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4.8
19 Reviews (19)
5 Stars
14
4 Stars
2
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
2
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.8
Value
4.8
Layout
5.0
Friendliness
5.0
Pace
4.8
Amenities
4.9
98.4%
Recommend this course
18 out of 19 reviews
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About

Holes 9
Type Public
Par 27
Length 1809 yards
Slope N/A
Rating N/A

Course Details

Year Built 1993
Golf Season Year round
Architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. (1993) Roger Rulewich (1993)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - $6
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Accepted
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code Appropriate golf attire.

Food & Beverage

Bar, Restaurant, Beverage Carts

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in Alabama (2021 #1)

Reviews

4.8
19 Reviews (19)
Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 54
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Highland Oaks (All Courses)

I played this site over two days with a friend on 11/7/22 and 11/8/22. Instead of reviewing each course individually, I will try to explain the similarities and differences between the four courses on site. The similarities of all the courses are the greens are huge and very undulating, but they rolled very true. All the courses were in excellent shape, from the tees, fairways, and bunkers. There are a lot of doglegs and some holes, depending on your tee shot leave you with a blind second shot. The entire staff was very friendly accommodating and professional with an excellent practice facility. The Highlands and Magnolia courses are probably the flatter of the three regulation courses. But by no means perfectly flat. The Magnolia Course is split into two halves, separated by an approximate quarter cart ride through the marsh. The Marshwood Course has the most dramatic elevation changes. My favorite holes on each course are: Highlands #3, 4, 5 and 6. Marshwood #1, 6 and 9. Magnolia #1, 6 and 9. I would have no issues playing either of these courses again, but if I had to recommend one it would be Marshwood. If have a chance I would also recommend playing the short course. This course was in excellent shape also. The greens are not huge as the regulation courses but just as tricky. Depending on the set of tees you play it could be a challenge.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 255
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Georgia Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Challenging but Fun and Fair

This was my first time playing Highland Oaks. I was in Dothan for business and decided to go play the RTJ golf course in Dothan.

The layout was very fun. The course is in excellent condition. They have a very nice practice area, as do all the RTJ courses. The greens were in excellent condition. The only drawback was a few of the tee boxes were torn up with lots of divots.

I would definitely recommend the Highland Oaks courses.
.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Used cart

Great Course

I love playing here. It's not easy but the layout is still fair. If you come threw Dothan and want to play a beautiful course. Highland Oaks is the place.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 87
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
Alabama Advisor
Top 500 Contributor
First Time Playing

Great First Visit

We decided to make the 2.5 hour drive to Highland Oaks because it was the closest RTJ that wasn't forecasted to be a rain out. This RTJ delivered, and we weren't disappointed! We played all three 9's, beginning with the Marshwood. The tees and the fairways on all three courses were in great condition. The greens on the Marshwood and Highland courses were very firm, fast, and rolled great; extremely good condition. The Magnolia greens were a little slower and softer with some invasive grasses and intermittent bare spots, which the pro shop had forewarned us as these greens are scheduled for replacement in 2020. However, the Magnolia greens were overall in very good condition. I found the Magnolia course's approaches, followed by the Marshwood, with an incredible intimidation factor. Many of the flags seemed to not even be on the greens, and where the flag was more than a few paces from the edge, the back slopes behind the greens seemed non-existent, almost like setting on the edge of a canyon. This was a challenging play on the mind, very intimidating, and required us to trust the yardage. I didn't find the Highlands approaches as intimidating as its sister courses, but what it lacked in the approaches it more than made up for with its tee views. The elevation changes throughout weren't as significant as the more northern sites, but it was substantial enough to impact club selection and was more than I expected from being as far south as it is located. I will definitely be returning to Highland Oaks and would recommend this to all as another RTJ Trail gem.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Love the layout

Great layout but the greens on highland are awful. Would have been nice if they had told us before hand the greens we're a mess. We were booked to play Marsh and magnolia but they switched us at the time of check in due to slow play tournamenti that was going on as well

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 28
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

