[Dale_McCallon]

I know this course has had some small discussions on this site in the past but after playing 36 holes there this weekend I thought I would bring it up again.

For those who have never heard of it, Farm Links is an interesting course/retreat.  It is a 3500 acre facility with hunting, fishing, camping and an 18 hole golf course designed by Michael Hurdzan about 40 minutes from Birmingham.  While we were playing Saturday a youth group was even baptizing people in a lake on the course.  Now that's not something you see every day! Welcome to the Bible Belt.

Farm Links is dubbed as the worlds only turf research golf course in the world.  According to their website and brochures, supers from around the country come here for training and seminars.  Throughout the course their were signs about what type of grasses were being used and what various techniques are used and why on courses (saw signs about aerification and top-dressing).  Any supers on here ever been??

About the golf..(no photos, camera got left at the hotel) the course is very wide and very playable.  Course was in immaculate condition.  Balls would get some pretty good  run in the fairways and the greens didn't really reject any iron shots, but your ball certainly didn't just plug in the greens as well.

I loved the 18th hole.  I believe there are photos of it on their website.  A very slight dogleg par 5 with an impossible to miss fairway; but two very formidable trees that had to be navigated around.  Yes, I know the hatred of trees on this site, but I thought they really set the hole up perfectly.  After your tee shot, player had to decide how aggressive to be and a small string of center bunkers really came into play on the layup.  I was really the best hole on the course in my opinion.  I really wished I had a photo of this hole.  I think the trees would bring up some good debate amongst the beard pullers on here.

Without photos there isn't much sense in talking about other holes I liked or disliked.  I'm not a master of the written word like some others on here.  So I will not try.  All in all I thought Farm Links was a good; but not great golf course.  Some of the holes just seemed to blend into one another and while the greens rolled probably better than any course I had ever played, it just lacked..something that I can't quite put my finger on.

But the one reason that will cause me to make the trek back to Seylacuaga, AL; best chocolate chip cookies EVER in the clubhouse.

[Mike Hendren]

Dale, thanks for the report. I'll be down there at month's end with The Other Senior Tour for three days and two nights on site. 

Mike

[Ben Sims]

Dale,

I'd be wrong if I didn't comment on Farm Links.  It is a unique experience and there are some very solid golf holes out there.  There's some pretty bad ones too, but I thought it was every bit as good as Golfweek seems to think.  

In particular, the par 4's seemed to be very strong.  I thought Hurdzan & Fry did a very cool job routing one of the par 5's, #6 over and around a severe hill and even using some centerline features.  #3 is a cool short straight par 4 with a sliver of a green on a small ridgeline.  #18 is one of the strongest holes, as you say.  I really liked the uphill #12 par 4 with a severely sloped green.  

My biggest complaint with the golf course is the par 3's.  I didn't like a one of them.  3 of them are drop shots from hugely elevate tees and save for the "signature" #5 hole's green, all the of the par 3 greens put me to sleep.

All in all, Farm Links was an extremely pleasant day on the golf course with my cousin and friends.  Lunch was included as was unlimited golf.  We took advantage and got in 45 holes, some chicken fried chicken, and a bushel or so of ice cold apples.  Other than it being pretty much impossible to walk and having some poor one shotters, you could do A LOT worse.

[Derek_Duncan]

Dale,

I really like FarmLinks. First, it's a great environment--all that space, very few structures, the variety of landforms, the new cottages, the quietness and the superb hospitality and food. I'd like to hear some sup's ring in on their impression of the horticultural and maintenance program, but from what I saw the facilities are high tech, serious and very well done. All in all it's a great weekend trip--just make sure you bring in your own whisky because there's no alcohol sold on-site.

My one criticism is that with all that land available and no real estate impediments, there's really no flow to the routing and some of the individual holes are forgettable/typical (9, 12-14). And while the putting surfaces are generally well-contoured, there's nothing unique or unexpected in them, like they were drafted on computers.

Still, I'd recommend FarmLinks to anyone. The par fives are all incredibly spacious and tempting, and there are some strong fours too: Bem Sims mentioned the short 3rd with an elevated green angled over a deep, yawning bunker and I concur. The uphill 16th is another contender for best on the course.

