Grand National is the site on the RTJ Trail that most consistently draws comparisons to premium resort golf — three courses (the Lake Course, the Links Course, and a short course) on 600 acres of forest and lakeshore 90 minutes east of Birmingham, immediately adjacent to Auburn University. The Lake Course is the one that ends up on Golf Digest's lists: it plays along the shores of Lake Saugahatchee with views on multiple holes that would photograph well even without the golf. The Links Course plays through open, rolling terrain with the long carry and strategic width of the links style. Between them you have 36 championship holes that would be $300+ per round at a destination resort anywhere else in the country. Auburn itself adds the dimension that makes Grand National a proper trip rather than just a day trip from Birmingham. Auburn University's campus is 10 minutes from the course — one of the most beautiful in the SEC — and the town has a restaurant scene, a hotel (the Hotel at Auburn University), and an energy that's distinct from any other golf destination in the South. Acre, the farm-to-table restaurant on the edge of campus, has been listed among the South's best for years. The RTJ Trail's flagship property earns its reputation honestly: the golf is legitimately great, the price is still the value play of American golf, and the combination of Auburn and the Trail makes for a trip with a sense of place you don't get at a generic resort.
Dogleg's Pick Courses
Where to Play
In order of conviction. Every course on this list was chosen deliberately.
RTJ Grand National — Lake Course
$100–$175The marquee layout at Grand National and the course most often cited as the RTJ Trail's best overall design. Plays along the shores of Lake Saugahatchee with water in play on 18 of 18 holes — not as a cheap hazard trick but as genuine strategic shaping that demands both distance and placement. Multiple holes play directly along the lakeshore with views that don't feel earned until you've stood on the tees. The must-play on the property.
RTJ Grand National — Links Course
$100–$175The Links Course at Grand National plays through rolling, open terrain with the wide fairways and strategic width of its namesake style — not a true links (this is Alabama, not Scotland) but an honest design that rewards the bump-and-run and penalizes aerial approaches without the right trajectory. Less dramatic than the Lake Course but more nuanced strategically. The right second-day round after the Lake Course has raised expectations.
Still Waters Resort on Lake Martin — 30 minutes north on the lake, half the traffic of Grand National, and the back-nine lake views are the best in Alabama golf.
Where to Stay
Lodging Picks
Ranging from splurge to smart. Pick based on what the group wants and how much time you'll actually be at the hotel.
Auburn Marriott Opelika at Grand National
$$$The purpose-built stay-and-play hotel adjacent to the Grand National courses — a full Marriott property with direct course access, on-site dining, and every amenity a golf group needs without leaving the property. The rooms facing the course let you watch morning play from the balcony before you tee off. The obvious base camp for a Grand National trip.
Hotel at Auburn University
$$$The AAA Four Diamond hotel on Auburn University's campus — 10 minutes from Grand National and in the middle of everything Auburn has to offer. Beautiful Craftsman-style property with the Ariccia Cucina restaurant on-site, walkable to campus and downtown. The right choice for groups that want the full Auburn experience alongside the golf.
Rent a House
Rent the Whole Place
Great for groups of 6–10 who want a shared house — more space, a kitchen, and no hotel hallway noise. Filter by beds, pool, and proximity to the courses.
Where to Eat & Drink
The Right Restaurants
3 picks across the full range — the big dinner out, the post-round decompress, and the morning before an early tee time.
Acre
farm-to-tableThe restaurant that changed the conversation about Auburn as a food city. Farm-to-table without the pretense — an 8-acre working farm supplies the kitchen, and the menu reflects what's happening in the fields week to week. Named one of the South's best restaurants multiple times. Reserve for the first night and set the tone for the trip. The chicken is the move.
Red Clay Brewing Company
craft breweryOpelika's anchor brewery and the natural post-round stop for any group staying near Grand National. Rotating craft taps, wood-fired pizza, a taproom that fills up on game days, and the kind of laid-back atmosphere that makes three hours disappear. 10 minutes from the course. The obvious move when the group wants cold beer and no agenda.
Ariccia Cucina
italianThe Hotel at Auburn University's Italian restaurant — house-made pasta, Roman-style dishes, a serious wine program, and a beautiful room that feels more like a Milan hotel than an Alabama campus. The right dinner for groups staying at the hotel who want a full meal without getting in the car. The cacio e pepe is the standard by which everything else in Auburn gets judged.
Beyond the Course
When the Group Needs a Break
All of these are mandatory.
Chattahoochee — River Kayaking
The Chattahoochee River headwaters begin in the hills north of Auburn — the stretch through the valley makes for one of the better easy-water kayaking runs in the Southeast. The off-round activity that the non-golfers will actually thank you for booking. 45 minutes from Auburn in any direction puts you on moving water.
Book this experience →Montgomery — Civil Rights & History
An hour southwest. Montgomery has become one of America's most significant civil rights destinations: the Equal Justice Initiative's National Memorial for Peace and Justice (the lynching memorial), the Legacy Museum, the Rosa Parks Museum, and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church are all within a short drive of each other. Half a day. Plan it into the itinerary — every group that goes comes back having learned something.
Book this experience →Auburn University Campus
10 minutes from the course and one of the most beautiful campuses in the SEC. Jordan-Hare Stadium, Toomer's Corner, the original Toomer's Drug Store, and the tree-rolling tradition that makes Auburn feel like a place rather than just a university. The evening walk that gives the trip its sense of place.
Pro Tips
Before You Book
The Lake Course fills fastest — book it first. If you're flexible on which day you play each course, lock in Lake Course tee times before the Links Course.
Stay at the Auburn Marriott Opelika on the course for convenience, but eat at Acre in Auburn on the first night — 10 minutes away and worth leaving the property for.
Add a half-day trip to Montgomery (1 hour southwest) for the EJI National Memorial and Legacy Museum. The golf is great; the context the trip gives you makes it more than a golf trip.
Who This Trip Is For
✓ Best for
- →Groups flying into Atlanta who want a golf destination without the Pinehurst prices
- →The SEC football crowd looking for a June or October trip built around Auburn
- →Groups that want 36 holes of championship golf on consecutive days without resort green fees
- →Anyone who wants to combine elite public golf with a genuine college town experience
✕ Not for
- →Groups that need oceanfront or mountain scenery — this is inland Alabama
- →Nightlife-focused groups — Auburn is a college town and closes accordingly on non-game weekends
- →Groups that want walking-forward golf — carts are standard here
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