Ballyneal Golf Club

Holyoke, Colorado

Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (Opelika, Alabama)

Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) logo Golf Course Review by: Bill Satterfield

Rankings: 

 

The Takeaway:  One of the best courses on the famed Robert Trent Jones Trail in Alabama, the Links at Grand National is solid from start to finish with shotmaking opportunities, some forced carries, and engaging terrain. Worth a trip from Atlanta or a must when attending an event at nearby Auburn University.  Grade B+

Quick Facts

Designer:  Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1992

Cost:  $46.00 - $65.00 (Cart is $16) Click for current rates

Phone Number:  (334) 749-9042

Course Website:  Official Website - Visit Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links)'s official website by clicking on the link provided.

Directions:  Get here! - 3000 Robert Trent Jones Trail, Opelika, Alabama  36801 – UNITED STATES

Photos:  See additional photos of Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links)

What to Expect:  Grand National is located at the easterly tip of the Robert Trent Jones Trail near the college football town of Auburn. The complex includes two full length courses (Links and Lake) as well as a short course. Generally regarded as the superior track at Grand National, the Links course doesn’t feel like a firm and fast links course at all and instead is carved through trees with water and marsh areas coming into play and requiring an aerial game to maneuver the bunkers and trouble. The holes rarely run parallel to each other and leaving the relatively wide fairways offers little hope of saving par. The course conditions, views, and overall setting are excellent and deliver golfers the feeling of truly “being away from it all” which is such a welcome sensation. There are several holes with significant elevation changes, something you will experience right off the bat with the opening two holes, and the course is a stiff challenge. The Links course at Grand National is my only exposure to the RTJ Trail and if it is any indication of how good of golf is found on the rest of the trail then I’m ready for a two week trip to the Yellowhammer State to experience the gamut.

By the Numbers

Tees Par Yardage Rating Slope
Gold 72 7311 75.1 135
Blue 72 6574 72.3 129
White 72 6052 69.6 119
Red (Women) 72 4893 69.6 113

Individual Hole Analysis

Signature Hole:  3rd Hole – 206 Yard Par 3

3rd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (206 Yard Par 3)
3rd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (206 Yard Par 3)

3rd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (206 Yard Par 3)
3rd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (206 Yard Par 3)

Best Par 3:  3rd Hole – 206 Yards

3rd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (206 Yard Par 3)
3rd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (206 Yard Par 3)

Best Par 4:  4th Hole – 425 Yards

4th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (425 Yard Par 4)
4th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (425 Yard Par 4)

4th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (425 Yard Par 4)
4th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (425 Yard Par 4)

4th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (425 Yard Par 4)
4th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (425 Yard Par 4)

Best Par 5:  2nd Hole – 556 Yards

2nd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (556 Yard Par 5)
2nd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (556 Yard Par 5)

2nd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (556 Yard Par 5)
2nd Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (556 Yard Par 5)

Birdie Time:  8th Hole – 345 Yard Par 4

8th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (345 Yard Par 4)
8th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (345 Yard Par 4)

8th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (345 Yard Par 4)
8th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (345 Yard Par 4)

Bogey Beware:  18th Hole – 471 Yard Par 4

18th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (471 Yard Par 4)
18th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (471 Yard Par 4)

18th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (471 Yard Par 4)
18th Hole at Robert Trent Jones Trail at Grand National (Links) (471 Yard Par 4)

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