[Carl Nichols]

Is it walkable?

--No agenda, just curious

[Dale_McCallon]

Ben,

I agree, you could do MUCH worse than a day at Farm Links.  The overall atmosphere is wonderful.  True southern hospitality.  We played 36 and enjoyed a very filling lunch.  No complaints.

I agree with you about the par 3's.  Three drop shot par 3's did seem repititive; but the view from the #5 tee is spectacular. 

Carl,
I can't imagine anyone trying to walk this course...I can't even imagine it is an option.

Bogey,
Hope you have a great time.  It really is a great overall facility.  The lodges/cabins looked really nice.  We played 36 at Farm Links and then 18 at Limestone Springs on the way back north.  A very enjoyable weekend.

[Carl Nichols]

I am not as hard core about walking as many on this site, but it is interesting that with that much land, and at a place dedicated to turf research, they didn't strive to have a course that you could walk if you wanted to.

[Ben Sims]

I am not as hard core about walking as many on this site, but it is interesting that with that much land, and at a place dedicated to turf research, they didn't strive to have a course that you could walk if you wanted to.

I seem to remember someone pointing out that the cart path to the teeing area for the par 3 5th--with its 8-10 switchbacks--is sponsored by Club Car and is a "proving ground" of sorts for the company.  Draw your own conclusions about walkability.  But after having played the course just two and a half times, let me be the first to say that the golf course was probably NEVER even thought of as a walking experience.

[Jeff Shelman]

I'm bringing this one back up to the top.

I'm going to the Monday practice round at the Masters with a group and we are looking for a place to play Friday afternoon and all day Saturday and Sunday.

We're considering FarmLinks as well as one of the RTJ facilities.

I would love opinions from the crowd here.

[Mike Hendren]

Jeff, the golf at Farm Links is solid, if not great.  Three dropshot par 3's are a little much, but very fun to play.  It's uncrowded cartball so 36 a day is a breeze.  That said, accomodations are as good as anywhere I've been if you have a group of 4 to 8.  Great steak.  I believe they now serve alcohol - but good BYOB in the cabins.   Our group has visited in April 2 of the last 5 years and are planning to return in 2014.

To give you an idea of their hospitality, a few years ago the Preds were in the playoffs and they didn't have the channel on their cable package.  They called the cable company and added the channel just in time for the game. 

Bogey

[Jeff Shelman]

Bogey,

I've been to several of the RTJ facilities as the golf is decent and fairly priced. I don't, however, love the slammed tee sheet and often slow pace of play.

Seems like FarmLinks would be better from that standpoint.

[Mark Pritchett]

It has been a few years since my one visit, but I would recommend Farm Links.  Fun course and great food.  Is the course still used for research?   When I played they had different grasses on some of the holes which was interesting.  

[Fred Gray]

Jeff,

We have a group that does a fall weekend at FarmLinks every fall. Its a good course, true not walkable, but good. Its does not really have the quirk that many here crave, myself included, but the holes are solid, the spaces are open, If you ever have a shot bothered by a tree you are either playing #18 or have really screwed up.

The staff is very nice and the cabins are a great setup for a group of guys. BYOB in the cabins and for a reasonable fee they will do a private dinner for your group.

My only problem with our annual trip is keeping the number of people down to 8 for one full cabin.

PM me if you have other questions.

Fred Gray

[Dale_McCallon]

Jeff,

I would think Farm Links would be a great place for what you are looking for.  Assuming your group is like the vast majority of golfers where conditioning is the top criteria I think they will be very pleased.

 If you only have time for 1 round on Friday afternoon, you might check out Timberline.  It's right off I-65, South of B-ham.  It is not a course that will ever be ranked, but it is a really nice public track.  Probably not more than $30-40 and I'm sure they would be happy to get a group of guys in.

Enjoy Farm Links.
Dale

[John Foley]

Huge fan of FarmLinks and of the RTJ Trail.

