Named by Golf Digest’s Places to Play as one of the nation’s Great Value courses in the public category, Silver Lakes is set on rolling terrain at the edge of Talladega National Forest between Anniston and Gadsden. Silver Lakes features three championship nines plus a nine hole Short Course. This facility is anchored by a number of strong par fours that play to pedestal greens perched 30 to 40 feet above fairway level. The Heartbreaker nine is dubbed by many as the most challenging nine on the Trail from the championship tees. Consider the 450-yard par-4 ninth with water rippling down the entire left side of the hole. The beauty of Silver Lakes is the multiple tee selections (up to 12 on some holes). The Backbreaker nine is a photographer’s dream, boasting beautiful views of the Appalachian foothills from its elevated tees. The par-5 seventh, a 623-yard thriller (466 from the novice tees), brings water into play not once, but twice. The Mindbreaker, although a tad easier than the other two, demands shotmaking at its fi nest. The Short Course at Silver Lakes is arguably the most demanding collection of one-shotters on the Trail. There’s water in play on seven of the holes, including a 12-foot cascade beside the sixth green.
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