Birmingham Golf Trip Itinerary: Where to Play and Stay
Birmingham, AL · The Estate Journal
There's a public golf course three minutes from our front porch in Birmingham's Five Points South, and most visiting foursomes drive right past it on their way to somewhere fancier.
That's the first thing to know about planning a Birmingham golf trip itinerary: the golf here is closer, cheaper, and better than the group chat assumes. Within twenty minutes of downtown you've got a historic muni where the pros once played, 54 holes of Robert Trent Jones Trail golf carved into old mining land, and one of the longest courses on the planet. Here's how we'd route three days of it — tee times, prices, and where the losers buy dinner.
01 — The Warm-UpHighland Park, three minutes away
Start where Birmingham started. Highland Park Golf Course opened in 1903, making it the oldest course in the city, and it sits right on the edge of the Highland Park and Five Points South neighborhoods — close enough to the estate that you can finish your coffee on the porch at 7:15 and still make a 7:40 tee time.
Highland Park Golf Course
It's a short, hilly, sneaky-fun layout with skyline views between the trees — the right first round after a travel day, when nobody's swing has shown up yet. Rates float with demand, so a weekday morning can be a bargain.
02 — The Main EventOxmoor Valley's 54 holes
Day two belongs to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley, about 15 minutes southwest of downtown on land the steel companies once mined. There are 54 holes here — the Ridge and Valley championship courses plus an 18-hole Short Course that's far more fun than the name suggests.
RTJ Trail at Oxmoor Valley
The Ridge is the one people talk about — elevation changes that feel borrowed from the Appalachians, which technically they are. If your group has mixed handicaps, send the serious sticks to the Ridge and the rest to the Short Course, then meet at the clubhouse and compare scars.
03 — The MonsterRoss Bridge, if you dare
Save day three for RTJ at Ross Bridge in Hoover, about 20 minutes from the estate. From the tips it stretches past 8,000 yards, which puts it among the longest courses anywhere in the world — though the sensible tees bring it back to something a human can enjoy. It wraps around the Renaissance resort, and the bagpiper who plays at sunset isn't a rumor.
RTJ at Ross Bridge
As of June 2026 the Trail moved all advance tee times to online-only booking, so lock this one in before the trip — weekend mornings go first.
“Twenty courses within twenty miles, and the first tee is three minutes from the porch.”
04 — The Rain PlanTopgolf, downtown
If a summer storm rolls through — and in Birmingham, one will — the trip doesn't have to stall. Topgolf Birmingham sits at 1111 24th St N downtown, about a ten-minute drive from the estate, open 9am to midnight most nights and until 1am on Friday and Saturday. Climate-controlled bays, a full bar, and enough games to keep a 12-person group loud for three hours.
05 — The 19th HoleEat like you walked 36
Here's where staying at the estate pays off twice. Dreamland BBQ's Southside location is a two-minute walk from our porch — ribs and white bread, the way it's been done since 1958 — and the rest of Five Points South's restaurant row is just up the hill. Nobody draws the short straw as designated driver, because nobody's driving. For the full list of where we send guests, our Explore Birmingham guide covers the neighborhood block by block.
06 — The PlanA perfect golf trip day
- 6:45 amCoffee on the wraparound porch. Loser of yesterday's match carries the cooler.
- 7:40 amTee off at Highland Park, three minutes away.
- 12:30 pmBack at the house — showers, sandwiches, trash talk in two separate kitchens.
- 2:30 pmShort Course at Oxmoor Valley, $18, match play, winner picks dinner.
- 7:00 pmWalk to Dreamland. Ribs settle all remaining debts.
- LateCards and bourbon on the porch, tee times confirmed for Ross Bridge.
07 — Stay At The EstateYour clubhouse between rounds
Golf trips fall apart in hotel lobbies — three rooms on three floors and nowhere to hold the trophy ceremony. The Tea Olive & Azalea Estate is two side-by-side 1908 Craftsman homes on a private half-acre in downtown Birmingham, steps below Vulcan and a two-minute walk from Dreamland. Book the Tea Olive House (sleeps 16), the Azalea House (sleeps 8), or the whole estate for up to 24 — two full kitchens, wraparound porches, and one lawn big enough for a chipping contest. Request your dates here.
Birmingham Golf Trip FAQ
How many golf courses are near downtown Birmingham?
Roughly twenty courses sit within about twenty miles of downtown, from the historic Highland Park muni three minutes from the estate to 54 holes of RTJ Trail golf at Oxmoor Valley and the resort course at Ross Bridge in Hoover.
Where should a large golf group stay in Birmingham?
The Tea Olive & Azalea Estate in downtown Birmingham sleeps up to 24 across two side-by-side historic homes — a rare setup that keeps a big group under one roof (well, two) with kitchens, porches, and walkable dinners.
When is the best time of year for a Birmingham golf trip?
Spring and fall are prime — mild temperatures and firm fairways. Summer works if you tee off early, and Birmingham winters are mild enough that plenty of groups play year-round.
Make it a stay
Book one home or the whole estate — the first tee is three minutes from the porch.
Request to Book or reserve on Airbnb or VRBO