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The Shoals ~ The Fighting Joe Course ~ Florence, AL Designed by Robert Trent Jones 8,092 yards from the Black Tees The Shoals lies between the Wheeler and Wilson dams on the Tennessee River. Wheeler Dam is named in honor of General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler - the only Confederate General to attain the same rank later in the United States Army. General Wheeler's intense desire to show that Southerners could be counted on as citizens of the U.S. prompted him to volunteer, at age 62, for service in the Spanish-American War. The east championship course at The Shoals is named after General Wheeler. Fighting Joe was the first Trail course to break 8,000 yards, measuring 8,092 yards from the Black tees. It's long, really long, and this links style course is simply good straight-forward golf. Some say the spectacular 17th hole is the signature hole on the course, but the 18th green overlooking Wilson Lake on the Tennessee River will distract you with its beauty, if not its treachery.

The Shoals ~ The Schoolmaster Course ~ Florence, AL Designed by Robert Trent Jones 8,000 yards The second course, The Schoolmaster (named for President Woodrow Wilson who was responsible for getting Wilson Dam built on the Tennessee River and who was known as "The Schoolmaster of Politics"), may be tougher than Fighting Joe. This tree lined course is traditional golf with every hole keeping with the natural topography along the Tennessee River. It's wooded, rolling, and spectacular.

Hampton Cove ~ The Highlands Course ~ Huntsville, AL Designed by Robert Trent Jones 7,262 yards At the northern terminus of the Trail in Huntsville is Hampton Cove, a 54-hole facility with terrain that drastically changes from one side of the property to the other. The Highlands Course, which emulates a Scottish Links, is one of the gems of the Trail. Thousands of Japanese black pines, oaks, dogwoods, and crepe myrtles have been planted to enhance such features as an old mule barn beside the fifth hole.

Hampton Cove ~ The River Course ~ Huntsville, AL Designed by Robert Trent Jones 7,667 yards Completely opposite is the River Course, the only Robert Trent Jones layout without a single bunker. The River Course is laid out on former soybean fields in the flood plain of the Flint River. The River is a throwback to the way courses were built long ago - the dirt was merely pushed up to create the greens and tees, leaving all else, including massive oak trees, as is. The enormous black oak behind the 18th green is reputed to be the third oldest in the state at 250 years.

Hampton Cove ~ The Short Course ~ Huntsville, AL Designed by Robert Trent Jones 3,635 yards The Short Course at Hampton Cove is very open and links-like, with water in play on 11 holes and a large double green accommodating the 10th and 17th greens.