The Country Club of Birmingham: West

The Country Club of Birmingham: West

3325 Country Club Rd

Birmingham, AL 35213-3636

United States

Overview

Starting 40 years ago, the Country Club of Birmingham’s West Course, one of two Donald Ross designs at the club, was repeatedly ranked on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest. Then it fell off in 1984. Pete Dye convinced the club that he could restore the Ross glory to its West Course, but sent his younger son, P.B., to the course. P.B. proceeded to turn the turfgrass black with grass-killing chemicals, then stirred up clouds of red dust gouging his bulldozer into every tee, fairway and green. When he was finished, the West had become a P.B. Dye design, and some members were so unhappy, they didn’t talk to Pete for years. Two and a half decades later, Pete finally talked his way back into the club’s good graces and promised “to fix things.” He brought in a new crew, toned done some of the more outrageous features of P.B., and made it more playable. Today, Birmingham West is still not back to being a Donald Ross design, but it sure is an authentic Pete Dye design.

About

Holes 18
Length 7122
Slope 140
Facility Type Private
Designer Donald J. Ross, ASGCA/Pete Dye (2009)

Awards

100 Greatest
100 Greatest the Second 100
Best Courses in Every State

Ranking history:

100 Greatest: Ranked for 16 years from 1969-1984.

Second 100 Greatest: Ranked 173rd, 2017-'18. Ranked 187th, 2019-'20. Ranked 200th, 2021-'22.

Best in State: Ranked second from 2011-'24. Ranked third, 2025-'26.
Current ranking: 3rd.

Golf Digest Logo Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

4.1

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options
7.201
Character
7.2373
Challenge
7.3254
Layout Variety
7.1817
Fun
7.1585
Aesthetics
7.1559
Conditioning
7.3569

Reviews