The plan was simple. In three days play as much golf as possible, on the nicest courses possible, for the least amount of cash as possible. How is that possible?
We started with choosing the best public courses available to us. Living in Alabama we picked the two courses on our Alabama wish list. The first was Ross Bridge in Hoover, AL. The Champions Tour played the Regions Charity Classic at Ross Bridge the past few years. We had visited the tournament two years in a row walking around saying "I would really love to play this course." Using a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Trailcard exclusively for Alabama residence, we could play the course for $79. The second course on our wish list was Farmlinks in Sylacauga, AL. We had heard through the sand trap Farmlinks was not only a quality golf course, but for one price of $125 you were encouraged to play all you wanted.
Our next obstacle was finding a place to stay on the cheap. Family is always a possibility but can be a little intrusive. Hey how about the reward hotel points we never use? LIGHT BULB - ON. Join the founders of FGT nicknamed "Dink" and "Putts" on that first trip. Read about the adventures and how we used the reward systems to drive our passion for playing our golf wish list.
"Ideas are born by everyday experiences." - Putts
Day 0 - Travel day
Picked up Dink in Montgomery and made a bee line for the finest BBQ in the state of Alabama at Jim and Nicks in Hoover. After dinner we checked into the "Castle" at Ross Bridge using Marriott Reward points for three free nights. The accommodations at Ross Bridge are first class. Arnold Palmer level first class.
Day 1 - Ross Bridge
After a quick breakfast of coffee and a cardboard nutrition bar, (hey the pros eat these things right) we entered the Pro-shop and presented our Am Ex Golf Gift reward cards. We were treated like welcomed guests. We were asked simple questions about if we had played Ross Bridge before. This was our first trip. Had we played other RTJ courses? What was our normal tee box? We normally play the orange (6-12 handicap) tee. The pro explained the Ross Bridge course was more difficult than other courses on the RTJ trail. He went on to explain how it played longer. The pro was non-threatening with his information and questions. He gave off a vibe that he genuinely wanted us to enjoy our round of golf.
We left the Pro-shop feeling welcome at Ross Bridge. We left knowing which direction we needed to go to get to our cart. We left knowing a staff member would be meeting us at our cart to further assist. We left knowing our options on which tee box to play based on advice from a professional...yes...we played from the white tee box.
