Valley Landing Golf Course

Valley Landing Golf Course opened last Labor Day weekend. This facility was financed by a bond issue floated by the city of Courtland and is located about 30 minutes west of Decatur in northwest Alabama.


The name came after the city conducted a contest to name the course. Dwight Crow, general manager of the course, explained.

This part of Lawrence County is known as the valley, with the south part of the county known as the mountain. Also this part of north Alabama is known as the Tennessee Valley.

The landing part comes from the airstrip located to the rear of the property. Crop dusters to Lear jets from the the nearby Lockheed Martin facility use this landing strip and thus the name: Valley Landing.

The idea for the golf course started as an item of discussion with the mayor and town council approximately three years ago, Crow said. The back nine is next to an industrial park. The idea was to maybe attract industry and bring traffic out this way. The project was officially approved in April 1999 and work started in June 1999. It took two years to come to fruition.

John Millhouse of Strategic Golf Design designed the course. His company is based in California, but he has some Alabama connections with his family living in Birmingham and he attended Auburn University.

Value for money is paramount at Valley Landing. Most of their play comes from the Shoals area of Northwest Alabama, as well as some from Decatur and surrounding towns. It costs $26 to play in the week, $3 more on weekends. This includes cart, but the flat terrain is very walkable so many people will choose this option. The clubhouse is very functional and a good size, with the driving range conveniently located immediately to the rear of the clubhouse.

The course features tift dwarf bermuda greens, some of which have quite a bit of roll. At 6910 yards from the back tees, it has plenty of length.

Talk about a tale of two nines. The front nine was built on an old cotton farm and is flat and has few distinguishing features. Several man-made ponds provide hazards to be avoided, but you should be able to score quite well on this side, which is also 170 yards shorter than the far more challenging and much more picturesque back nine.

Onto the golf course. An interesting touch is that Nos. 1 and 8 share a double green. The two greens are joined together by a narrow strip of green making for a huge overall surface. The first is a gentle opener, providing a good birdie opportunity.

On the fifth hole you have be more attentive as a crescent-shaped pond cuts into the fairway, particularly near the green on this short par 4. Definitely favor the right half of the fairway here to leave a short iron second to a sloping green.

The sixth provides quite a different look as a huge waste area stretches down the right side of this longer par 4. From the back tee it is hard to determine how much of this waste area to cut off with your tee shot, so aim a little bit more to the left than you might think. From the forward tee the hole plays straighter and thus there is no need to play over the waste area.

No. 8 is a driveable par 4 with a big blow, but look out for the water hazard to the left of the green. It comes even more into play as the lay of the land slopes towards it and it is particularly tricky as it is not entirely visible from the tee. Raised bunkers guard the right half of the fairway, so if you can't fly the ball a long distance in the air just lay up leaving a short second.

Somewhat unusually the nine ends with a par 3. It will be a mid-iron for most players to a large green with a bunker front right. The nine has looped back adjacent to No. 1 tee and you will head back toward the clubhouse and the 10th tee. Immediately it is like you have been transported to a different golf course altogether. Five of the six lowest handicap holes are found on this side, with Nos. 10 and 11 ranked the first and third hardest holes right out of the box.

The tee shot on No. 10 will instantly get your attention. Having played a front nine where accuracy is not terribly important this hole seems even more confining. It has everything a good golf hole should making you think before you swing. Tree-lined, a pond left of the fairway and green, and multiple bunkers make for a challenging par.

Immediately following is the longest par 4 on the course. Without a doubt, the hardest hole out there, No. 11 measures 455 yards from all the way back and demands a long and straight tee shot to have the chance to reach the green in two shots. Tree-lined just like its predecessor, a creek crosses the fairway but this is out off range from the tee. A stern test, you will be delighted to leave this hole with a par.

The good run of holes continues with the par 3 twelfth. Again you will have to think here as water is in play for any ball pulled a little left. Only 150 yards, it will nonetheless claim some victims, especially if the flag is back left bringing the water more and more into play. The small green is angled away from the tee, making it appear to be an even smaller target.

No. 13 is a true three-shot par 5 - being just a shade under 600 yards will see to that. Two well played shots should leave you a short iron third to this beautifully framed green complex, with hardwoods providing a pleasant backdrop beyond the putting surface.

A steady run of holes, played for the most part between mature trees on either side, continues until you reach the final hole.

Quick question. What do most golfers fear above all else on a closing hole? Water to the right, is what I would say as the vast majority of players slice the ball. Well there's water aplenty on No. 18, only a mid-length par 4, but packed with trouble. A water hazard runs down the entire right side of the hole, so the way to play this finisher is to take the water out of play by aiming well left, leaving a second shot across the corner of the water, with also a large bunker left of the large putting surface. Par here will win more bets than it loses, that's for sure.

Valley Landing is what it is - a golf course that won't break the bank for you to play. Fire away on the front nine, respect the much tougher holes on the back nine, and you should post a respectable score. And we all know, there's nothing wrong with that.
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