Timberline Golf Club - "Alabama's Only True Golfer's Club!" - opened in Calera in 2002 and was built in part on land where a nine-hole course formerly stood. But the new has very little relationship to the old. Additional land was purchased to provide new space for the extra nine holes, and then developers started from scratch.

"We just tore the whole thing up and started over," says designer Jerry Pate about the superb par-71 course that plays at almost 7,000 yards from the tips.

Pate's ultimate creation is a course that's fun to play, that's meticulously manicured and that rolls gently up and down a beautiful site well shaded by tall timber - the fragrant pines and huge oaks and hardwoods that give the course its name.

Starting Your Game
The first hole, a par 4, measures 457 yards from the back tees and 307 from the forward. According to head golf professional Joe Kruse this is a fun start to your round and a demanding one; par here is an excellent score. "You can play your driver off the tee because you need to carry a lake that's in front of you," he says.

Favor the left side of the fairway with your tee shot by aiming just to the right of the fairway bunker on the left. There's additional trouble in the form of a creek, thick rough and trees.

From that tough par-4, you move on to a tricky par-3 where club selection is critical. The hole measures 153 yards from the back tees and 110 from the forward. "It's the first of five par-3s," says Kruse. "It's a bit deceiving, because it seems short. But you don't see a lot of the green from the tee, and if you don't hit the green here, you'll make a bogey."

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The 4th Hole
The toughest hole on the course is No. 4, a par-4 that measures 438 yards from the back tees and 314 from the forward. A cluster of fairway bunkers to the left could spell trouble, and your second shot has to be to a raised green. "To get a good start, you need an uphill drive to the center or left side of the fairway," Kruse says. "Take plenty of club on your second shot while guarding against going left."

After that test, you take on a series of downhill holes that are a bit easier. No. 5, for example, is a drivable par-4 (288 from the back tees and 198 from the forward) because you're going mostly downhill; it's the kind of hole that Pate is known for. "But be aware that the narrow opening to the green can push shots to the left," says Kruse.

As you move along, you'll notice that this is a course that takes you on a real journey out into the pines and hardwoods for the entire 18 holes. As you get to the midpoint of the course, you will encounter an historic railroad line still used on a very limited basis by the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. The trains are not in play at all for golfers, but they do attract some attention at times when you're out there.

Crossing the Tracks
You cross the tracks to play Nos. 8, 9 and 10 and then you recross to return to the main part of the course.

No. 8 is a very scenic par-5 (521 from the back tees and 410 from the forward) that allows some golfers to reach the green in two. Pate did an excellent job of fitting this hole to the lay of the land. "A creek meanders along on the right and then cuts back to the left in front of the green," says Kruse. "The hole demands a good tee shot and a good second shot."

Another fine, but longer par-5 comes along at No. 11 (575 yards from the back tees and 407 from the front). Off the tee, favor the right side of the fairway which gives you a better angle to the green on a blind second shot. "If you hit to the left, you're on the railroad tracks," Kruse says.

One of the most beautiful holes on the course, says Kruse, is No. 12, a par-4 (418 from the back tees and 278 from the forward). You're hitting your tee shot here from an elevated spot and looking down toward the green. "You have to hit a good tee shot here to the fairway. Favor the center to the right side," Kruse says.

You face a tough par-3 on No. 16 (223 yards from the back tees and 154 from the forward). Not only do you need a long shot to hit the green, you also have to have very good aim because of the two bunkers off to the right. There's also a very narrow strip of green to work with.

You'll need to downsize on clubs with your tee shot for the par-4 No. 17 (401 yards from the back tees and 268 from the forward). Go with either a long iron or fairway wood and stay to the left of the bunker on the right side of the fairway. A creek also cuts into the fairway here and could spell trouble if your fairway shot is too long. "The elevated green is guarded by bunkers left and right," says Kruse.

Wrapping Up Your Game
Get ready for a big finish on a long par-4 (443 yards from the back tees and 323 from the forward). "This is a tight driving hole where you have to be careful of the bunker on the right and trees to the left," Kruse says.

"You'll have to hit a midiron into a big green that has three shelves on it. To the right of the green it's all water; to the left are trees."

Distances, ratings and slopes on Timberline: 6,773 yards (72.3/126); 6,342 (70.2/122); 5,587 (66.8/115); 4,808 (67.9/110).