This Course Exceeded My Expectations

We had two couples looking for some outside entertainment. We had a great day despite the wind. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We played the Short Course and truly enjoyed the day.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Exceeded Expectations

Great day and friendly helpful staff. Played the Magnolia / Highland combination - both course were in excellent condition. Nice layouts - especially the Highlands track. We hope the rest of the RTJ courses are as good.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great course

Course was very nice the staff was very friendly I bought a putter there and they where very helpful I had been too two other golf shops and they where the only ones to take any interest, Great place would play again for sure.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 26
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Excellent Course

Highland-Oaks was fantastic. Course in great condition for this time of year. Staff was friendly and helpful. RTJ Trail is a must for the bucket list of every golfer.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

2nd Review

I played here back in the spring and the greens were extremely slow. Not this time, this course is in perfect condition right now. Greens were perfect, rolled very true. Some of the best I've played on in a long time. Fairways were in great shape and the rough was not too deep. Highly recommend this course to all!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 310
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Birmingham Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

One of the more playable Trail courses for mid-to-high handicappers

Played all 27 holes today for the first time. The course plays through several neighborhoods, a rarity on the Trail, but I didn't find the homes to detract from the round. The Highlands/Magnolia nines are considered the core 18, with the Highlands being the general consensus favorite loop. I can't argue with that. The Highlands was our opening nine, and after two gentle opening holes, you are greeted with a forced carry tee shot on the third, followed by another carry to a peninsula green. The par 3s on this nine were very memorable. The fourth is another peninsula green, though the hazard looms much larger. The pin was perched perilously on the left-hand side making for a real challenge. The ninth hole now occupies what used to be a landing strip for a defunct airport. While the Highlands is bolstered by thick strands of hardwood pines, the Magnolia nine is highlighted by more mature trees, hence the name. Water does not come into play on Magnolia until the final approach shot. The Marshwood is kind of a hybrid between the other two and features a couple of wetland areas. I felt like all three nines play fairly docile from tee to green, with a few notable exceptions. If you are in command of your tee ball you should have little trouble setting up approaches to greens that are multi-level, but aren't as penal as Silver Lakes or Cambrian Ridge. Today we had many pin placements with backstop slopes that helped carry balls closer to the hole. Though we were told the greens had been rolled that morning, I didn't find them to be quick. The hearty-thatched Bermuda is very grainy and even downhill, downgrain putts required a proper thump. Players who like to hit putts very firm without the consequences of a five-foot returning putt will enjoy these greens. The staff was exceptional and went out of their way to show us around since it was our first visit. Bottom line: All three nines provide excellent playability with minimum forced carries. Better players can play more yardage and find greater challenge, while this track won't beat up mid-to-high handicappers. The scenic value of the holes around the lake on Highlands are exceptional. Hit putts firmly and pay attention to the grain.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Super slow greens

I hate to give an RTJ course a bad review but I have to this time. The greens were the slowest I've played in a long time. There is a lot of undulation on the greens so I understand slowing them up to degree but they were just horrible the day I played, March 11, 2017. Other than that the layout is very challenging and the fairways are excellent. The management at the course were very friendly and helpful. I'm sure I'll play here again and if it is better then I will give a better review.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 50
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Put it on your Must Play List

Impeccable course conditions, a generous layout, and probably the toughest green complexes I've ever putted on. I lost count of the number of putts of 3 feet or less that I missed. The undulation of the greens was brutal and will trick up even the best of putters. Marshwood has the most slope of the three nines here, and has the longest par 5 which demands three great shots to even have a hope of par. I am about a 6 handicap, and really struggled on these greens. I honestly don't know what a 15 handicap or higher would do on this course. It's a beast and will break you mentally if you aren't prepared. I definitely would return and play this one over and over again. At the very least, I need to return to redeem myself for all the missed 3 footers I left out there.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 20
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

RTJ trail in Dothan

this place is just flat out great. My third time back, and it seems to get better each time. The greens are better than ever, and the fairways are cut perfectly. Unfortunately, I was in the sand more than I wanted to be, but it was really nice and soft, easy to get out of. I can't say enough about each of these 9's. Each one different than the other, and very enjoyable to play. Pro shop staff very friendly and helpful. Turning in to one of my favorite places to play. It is definitely worth the drive.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
2.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Bad timing, avoid visiting in early June

