Capitol Hill Golf Club - Judge Course

Senator ranked third for us after playing all three courses. It is still a really nice course and I'd play it again if I were planning to play at Capitol Hill. It's definitely a links style with lots of mounding around each fairway and tons of pot bunkers. The greens were perfect and slightly better than the other two courses. The layout is the biggest knock on this course. There is a ton of blind tee shots and it gets a little old. It seemed like every hole you had to hit your tee shot over a bunker to a blind landing area. Overall, if you're playing all three then play the Senator. If you're going to play one or two of the courses, choose the Legislator and/or Judge.

We played all three courses at Capitol Hill. The Judge was the nicest and hardest. The course is beautiful. There are so many great holes that play around the water that it is tough to highlight just one. The difficulty stood out more than the looks though. Every hole is hard. You will get penalized for any and all mishits. When you get the green, it's not time to take a break as they are very challenging as well. Overall, The Judge ranked as our second favorite of the three courses.

We played all three courses at Capitol Hill and Legislator was our favorite. The course was in really good shape. Tee boxes were green, fairways were just about perfect, and greens rolled true and fast. The layout is really nice as well. Every hole is different, fair, and tough. The green complexes have a a lot of undulation and bunkering. All three courses are definitely worth playing, but Legislator is the best mix of playability, layout, and conditioning.

Second time playing this course. Course knowledge and knowing the proper lines on the many blind shots are invaluable. The greens are over two weeks recovering from aeration but they are still considerably bumpy and disappointing for an RTJ course. However, fairways, rough, and pesky pot bunkers placed in perfect places to capture seemingly great shots are all in immaculate condition. Lastly, accuracy is paramount on this Links-style course. Errant shots will be lost in the knee-high grasses. Bring your accurate game, or plenty of balls. Lastly, the carry on #17 approach is more than your eye or your rangefinder will lead you to believe; be sure to take one or two extra clubs to keep from finding the ravine.

This is a tough course from any set of tees. The granite stone at the first tee that reads "you will be judged" couldn't be more true. The course, almost completely, met the expectations of Alabama's RTJ courses. However, the greens fell short of expectations. Although the greens are well above average for most courses, the inconsistent speed between holes and the invasive grasses on some greens, most notably the #16 Par-3, leaves one wishing for better surfaces. Understandably, the course is the most booked at the Prattville location, and the unrepaired ball marks are an annoying reminder of its popularity. Nonetheless, the course is immensely challenging with several scenic holes, couples distance with strategy and shot placement, and an overall incredible value for an unique incredible golf experience.

I have played the Judge a number of times over the years on RTJ Trail buddy trips and find it to be one of the most challenging, yet fun, courses to play. The multiple tee boxes allow you to "pick your own poison" regarding difficulty. The greens are large and undulating with fairly wide, accepting fairways. There's plenty of bunkers for wayward shots. The holes are varied with water sprinkled in from time to time. The only negative, and it's a small one, is that the 18th hole is a weak finish for a great course. It's almost like the architects ran out of room and had to jam it in the remaining space.
Like all RTJ Trail stops, the staff is great! They are welcoming and act as if they really want you there. In addition, the restaurant facilities are terrific for lunch after the round. The pro shop is well-stocked with a variety of items.

Our group of 12 60 something year olds played this course at about 6500 yards. Our handicaps on a fairly tough course in Texas ranged from 6-12. Not a single one us broke 90 ! The pins that day were extremely challenging considering the speed and undulations. If we played again we would absolutely play from 6100 yards , have more wedges in,which hopefully would allow us a chance to put the ball below the hole somehow ! None of this is a knock on the course - it’s a beauty but will make you pay for indifferent shots / putts ! Go play !

Playing The Judge is in some ways an exercise in misdirection. The view from the 100-foot-drop opening tee shot - a pretty awkward one because it's a forced layup - is one of the most-photographed spots on the whole RTJ Trail, but much of the golf course itself is fairly flat, meandering back and forth along the Alabama River. The highlight of the round is the back-nine par 3s, which are long but beautiful, requiring carries over ponds scattered with lily pads. Those are the images that ought to have been splashed across magazines for the last 20 years.

I played the Judge Course at Capitol Hill with a friend on 11/16/21. I have to say this course is my favorite of the three courses at Capitol Hill, which is no slight on the other two. Each course is different in their own way, and I would play them all again in a heartbeat. The first hole at the Judge sets the stage for the round, with a straight par four with an elevation drop of 200 feet, depending on which tees you play. A straight shot is required since you have trouble on both sides of the fairway. This course is beautiful from start to finish. All the par threes are visually beautiful and intimidating at the same time and I would say the best set of par threes I have played on one course. The last hole is also beautiful with its waterfall on the right side of the green and the stream that flows in front. After the round you drive up a long bridge to get to the clubhouse, which is pretty cool. This course was in excellent shape, and I would definitely play again.

