The Northern gateway to the Trail is Hampton Cove in Huntsville, a 54 hole facility with terrain that drastically changes from one side of the property to the other. The Highlands Course is one of the most picturesque and playable courses on the Trail. Long, waving grasses frame dramatically, rolling terrain and beautiful bent grass greens. Completely different from the Highlands is the River course, the only Robert Trent Jones layout in the world designed without a single bunker. The River course is a throwback to the way courses were built long ago, where dirt was merely pushed up to create the greens and tees, leaving all else, including massive oak trees, as is.

The Northern gateway to the Trail is Hampton Cove in Huntsville, a 54 hole facility with terrain that drastically changes from one side of the property to the other. The Highlands Course is one of the most picturesque and playable courses on the Trail. Long, waving grasses frame dramatically, rolling terrain and beautiful bent grass greens. Completely different from the Highlands is the River course, the only Robert Trent Jones layout in the world designed without a single bunker. The River course is a throwback to the way courses were built long ago, where dirt was merely pushed up to create the greens and tees, leaving all else, including massive oak trees, as is.

The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals is home to two 18 hole championship courses and sits high above Wilson Lake on the Tennessee River. The Fighting Joe course at The Shoals was the first Trail course to break 8,000 yards, measuring some 8,092 yards from the black tees. Travel + Leisure Golf named Fighting Joe one of the top new courses in 2004 for good reason. Long-hitters here will experience a test of champions, but from the correct tee box, all players will enjoy world-class golf. The second course, the Schoolmaster (named for President Woodrow Wilson, who was responsible for getting Wilson Dam built and was also known as "The Schoolmaster" of politics), opened in 2005. It's hard to beat the beauty that the 18th hole holds on the high bluffs over the river, but the waterfall guarding the 2nd green sure comes close.

The Northern gateway to the Trail is Hampton Cove in Huntsville, a 54 hole facility with terrain that drastically changes from one side of the property to the other. The Highlands Course is one of the most picturesque and playable courses on the Trail. Long, waving grasses frame dramatically, rolling terrain and beautiful bent grass greens. Completely different from the Highlands is the River course, the only Robert Trent Jones layout in the world designed without a single bunker. The River course is a throwback to the way courses were built long ago, where dirt was merely pushed up to create the greens and tees, leaving all else, including massive oak trees, as is.

Cherokee Ridge truly offers golf at a higher level. With immaculate greens set against a spectacular Appalachian backdrop Cherokee Ridge is a great round of golf. This 18-hole championship golf course takes every advantage of rolling hills, whispering woods, lakes, and streams, natural beauty that enhances, but does not punish. Much of the front nine is guarded by a 17-acre sparkling lake that's an added challenge and certainly a beautiful diversion. The back nine turns through a forest of pines and hardwoods. With three holes reconfigured to include a view of a 40 foot waterfall cascading into Lynn's Creek. A scenic view worth of any nature photographer, it's a natural feature that captures the true essence of Cherokee Ridge and an experience that is impossible to forget. The 6,728-yard course was designed by golf course architect, Sammy Dean. The greens are bentgrass and professionally kept, and lush Bermuda fairways make short work of shots from the short grass.