There’s something about great music that can turn a round of golf into an epic experience. It’s more than just playing golf – you’re creating lasting memories. And if music can transform an afternoon round, just imagine an entire golf trip centered around music. And I’m not talking about cranking the tunes at the condo with your buddies after your rounds. There are golf destinations where music is as much a part of the itinerary as the golf. Let’s visit two of those places: Alabama and Mississippi.
Tunes-Inspired Golf Trip No. 1: Sweet Home Alabama
Mention Alabama to almost any golfer, and they’ll probably think of the legendary Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Known as the RTJ Golf Trail, this network of 25 courses on 11 unique sites spread across Alabama was the brainchild of Dr. David G. Bronner, the CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, who understood the draw of golf for both tourism and tournament play, and set out to turn Alabama into a tourist mecca powered by golf. To undertake this task back in the early 90s, he convinced the legendary golf architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. to come out of retirement to create the world’s first golf trail. The result? An epic golf destination comprising 450 holes of golf spread across Alabama that will challenge the best of golfers and still offer playing options for golfers of all levels.
And while the RTJ Golf Trail is a huge draw, it’s just one of the reasons Alabama is a hot tourist destination. Visitors also come for food, southern charm, recreation, and… (drumroll) the music. There’s so much live music to enjoy throughout the state, from live music to hits produced in the Muscle Shoals area in NW Alabama, otherwise known as “The Hit Recording Capital of the World.” Music isn’t just a part of the culture in Alabama, it’s a part of its history.
Follow the Trail For Golf, Food, And Music
Start in Birmingham, a foodie destination with arts & cultural venues, and a thriving jazz scene that’s been going strong since the beginning of the 20th Century. Visit the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in the Carver Theatre and catch live jazz at Uptown Jazz Lounge or Jazzi’s on 3rd. Or plan a trip around the Steel City Smooth Jazz Festival (June) or the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival (August).
Stay & Play in Birmingham
RTJ Golf Trail options near Birmingham include both the first and the last courses opened on the Trail, plus the RTJ Golf Trail at Silver Lakes in Gadsden (approximately 61 miles from Birmingham). Oxmoor Valley was the first location, and offers 45 holes, in its two championship 18-hole courses – The Ridge, The Valley, and The Back Yard, a nine-hole short course. The last location added to Alabama’s golf trail is the championship 18-hole Ross Bridge. It’s the world’s fifth-longest course, yet it offers multiple tees for golfers of all abilities. RTJ at Silver Lakes in Gadsden offers 36 holes – the Backbreaker, Heartbreaker, Mindbreaker, and The Short Course.
Stay at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Resort in Hoover. Enjoy the 12,000 square foot European spa, multiple restaurants, and plenty of meeting/event space. A nightly bagpiper is the icing on the cake. It’s an amazing resort, which many will attest to – it was named as one of the Top 100 Golf Resorts and Top 25 Buddy Trips by Golf Magazine.
Dining options in Birmingham include Southern comfort food, soul food & barbeque, and a number of Michelin Star restaurants. Plus, don’t miss craft breweries and cocktail bars throughout the city. (After all, it’s a golf trip.)
Golf and Hits in Muscle Shoals
Travel northwest from Birmingham to Muscle Shoals, and visit The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where hits from the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and more were recorded.
Play one of RTJ Golf Trail’s premier courses, The Shoals. Set high above Wilson Lake along the scenic Tennessee River, The Shoals offers two distinct 18-hole championship courses, Fighting Joe and The Schoolmaster. Stay at the Renaissance Shoals Hotel & Spa on the opposite shore of the beautiful Tennessee River in Florence (part of the RTJ Resort Collection) and dine in its 360º Grille for rotating area views atop the 300’ tall Renaissance Tower. For a truly down-home dining experience, nearby Rattlesnake Saloon offers live music in an open air restaurant built into a natural stone cave.
More Golf Down the Road
Your golf and music tour doesn’t have to stop in the Shoals – travel an hour and fifteen minutes to Alabama’s largest city, Huntsville. Known as “Rocket City,” Huntsville is home to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (the largest space museum in the world); the Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Facility, where they’ll teach you how to play a cigar box guitar; and a historic, thriving downtown with cultural opportunities, shops, bars, and restaurants.
Stay in downtown Huntsville at 106 Jefferson, a Hilton Curio Collection boutique hotel. Nearby, enjoy rooftop dining, live music, urban American dishes, and craft cocktails at Rhythm on Monroe.
Golf at Hampton Cove, an expansive 54-hole complex southeast of Huntsville with three distinct RTJ courses sprawling across the river valley and Appalachian foothills. Choose from The Highlands (a hilly, yet forgiving design), The River (the only RTJ design with no bunkers), and The Short Course (an 18-hole links-style par 3).
And guess what? We’ve only just touched upon part of the RTJ Trail. For a full offering of Alabama RTJ options, and plenty of music, food, drinks, and culture to sweeten your trip, visit Alabama Tourism’s GolfAlabama.org.
