Gadsden Country Club sits nestled in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The clubhouse is situated at the peak of 110 rolling acres in an elegant residential area and is known for its spectacular view. Inside you’ll find a fine dining restaurant and some of the best banquet facilities in northeast Alabama. There’s a full tennis complex and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The pool is a popular family gathering place from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Members and guests enjoy exceptional service while experiencing the ambiance one would expect from a casually elegant southern club.
The centerpiece of Gadsden Country Club is the 18-hole championship golf course. In 1997 world-renowned golf course architect Bill Bergin was brought in to weave his magic and reimagine the golf course.
There are a lot of fun and challenging holes at Gadsden Country Club but none as memorable as the run from Number 15 through the 18th green. Make it around these four holes with a number around or below par, and you’ve probably had a pretty good round. Number 15 is the club’s signature hole, a picturesque par 3 over water that plays 157 yards from the Blue Tees. It’s one of only a few holes that doesn’t have a profound elevation change. It’s a 140-yard carry over the water with a small pot bunker in the back. Find the bunker and your sand shot can be intimidating with the water looming beyond the pin. Par is a good score here.
Sixteen is a 352-yard par 4 that has one of the most intimidating and challenging tee shots on the golf course. The lake you see between you and the green is only about 230 yards away and when the fairways are hard, there is a lot of roll. If you’re hitting your driver well, take dead aim over the trees on the right side, up the narrow sliver of the fairway that leads to the green. Laying up short of the water will leave an approach shot of about 125 yards into a fairly level green. Another hole where a par is a good score.
Number 17 is a dogleg left that plays 359 yards from the Blue Tees. The large pine tree in front of you screams “drive the ball over me,” and if you do so successfully, you’ll have about a 100 – 110-yard pitch shot slightly uphill.
The closing hole is the toughest on the inward nine and one that will surely test your mettle, Ideally, you want to play down the left side and find the fairway left of the fairway bunker on the right. Hit your drive right off the tee and the fairway falls off by the trees and cart path, leaving an extraordinarily hard second shot. Trees dot the landscape along the left side too and anything left of those trees will be tough as well. A good drive will leave a mid-iron into a small green protected by a bunker front right and a large overhanging oak tree front left. Once again, par is a good score here.
Gadsden Country Club has some pretty impressive practice facilities including a full-length driving range where you can hit every club in the bag, a separate chipping area, and two practice putting greens. The course is open year-round, weather permitting, but bad weather isn’t necessarily a game-changer. You can move your game indoors and play or practice on the club’s TrackMan system.
After your round, head inside the clubhouse for your favorite beverage and a bite to eat. When it comes to dining and good food, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything better than what is offered at Gadsden Country Club. The dining facilities include a Gentleman’s and Mixed Grill, Casual Dining Room, Main Bar, and several private dining rooms that are used for banquet and private events.
If you’re serious about your golf game and want to take it to the next level, PGA resident pro Matt Ganshaw can help. Using the Trackman launch monitor and indoor simulator, he can help fix any of your swing woes. The pro shop is fully stocked with logoed apparel from all of your favorite manufacturers as well as tees, balls, and other golf necessities.