Beautiful course, unfortunately it was in terrible condition. Nine holes, both putting greens, and the driving range were closed. The 18 holes that we played were in okay condition except the greens were awful because of aerification and sanding. I don't think this was anything more than routine maintenance. I just wish they would have let us know before we drove 7 hours to play there.
We felt cheated, especially since there was no price break, and although the place was beautiful, we will probably never go back. It was a really bad first exposure to the RTJ Trail. I think we will try somewhere else next time.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Beautiful Facility

My wife and I enjoyed the course very much. It is a beautiful facility and the course was in great shape. We played the Highlands course and the Marshwood courses. We will be back.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Monday at the Highlands

We played Magnolia and Marshwood for the second time in the last couple of months The course is in really good condition. The greens are very challenging and well manicured. It was another enjoyable experience at Highland Oaks. The head pro, Harrison, was particularly nice and anxious to please. We will play there again soon.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 69
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played
Good weather
Walked

Better hit it close

Robert Trent Jones created this course masterfully. From tee to green, it seems like a relatively simple golf course.......but once you get to the green, its a different story. I believe I counted some greens with 5 tiers, in which case, you hit the putt and pray.it gets close. Also, if you plan on teeing it up from the back tees, i hope you can carry your driver at least 275 yards.....every time.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 17
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Two hardest par 3's of any nine

“Robert Trent Jones is an evil man.” – Vicki O.

Highland Oaks is on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Dothan, Alabama. There are 27 holes, plus a 9-hole par-3course. I played the Magnolia and Highlands nines, which

"was named by Golf Digest as the 7th best new public course in America in 1994 and 31st in their list of America’s Top 50 Affordable Courses. This combination was also named by Golf Digest’s "Places to Play" as one of the nation’s Great Value courses."

The greens on the Magnolia course are all elevated, in the style of Pinehurst #2, with closely-mown slopes going down to the fairway, or collection areas, or a lake (on 9). Each hole is interesting, and unique. No flat, boring, up-and-back par 4's here. The grass on the greens is similar to that on the Crossings course at Magnolia Grove, in that the grain always seems to grow downhill.

The Highlands course has the hardest pair of par 3's I've ever played, or seen on TV. Only the 12th and 16th at Augusta National come close, and the ones here are longer, and downhill, and exposed to the wind off the lake. The 4th is 256 yards from the tips, with water by the green in front and back and on the left. I played it from 181 yards, and did not aim for the green. Nevertheless, during the downswing, my unconscious mind screamed “DON'T GO LEFT”, which triggered an electrical storm of nervous system impulses, driving the shot another 30 yards right of the green. The 40-yard chip shot was over two large mounds to a green sloping away toward the water. Short-sided, of course. Another involuntary spasm left the first try halfway to the green. The second chip was stuck perfectly, but suffered from a lack of concentration and preparation, and broke an unanticipated 15 feet. I was uncharacteristically sanguine about my double bogey.

The 6th is the signature hole, the peninsula green, 206 from the tips. Fully 50 yards longer than the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, but, to be fair, a somewhat larger green with a much larger trap in front. I'll spare you the details, but it was another double bogey without a penalty stroke. It was while approaching this green that Vicki gave her opinion of Robert Trent Jones. You have to know that Vicki has never played golf, but has accompanied me a few times and we have watched golf together on TV. After the round we discussed why the various clubs have numbers, and what they mean. So, as you can see, her opinion was insightful far beyond what her golf experience would afford.

Just to set you up for these two holes, the third is a 457-yard dogleg left par 4 with the lake on the left all the way, like the 18th at TPC Sawgrass. Except that the tee shot is over the lake to a fairway that runs at an angle, like the 18th at TPC Scottsdale, where the farther left you go the longer the forced carry. I parred that one (from 414 yards).

If you're ever in Dothan, Alabama, this is one not to miss.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
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