Robert Trent Jones Sr. supposedly said that Grand National was the single greatest natural site for golf he had ever seen. Now I don't know if he actually said that or if it's one of those quotes that gets attached to a famous person after the fact to sell green fees. But having played both courses here I'll say this. If he did say it, I understand why.

There's a granite stone next to the first tee box. It says "You Will Be Judged." I stood there reading it and couldn't decide if it was cheesy or genius.

Muscle Shoals. The name alone is great. It sounds like it should be a blues song or a dive bar or both. Turns out it's a small town of about 15,000 people in the far northwest corner of Alabama, sitting on the Tennessee River, and it's home to one of the more remote stops on the RTJ Trail. Getting here takes commitment. It's over an hour from Huntsville, about two and a half from Birmingham, and there is not a lot happening in between.