Round Three- Robert Trent Jones Trail

Capital Hill- The Judge – Prattville, Alabama

The Judge! Named clearly to describe how you feel playing this. Judged on your skill, judged on your mental strength, judged in totality.

As promised our cart was waiting for us in the mid court, set up and ready to go so after we booked in and purchased our cart sandwiches we warmed up on the range, had a putt and presented to the martial 5mins before tee time. Today we just had James from St Louis with us.

The Judge is at the base of the last foothills of the Appalachians and runs alongside the backwaters of the Alabama River. 14 holes meet the water.

The first hole is daunting to look at from the large viewing platform, and the tee shot is straight downhill with water on both sides plus a bunker front right of a narrow green. Not to fear though ladies, it’s playable if you hit straight. I finished with a six (par4).

This hole is truly beautiful to look at though so allow plenty of time to have a coffee on the platform and just soak it all in.

The Judge gives no space for letting your mind wander, total and absolute focus is required.

Weather

Hot & muggy. Greyish skies & a light breeze. Got to 29 degrees.

The course

46 bunkers & 15 water hazards. The front nine is picturesque as the holes wander back and forth beside and through the Alabama River. The Spanish Moss is pretty and we saw lots of turtles and squirrels.

The back nine is a bit monotonous and the bunkers start to feel as if they are there to add interest to the landscape, however with 30 bunkers on the back nine it feels overdone and punitive versus challenging. The highlight of the back nine was seeing an alligator in the waters edge beside the ladies’ tee box on 18.

The greens were very slow today, we think not mown on a Sunday. But if you took a deep breath and added a little more pressure to the contact, I found it paid off because they were still very true.

The bunkers although immaculate were just too plentiful for my mid handicap. I can boast about getting out of them all with one shot but because I couldn’t get much distance it added another shot to the round each time, I was in one. The upside is I’m super confident now about my ability to get out of them.

I played off the Teal tees, slope rating of 123. Distance 4,951yards or 4,527metres. Men’s orange tees, slope 131, distance 6,517yards or 5,959metres.

Best holes?

Visually you really can’t beat #1, par 4. Plus, I played it well and got off to a good start.

The hardest hole psychologically and practically was #6, par 3. It’s a bulkhead island green, all carry and absolutely no area to bailout on. It’s all or nothing, for me it was nothing, finishing with a 7.

Hole #8, par 4, looks great but with 10 pot bunkers it was very very long. I added 1 additional shot by not quite missing a fairway bunker.

Scott and I both had 2’s on # 16, par 3, but for me I thought I played # 9, par 4, the best. As you approach this green there are two long deep bunkers on both sides of the fairway which narrows to a point at the centre front of a raised green. I managed to place my 3^rd shot at the top of this narrow entrance and then two putts. Very happy.

I ended the round with a respectable 108 only one worse than the Senator but with a 7point slope difference so I’m counting this as improving.

The summary – 40/50