So, 3 buddies and I drove off Tuesday morning and played Black Bear GC in Louisiana(Audubon Trail). We set off to play Cypress Bend and I would dare to say the course has potential with layout. However, when we arrived the course looked in poor condition and hole #1 was closed due to some fertilization leak or something. Charlie wasn't very helpful.

Only captured the 1st hole at Black Bear. Fairways have yet to fill in color-wise, but the course was good and fun. Even saw a black bear on hole 5!


We then teed off at Oxmoor Valley the next day. We played the Ridge in the AM and Valley during the PM. Courses were amazing and elevation changes were something else!





Thursday we hit Capitol Hill. The Judge in the AM and Senator in the PM. Awesome time!!










We finished off the trip in Springfied, LA playing Carter Plantation. A David Toms course which was nice and relaxing and much less penalizing.

I definitely posted more pics than that....I'll have to double check what didn't find it's way.

I played Black Bear last year right around this time with my dad, actually the week of the Masters. A bad storm had passed through a few days prior to our round and the course was partially flooded. By the time we played the water had receded but the water was still high in a lot of areas.

Unfortunately we didn't see any bears. I enjoyed the course though, glad y'all had fun.

Great pics.

I've played the RTJ venues and really enjoyed them. The 3rd course at Capitol Hill, Legislator, may be my favorite out there. In a way it's a mix of the Senator and Judge. Although it really is hard to beat some of the shot value on the Judge.

Oxmoor- Ridge has some breath taking holes and elevation changes.

Valley Course was a solid course. Besides the tee shot on #1 (2nd Oxmoor pic, I believe), the course isn't nearly as spectacular as the Ridge. But again, solid golf.

Do they still have different types of grasses on the greens at Oxmoor. They had bent on the Ridge and an older strain of Bermuda on the Valley as of 2-3 years ago.

Thanks for posting!

Nice work OP

The valley's greens were a touch slower than the ridge for sure. However, I'm not educated on greens to know the difference. Ridge seemed to be tighter while the valley was softer. Both rolled fast though.

Great pics. Makes me want another shot at the Ridge course. It's eaten my lunch.

Curious to know if anyone has played the short course at Oxmoor?

The RTJ discussion around here lately has got me itching to go and play those courses again. My handicap is probably 10 strokes better than it was when I played them a few years ago.

HIGHLY recommend the Ridge course to anyone who goes and plays out there.

I had intended to at least peek at the short course Poot, but my foursome changed the tee time in the morning since we got in pretty late. Had we maintained our original tee times we probably would have played 9.

Awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Where did you stay on the RTJ Trail? Want to make that trip sometime.

In the Birmingham/Hoover area, Ross Bridge is literally up the road from Oxmoor, real nice hotel/pool.

Extremely nice golf course at Ross Bridge. Golf course is pricey but hotel isn't crazy for what you get.

Capitol Hill (Montgomery) has a hotel pretty much on site. More than adequate on a guys' trip.

Grand National (Auburn) has a real nice hotel pretty much on site/up the road from the golf courses.

We're staying mainly South this year and checking out Magnolia Grove and another in the general Mobile area (Lakewood). Heading to Cambrian Ridge on the recommendation of others on the trail.

We went for cost efficient. I used CC points for us. Stayed at holiday inn express all three nights, so we had cheap breakfasts each night but ate lunches at clubhouses and went out for dinner.

At oxmoor valley the HIE was a 15 min drive only because of speed limit while at Capitol Hill we were a driver + driver off the deck away.

Thanks for the pictures. Glad y'all had a good time.

Love Black Bear, we hold our Ryder cup there every year!!!!!

You got in before the mesquitos!!!!

Awesome course, you have to play some golf from the back!!!!!

2of us could have handled further back but we had two high handicappers and since we were there to have a fun vaca, we teed it forward all week.

Black bear was the only course I didn't come away with a birdie. My drives were pretty $, but my irons and wedges blew. Was pretty cool though, to wrap up the trip with a 20 footer for birdie on 18 at Carter Plantation.

great pics and super-timely, as we are in the middle of planning our 8th annual RTJ trip for the Fall.

Doing the Northern trek this year again, hitting Oxmoor, Hampton Cover and The Shoals.

Hampton Cove is pretty average, but we love The Shoals.

Sweet. The guys were in agreement they'd like to make this an annual thing as well.