50 Words or Less
Fighting Joe at The Shoals is a behemoth of a golf course. Tipping out at just shy of 8,100 yards, it’s a course that’s demanding from any tee box and should require every golfer to use their full bag.
Introduction
If you want to play a “scoreable” golf course, Fighting Joe is not for you. This is an enormous golf course that is generally straightforward but massively long. It is one of the longest golf courses in the United States. That means that even if you hit a great drive, great approach, and great putts…you will often have a great par, not a birdie. Par here stands for “professional average result” as I played with scratch golfers who played well and still were over par. It will test your accuracy, strength, and confidence with long irons, hybrids, and woods.
Practice Facilities
Fighting Joe features everything you’d want to see from a practice facility and teases at the size of the golf courses you’re prepping to play. As you enter the property, you’re greeted with a vast putting green with numerous holes to practice short, medium, and long-range putts. Also present on the property is a green to practice your chipping skills.
All the practice greens are well-maintained and offer a good representation of the course’s responsiveness and speed. There is also a lengthy driving range that features several pins to hit, guarded by concrete bunkers. This place is old school, with no SkyTrak, Trackman, or similar device to get distances on the range.
Customer Service & Amenities
The staff at The Shoals offers that quintessential southern hospitality. When I went into the pro shop to look around and ask about the course, the staff were polite, courteous, and kind. They also offered great insight into how to play the golf course and genuinely wished me luck. That pro shop was also nicely stocked with tons of different merch that focused on their courses and the RTJ Trail including a wall of hats, golf clubs, balls, polos, and more.
I am thankful to report that the GPS units in the carts at Fighting Joe offer very accurate yardage. That’s extremely important because I found myself having longer approach shots than I normally do. Those GPS units show interactive top-down looks at each hole and incredibly detailed topographical maps of each green. With the sheer size and undulations of the greens, I cannot express how helpful those were in aiding my green reading efforts throughout the round (pictured is the same golf cart I used at the sister course, Schoolmaster).
Beauty & Scenery
Some of the views at Fighting Joe are truly breathtaking. The most stunning one is undoubtedly the 18th hole. While the par three is beautiful in its own right, featuring a meticulously maintained green, bunker, and view of the clubhouse, it’s the view just to the right of the green that is almost worth the trip to play. Simply turning your head reveals an extraordinary overlook of the Tennessee River and the shoreline across.
Fighting Joe’s beauty isn’t limited to that blufftop view of the Tennessee River. Interestingly, it feels like this course was actually inspired by links-style golf you’d see across the pond. While there are some trees and wooded areas, the primary features of this course are the rolling hills and tall grass.
Tee Shots
Fighting Joe is a driver-lover’s paradise. This course measures up to 8,092 yards from the tips. As a result, a driver is often the only choice on the tee box because it is so damn long! You’re in for a long day if you’re not honest with yourself about how far you can hit your drives. Luckily, the course features forgiving, open fairways
Approaches
I know I sound like a broken record, but did I mention that Fighting Joe is gargantuan? That not only means long tee shots, but also very long approach shots. That adds difficulty to the course because it’s harder to be as accurate with longer clubs. On top of that, your trajectory will usually be flatter, so your ball will be harder to stop.
That’s a treacherous aspect of this course because landing precisely and softly is extremely important. The greens are fast and hard in the Alabama heat. There’s some severe danger if you come up short or go long of these greens. Every green on the course is guarded by at least one bunker, and 11 of the 18 holes also have greenside water hazards. The one saving grace is that the greens at Fighting Joe tend to be quite large.
Greens & Surrounds
As I hinted above, Fighting Joe’s vast greens mimic the colossal nature of this golf course. But while they present big easy-to-hit targets, they are not simple to putt on. Featuring bent grass, the greens played quite fast. I found them to be tricky regarding breaks, oscillating back and forth between breaking more and less than my instincts and experience would imply.
North Alabama had an especially hot and dry summer, so unsurprisingly, there were a few spots on greens or on the aprons of greens that looked dry or patchy, but it didn’t negatively affect my experience. The giant fans by the greens and wet towels given out by the marshals kept us cool. The bunkers were in immaculate condition. They had the soft, squishy sand that is a joy to play out of and reacts just how you’d expect it to.
Overall Design
Fighting Joe was the first course on the RTJ Trail that broke the 8,000-yard milestone. When a course boasts that kind of yardage, it will lean into its length as arguably the most prominent feature. While technically not the longest RTJ Trail course, it’s the one that plays the longest. That’s because Ross Bridge (the longest at 8,191 yards) often plays downhill and is less punishing. Comparatively, Fighting Joe plays its true yardage since it is very flat and few holes play with any major elevation change. Despite playing with a group of talented players, we had only a couple of birdies between us. The pars we had sometimes felt like birdies.
Favorite Holes
#12 – Par 5 – 712 yards
Across all 26 courses and 468 holes of the RTJ Trail, there is no hole longer than the 12th at Fighting Joe. At a jaw-dropping 712 yards from the tips, you’d need to be Superman, Hulk, or some other superhero to even dream of getting to this green in two. This wannabe Par 6 hole is masochistic because it’s not just long, it’s difficult. It features five bunkers and a water hazard to boot. For an unforgettable kick in the teeth, play this one (and only this one) from the tips, just to say you did.
#9 – Par 3 – 236 yards
This is one of the longest island greens I can ever remember playing. Luckily, this hole is designed so that going long isn’t as penal as going short in the water. Long of the green is a wide open area between several trees, so if you’re between clubs, be sure to club up. Also, enjoy the view, the calmness of the water, and some of the more memorable trees on the course before moving on.
#18 – Par 3 – 200 yards
Ironically, one of my favorite holes on this course is its shortest. Playing it felt like finding an oasis in the desert. After seventeen straight holes of massive length, the sheer relief that washed over me walking onto the shortest and last hole of this course was nearly indescribable. On top of that, it’s one of the most picturesque holes on the property. I highly recommend you take a moment after finishing to look out on the Tennessee River and reflect on your round and the beauty all around you.
Conclusion
The Fighting Joe will make you feel like you went 18 rounds in a boxing match. You may get a few licks in, but ultimately, you’ll feel bruised, sore, and exhausted. Despite that, it was a thrill and pleasure, and I left with a smile. Playing here is a unique experience as it may be the longest course you will ever play. If you want my advice: give it a try soon, before the golf ball rollback comes and it plays even longer. Don’t be a hero, stay away from the back tees, but do play this golf course.
Visit Fighting Joe at The Shoals HERE
Drew is an entertainment journalist that has covered everything from golf, TV/film, art, and food for years. He’ll be looking to bring you the latest stories from the PGA Tour and the greatest equipment on offer. A single-digit handicap, he’s been playing competitive golf since childhood, and recorded three holes-in-one by the time he was 13. Based in Chicagoland, he’s always down for a round and a hot dog at the halfway house so be sure to follow him on instagram @drewjkoch, so feel free to say hi.