Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Few men have had a more direct and enduring impact on Alabama sports than Robert Trent Jones Sr., the famed golf course architect who designed a sprawling network of world-class sites across the state.

Today, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail encompasses 432 holes at 10 locations. Nearly complete at the time of his death in 2000, the trail was an incredible feat for someone whose golf career had quite humble beginnings.

Born in 1906, Robert Trent Jones arriving from England with his family at age 5. He grew up in East Rochester, N.Y., where he took a job at a local golf club and became heavily interested in the sport. Health problems prevented him from becoming a professional athlete, but he tenaciously remained focused on golf.

At Cornell University, Jones invented his own study program to become a full-time golf course designer. Throughout the 1930s, he built a career designing courses in Canada and the United States.

Robert Trent Jones trails are known today for their mix of beauty and difficulty. He designed more than 500 courses across 40 states and 35 foreign countries.