoff on the right.
A good drive up the left side offers the best view and in dryer conditions, you can run one up onto the green.
Hole 10 – 373 yards – Par 4
The main goal here is to keep it between the bunkers to put yourself in a position to attack.
You absolutely cannot go long as it drops off substantially.
Hole 11 – 538 yards – Par 5
The assignment is straightforward on this hole. It’s a bit narrow and requires solid shots. If you stray too far either way trouble awaits.
Hole 12 – 413 yards – Par 4
We’ve got another brawny par four here. The first step is hitting a long and straight drive. The entire hole is in front of you.
From the left side of the fairway, the angle is appealing. You can split the bunkers and put yourself in a position to make birdie.
Hole 13 – 147 yards – Par 3
Bunkers dominate your vision as you step onto this tee. The green is a large enough target though. The smart play is towards the middle of the green but you can always fire at the flag.
There are distinct sections of this green and it has ample slope.
Hole 14 – 415 yards – Par 4
The par fours are ratcheted up a bit on the back nine. An elevated tee box will provide some additional distance for your drive.
You must avoid the right side because the water cuts in more than you can see.
Hole 15 – 381 yards – Par 4
The left miss will torpedo your score on this hole. Right isn’t much better. That being said, just hit one in the fairway and avoid all the stress.
You can see the slopes in the green from the photo below.
Hole 16 – 337 yards – Par 4
Power or precision is your decision on this tee. The hole plays straightaway.
With a bit of a false front, any approach shots with spin could come right off the front.
Hole 17 – 183 yards – Par 3
The elevated tee box here provides a nice view of the green. You might get a close-up below since I knocked one off of the stick here.
Tap-in deuces are always fun.
Hole 18 – 502 yards – Par 5
The final hole leaves you in suspense if you’ve never played the course before. The entire second half of the hole is hidden from the tee.
As the hole bends right, anyone going for it must be aware of the water on the right. The front section of the green is elevated and once you get past it, runs away toward the back.
Any course by Rees Jones will be a challenge. The Legacy Course at Greystone Golf & Country Club is no exception. There was a mix of difficult and scoreable holes. With a good group and a wonderful weather day, this was a great fall day on a golf course.