This trip to Florida turned out to be quite social. I left one group of friends in Jacksonville on Saturday morning and met up with another friend in Alabama on my way back to Texas. We golfed Saturday in Mobile and Sunday in Louisiana. More on the Louisiana round in the next post though.
I headed out early from Jacksonville but unfortunately, the drive ended up taking way too dang long! I stopped a couple times to break up the drive and then ran into an epically long line for gas at Buc-ee’s (a Texas thing) along the I-10. From there traffic was heavy into Mobile, but I finally made it to Magnolia Grove. I guess after a year of the pandemic, it was nice to see so many people out enjoying their spring break.
Anyway, there are two regulation courses (Falls and Crossings) and a short course at RTJ Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove. Last year I played the Crossings Course and enjoyed the round, especially the back nine. The LPGA played on Crossings for a while and it seems to be the preferred regulation course at Magnolia Grove. However, after playing both Crossings and now Falls I have to say I prefer the Falls.
Like most of the RTJ Golf Trail courses that I’ve managed to play so far, I thought the best thing about Falls was its setting. Well, that and the course’s cool “falls” hole (the 10th)! The layout plays through the area’s scenic hardwoods and pines without any homes nearby. There is a good amount of elevation change as well, meaning you won’t find many flat lies. Then, once you get to the 5th hole the course takes on a wetlands feel until you get to the 17th. Even if your game isn’t in tip-top shape you can still have a fun round thanks to the course’s natural elements.
My friend and I played the orange tees which are 71.6/125/6674 (par-71). Similar to many of the RTJ Golf Trail courses that rating and slope surprise me (too low). I wouldn’t call Falls “tough”, but it certainly isn’t an easy course. For example, the hilly terrain leads to blind landing areas off the tees. It seemed most of the tee shots played up and over a rise which made it tricky to guess a good distance. There wasn’t much hidden trouble, but not seeing the ball land always throws me off. Also, if you like to slice the ball there are some uncomfortable doglegs to the left.
The front nine takes you almost as far away from the clubhouse as you can go before the back nine brings you back. Compared to Crossings, it felt like there was more separation between the holes on Falls. The 5th hole (a 522 yard par-5) was my favorite hole on the front. Its tee shot is one of those where the drive should go over a rise in the fairway. From there you’ll likely have a downhill lie into a green with water in front, making a layup seem like the percentage play. If you drive it in the trees (like me) then finding the green in three would be a great accomplishment!
The back nine on Falls is definitely the better nine, thanks to the signature stretch of the 10th and 11th holes. The 10th is a long par-5 where the course gets its name. A water hazard sits to the left of the green and feeds down into a large burn that divides the fairway. The water falls down maybe a half dozen steps resulting in a nice water feature. Then the 11th (an almost 200 yard par-3) plays over all that water and is a very difficult hole.
The cost was $70 and while not a bargain I felt the price was consistent with what we got. The course has greened up nicely with a few areas left in the transition stage after winter. The fairways were full, with plenty of cushion. The greens were smooth and a medium-fast pace. A handful of tees need some work.
The Falls is a good option along the Gulf Coast and I’d give it the edge over the Crossings. The only real criticism I have of the Falls is that the design is quite repetitive – lots of mid length par-4’s, similar tee shots and similar approach shots. But, you’ll probably hear me say that about every RTJ Sr. design. If you are in Mobile or traveling through the area then take a look at Magnolia Grove.
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):