“The sun never sets on a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course,” the architect himself was fond of saying.
No doubt about it. The guy got around, designing upwards of 500 courses around the globe in a career that spanned seven decades.
In the early 1990s, though, Jones. Sr. accepted an assignment that would keep him in one time zone for years.
The job offer came by way of David G. Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, who was out to diversify the pension fund he ran while boosting the economic fortunes of his state. To call the plan ambitious was an understatement. The blueprint called for a constellation of courses, a multi-layout lallapalooza amounting to some 100 miles of golf. It was the largest golf-construction project of all time, begging to have an architect with gravitas behind it.
By then, Jones Sr. was in his 80s but still spry in spirit, with energy to match his famously robust ego. The scale of the endeavor was right up his alley. It has his name on it, literally. Emerging from semi-retirement, the architect got busy. In 1992, he cut the ribbon on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Stretching the top-to-bottom length of the state, from Muscle Shoals in the northwest to Mobile in the south, the Trail began with 378 holes at eight sites but has since expanded to 468 hole at 11 locations. It has grown in recognition, too, earning a reputation as a marquee destination for affordable, accessible, championship-worthy golf. No property better embodies those traits than one of the original Trail stops: Magnolia Grove.
Set on wooded land adorned with marshes, creeks and lakes, Magnolia Grove is home to 54 holes of golf: two 18-hole courses and a par-3 course that routinely ranks among the finest short-courses in the country. Of the two championship tracks, the Crossings course, has enjoyed more TV time; its brawny parkland design has hosted events on both LPGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour. Its 18-hole sibling, the Falls course, which boasts ample, undulating greens and outsize cloverleaf bunkers, makes for a unique complement as the only par-71 course on the Trail.
Given its location by the Gulf of Mexico, Magnolia Grove benefits from balmy weather and proximity to beaches. A slate of recent renovations have added to its shine. On the Crossings course, for instance, new water features and crushed-oyster shell waste areas have sharpened the strategic challenge and amplified the visual appeal. The Falls course, for it part, has had several holes modified to make them more player-friendly without compromising Jones’ original design. The result is golf that accommodates all comers: scenic, entertaining and suited to everyone from Tour pros to recreational players, depending on the tees.
Nearby accommodations abound and can be bundled into stay-and-play packages and special events. Among those occasions at Magnolia Grove is the 19th annual Couples Challenge, a three-day gathering that includes dining, lodging and a 36-hole couples’ tournament, held on both the Crossings and Falls courses. The year’s event is scheduled for Feb. 14-16. For more information, click here.