I played the Senator Course at Capitol Hill with a friend on 11/15/21. This course is a links style course with little to no trees. Each hole is played between huge mounds. There are a lot of pot bunkers on the course and the greens have a lot of contours to them. The 17th hole will make or break your round. A drive needs to hug the left side of the fairway to put yourself in good shape to go for the green in two. I used the 250-yard marker as my aiming point. Depending on where your drive ends ups, you will need to make some choices on how much of the ravine you want to carry. It is an awesome hole to play, even thought it did me in.

I played the Legislator Course at Capitol Hill with a friend on 11/14/21. This course is a tail of two nines. The front has a more of a rolling terrain, while the back nine has a more severe elevation drops on a few holes. All the greens are massive in size and putt very true. I enjoyed the back nine a little better because of the elevation drops, especially on holes #14 and 15. This course is very fair to play. The bridge to the 10th hole was incredible. The starter that morning was very friendly and helpful.

This was my first time playing The Judge course.
The course is in fantastic condition. Greens are extremely smooth and fast. Great practice area everything you need to practice and improve your game. . Lots of water (course is along the banks of the Alabama River), lots of bunkering and tons of hidden challenges with most of the fairways sloping towards water or marsh areas. A true test. But, oh so fun and challenging. Very pretty course with awesome scenery. The views from the tee boxes of hole #1 are spectacular.

Fantastic links style course. Great condition. Greens are extremely fast. Stay below the hole on approach shots. Expansive driving range. Putting green for Senator course is good representation of actual course conditions. Lots of bunkering. Worth buying a yardage book to help with aiming off tees and on layup shots.. Some blind tee shots and sneaky bunkers. True test. But, oh so fun! Very pretty course.

Legislator Course is still my favorite track of the three at Capitol Hill. You get a taste of the windswept dunes of the Senator, and meander through the hardwoods on the back nine like a portion of the Judge. It is the most fun course they offer in my opinion.

This is a second-shot course that demands you place iron shots on the correct plateau of greens to access pins. Pronounced spines run through most of them making two putts extremely difficult.

Lots of sod replacement around greens is an improvement. Bunkers were in excellent shape. Greens rolling perfectly. Fairways have been overseeded.

My buddies and I do an annual golf trip, and this year we hit up the Montgomery courses of the RTJ. The courses were challenging, beautiful, and well maintained. It was unseasonably hot, marshals brought cold towels around constantly which was awesome. One of our group had an issue with another guest, but the course handled it 100% professionally and incredibly well - we want to commend the team on how they handled it. Will definitely add this portion of the RTJ to our rotation for future trips.

The Legislator was the third and final course we played to round out our Capital Hill road trip. It seemed to be the tightest of the three courses. It's in great shape and it seemed to be the bridging link to bring together all three courses into one wonderful golf complex. I enjoyed the elevation changes throughout the course. I will definitely return to play the Legislator again.

The Senator course was our second round of the day. Thank goodness for nearby thunderstorms that provided cloud cover! I absolutely love this course! Blind shots on almost every hole extremely benefit those with local knowledge. We definitely left several strokes out there as we had to play to the yardage markers because it was our first time. It is very much like a Scottish links in look and feel. However, the shot reactions are more regional and definitely don't mirror the links bounces and roll outs. The course is in great condition overall; the greens wers fertilized and sanded but didn't negatively affect putting. I think there was one other group on the entire course; it was like our own private club. The Senator is my favorite of the three courses at Capital Hill, and I will definitely make the 3 hour road trip again.

The course is in great shape. There was a heat advisory and the Marshall offering a wet towel was extremely welcomed. Plenty of water coolers on the front nine, no so much on the back 9 so we were parched ending our round as we only saw the beverage cart once the entire round on the second hole.

Stepping up to the first tee box was everything I had expected. The wow-factor was amazing. Unfortunately, the first hole is the grand finale of the entire round and it made the rest of the round a bit of a let down. Not to be mistaken, the course is amazing, scenic, demanding, challenging, and fun, but the hype of the first hole isn't comparable to the remaining holes.

The staff couldn't be better, the clubhouse is great, and the food is the same menu as the other RTJ courses, which is very good and fairly priced.

First time playing an RTJ course , it was everything I expected and worth every penny. I played Both the judge and the Legislator, they lived up to their reputation. As all courses in the area, they need some rain . Greens and fairways were lush and green. Staff was very friendly inside the clubhouse and on the course. Look forward to the next time I play an RJT.