Tunes-Inspired Golf Trip No. 2: Visit Mississippi
If Mississippi sounds about right, there’s plenty of golf, food, and music to power you through your getaway. Known as “the birthplace of the blues,” Mississippi’s musical heritage shines throughout the state on its Mississippi Blues Trail and in the numerous live music venues across Mississippi. Many say there’s a performance happening every night of the year.
Another year-round highlight of Mississippi is, of course, its golf. Thanks to its moderate climate, you can play one of 140-plus courses designed by greats like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Jerry Pate, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III, and Bob Cupp.
More than Golf
Casinos are also a big draw in Mississippi, and the most luxurious option is Coastal Mississippi’s Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, a gorgeous, upscale, waterfront hotel with 24-hour casino access, shops, a world-class spa, fitness center, pool overlooking the gulf, multiple restaurants, bars, and entertainment. The resort’s fine-dining seafood restaurant, Coraline’s, offers amazing appetizers and daily fresh catch options, and the ultra-cool EIGHT 75 Bar for drinks and live music.
Dine off-property at Catch 110 for upscale coastal cuisine, hand-crafted cocktails, and an extensive wine list. After dinner, hit the Beau Rivage casino floor or pop into the Hard Rock Hotel next door for music memorabilia.
Golf near the Beau Rivage is highlighted by its home course, Fallen Oak, a Tom Fazio-designed course exclusive to the resort’s guests. Fallen Oak is an 18-hole, 7,487-yard championship course with a par-72 layout. With Five sets of tees, it welcomes golfers of all skill levels. Golfweek has named it one of its Best Resort Courses, and Fallen Oak is known for its challenging holes and gorgeous surroundings, which include pecan and magnolia groves, century-old oak trees, streams, lakes, and marshlands.
Just a short drive away is Shell Landing Golf Club, a Davis Love III-designed course featuring rolling fairways, tall pines, and coastal marshlands. Visit Bay St. Louis for Mississippi’s only Arnold Palmer Signature course, The Bridges at Hollywood Casino, and one of “Mississippi’s Top Ten Courses” according to Golf Digest. Information about these and other courses, plus all things to do in the area, can be found at CoastalMississippi.com.
Further north, stay at the Sheraton Flowood The Refuge Hotel & Conference Center- a 200-room hotel built in 2021, located in the quaint suburb of Flowood, about a mile from Jackson-Evers International Airport.
Amenities include a spa, course-view fitness center, outdoor pool, and extras like cooking classes and a wine bar. Onsite dining all day at Rebecca’s, and its Missy Sippy Rooftop Bar is a sunset must. After happy hour, head to legendary local favorite, Hal & Mal’s Music Club for dinner and live music.
There’s nothing better than golf right outside your hotel, and The Refuge Golf Course at the Sheraton Flowood delivers. This player-friendly course underwent significant renovations in 2021 and boasts a stunning natural landscape, multiple tee boxes, and a 15-acre aqua driving range with lighted fountains and night practice capabilities. The Sandi Trap is a great spot for lunch or drinks after your round.
Continue your music tour of Mississippi at the Grammy Museum Mississippi in Cleveland to learn about Mississippi-born performers like Jimmy Buffett, Brittany Spears, Faith Hill, and Muddy Waters.
Fifty minutes up the road, you’ll find the Mississippi Delta and Tunica’s Gold Strike Resort & Casino, a 50,000-square-foot complex featuring six restaurants, nightly entertainment (aka more music), a full-service spa, fitness center, and pool.
Nearby golf includes River Bend Links, a gorgeous Clyde Johnson Scottish links-style course, and Tunica National Golf & Tennis, designed by 10-time PGA TOUR winner, Mark McCumber. It features rolling terrain and manicured playing conditions, plus five sets of tees for golfers of all abilities. Both championship courses offer stay and play packages at the casinos.
Come for the Golf, Stay for the Tunes
Discover the history of the blues at The Gateway to the Blues Museum in Tunica, which also houses the Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau’s welcome center.
But to see the actual birthplace of the blues, head to Clarksdale for the iconic Ground Zero Blues Club, which serves some of the best fried green tomatoes anywhere, and Red’s Lounge, the absolute epitome of a juke joint in the Delta. Both attract music lovers from around the world who travel the Mississippi Blues Trail.
And if blues isn’t your favorite, don’t worry – Ground Zero and many other music clubs play a variety of tunes. Ground Zero manager “T” explained, “I always like to display different types of music here, even though we’re a Blues club… it’s like the Blues had a baby, which is Rock ‘n’ Roll, got a little cousin called Country, got a little sister called R&B, and got a fat grandma called Gospel.” And that, folks, is why Mississippi is known as the “Birthplace of America’s Music.” See more at Mississippi.org.
A Golf Trip that Comes with a Soundtrack
When it comes to golf trips, there are endless destinations. But for a trip that might just stir your soul, consider the side-by-side Southern states of Alabama and Mississippi. Whether you’re gathering the guys for an epic vacation or planning a getaway with your partner or family, both destinations guarantee exceptional golf and music, and unmistakable Southern Hospitality.
To start planning your next getaway to both states, head to VisitMississippi.org or GolfAlabama.org.