The golf at FarmLinks was very good. Yes the drop shot par 3's are a little repetative. The course is wide but not too wide. There is strategy galore but the greeens (especially for Hurdzan & Fry) are a little tame. As an experiance it was fantastic and I suggest it as a destination to anyone who will listen.

You have to know what your getting going in. It's not Bandon or Pinehurst w/ the ambiance & the caddies - it is a different experience. A great one. I found this quote by Bogey when researching a trip to FarmLinks we did with a group last year and bookmarked so I could share it for others.

There is a step beyond "enjoying the experience" and it's having your spirit lifted.  I am still relishing the latter from the weekend past. 

For the 15th year I spent three days with 7 dear friends.  We played 72 holes of cart-ball (Melvyn, you can kiss my a*s)  at FarmLinks in the middle of nowhere, Alabama.  Aggregate foursome scores pushed 400 and no bets were placed.  One man was down-sized last year and now owns a liquor store.  We drank cold beer and great red wines with an unofficial tasting for one guy's daughter's wedding in a few weeks.  We wore Preds towels on our heads to rally our boys to clinch the first round against Sean's Red Wings.  We recounted the same old priceless stories from 14 previous trips and laughed harder than ever.  We said grace then downed steaks the size of a shoe-box.  We delighted in the occasional birdie on a scorecard that totaled 96.  We didn't give a damn who we were paired with but made sure that everybody played with everybody.    Mostly importantly we caught up on each other's kids, the youngest being high school seniors, and their plans.  We toasted our wives when we weren't bitching about them.  We lamented the aging of our parents with one dad and one step-dad in deteriorating health.  We dropped the occaisonal F-bomb and told a few off-color jokes.  We took genuine interest in each others' jobs and what we could learn from each other.  We listend to the songs of our youth in the cars. 

I've been blessed to have out-of-this-world experiences on some of golf's greatest venues, primarily through the kindness of several men on this site.  Not to diminish them at all, but this weekend was something higher altogether. I believe there's a line in Golf In The Kingdom where someone says that golf is just an opportunity for men to love each other.  I couldn't agree more.  I feel like a new man and it's already mid-morning on Tuesday.   

[Phil Lipper]

Jeff

The Birmingham RTJ course is Ross Bridges, which is worth playing. I played it a few times about 5 or 6 years ago, its a good golf course with an extremely diverse set of tees (5,300 to 8,100 yards). I would recomend creating your own hybrid set of tee's its makes for a ver interesting and challenging course. When I played it the course was still fairly new but was in very good shape. Its carved though a series of valleys an other than on one or two holes you see nothing other golf course. From what I remember the fairways were fairly generous.

[Bill_McBride]

There are 36 more RTJ Trail holes in Birmingham, the older courses at Oxmoor Valley, one of the first sites on the Trail and very mature.  

[Frank Kim]

During college football season, the golf courses in Alabama empty out on Saturdays.

[Brett Morris]

Played it in February a few years back and stayed in the new cottage alongside 18 fairway.  Great place to visit and the hospitality is truly first class.  Some fairly interesting holes, pick for mine was 16 which are the bottom 2 images.

[Richard Hetzel]

Oh how I truly miss the dormant grass with the green contrast golfing down south in the winter.

[Pete_Pittock]

Worth a detour?  This could be a Friday morning course for me on the way down for the McBride celebration. Diving from Dallas (cheap airfare) and am trying to find a good overnight and play on a good/memorable course.. It's out of the way, but is it too far?

[Michael Wolf]

Pete,


What is your route and timeframe?


Michael

[John Foley]

Yes - it's worth it. Been a few times and love the place. They have a great practice facility and the conditions have always been very good.  Not sure how they are now given all the rain, but if you are in the 'hood it's a definite place to play. It's a cart driving course but the golf is strategic. The drop shot par 3's are a bit redundant but the par 5's are very good.

[Pete_Pittock]

Thanks for the input. Going another direction - Mossy Oak/Old Waverly. A bit closer to the route and it breaks up driving times very well.

[JMEvensky]

Thanks for the input. Going another direction - Mossy Oak/Old Waverly. A bit closer to the route and it breaks up driving times very well.

You'll enjoy both.

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