Birmingham, Alabama
If you’re hunting for atmosphere and history with skyline views, Highland Park delivers. It’s a tight, lively walk where strategic placement is rewarded and the echoes of Southern golf history ring loud. Play here for fun, not ego—shot-making, not muscle, wins the day.
Highland Park is a masterclass in strategic, compact city golf—a hilly, walkable routing where tactics outweigh muscle. Bob Cupp’s restoration honored the course’s early 20th century bones, using the terrain’s rise and fall to create holes that ask for nerve, placement, and imagination. With smaller greens and tight corridors, every hole poses a fresh question: where will you put your ball, and how bold can you be? From classic, scoreable short par 4s to stout, panoramic par 3s, this layout rewards local knowledge and a sharp short game.
Bob Cupp’s restoration emphasized playable fun and strategic challenge, tuning a century-old layout into Birmingham’s signature muni while honoring its history.
A daunting par 3 requiring a precise long iron or hybrid, with a small green waiting to punish the indecisive. Its subtle contours make any missed approach a challenge to recover par.
Focus on center-green targets; favor a safe miss short to set up an easier up-and-down.
Anything long, left, or right brings tough saves and likely bogey or worse.
Good municipal conditioning, especially post-2019 renovation; bunkers and greens are well maintained.
Round typically flows briskly—expect about 4 hours at peak times.
Friendly, historic, city-savvy; you’ll meet locals and sense Birmingham’s golf roots.
Standard golf attire recommended; no strict private-club requirements.
Emphasize touch and distance control—many birdie chances hinge on crisp approach short irons.
Long par 3s and key placement holes reward a confident, reliable fairway club.
The terrain is compact but hilly—wear comfortable shoes and prep for some legwork.
City muni, yes, but plenty of rounds are won and lost on the subtle, speedy putting surfaces.
Established as Country Club of Birmingham
Opened to public play
Renamed after Charley Boswell
Full course restoration by Bob Cupp
Bunker and green renovation
Named among ‘Top 100 Value Courses’ by Golf Magazine
In 1916, legendary amateur Bobby Jones captured the Birmingham Country Club Invitational at Highland Park, marking one of the earliest flashes of his greatness. His victory remains part of the course’s lore and Southern golf folklore.
In 1955, Highland Park was rechristened to honor Charley Boswell—a Birmingham native, WWII veteran, and 17-time National Blind Golf Champion. This moving tribute cemented the course’s role in golf’s story of inclusion and resilience.
The Tiger Woods Foundation brought a junior clinic to Highland Park, igniting the dreams of local youth and connecting the historic municipal course with the next generation of golf talent.
Bob Cupp's 1998 restoration recaptured Highland Park’s classic character while blending in modern greens and bunkers, setting a new standard for city golf in Alabama.
Oldest operating golf course in Alabama.
Named in honor of a National Blind Golf Champion—Charley Boswell.
Bobby Jones won a major junior event here aged 14.
On a clear day, you can spot most of Birmingham's skyline from several holes.
The course’s short, quirky holes have made it a favorite for local hickory and historic-club events.
Championship-scale public resort with pristine presentation and big hazards.
Multiple dynamic layouts make for an RTJ classic public experience.
Destination resort experience with top-tier greens and service.
Underrated mountain style and strong, scenic holes.
Historic southern private club—bucket-list if you can get on.
Downtown Birmingham or the Highland Park/Five Points South area for best access and city dining.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: Gull Lake View Golf Resort - Stoatin Brae is a natural next stop after Highland Park Golf Course: it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: Sand Hills Golf Club is a natural next stop after Highland Park Golf Course: it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Buffalo Golf Club's own setting.
Community Sentiment
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