Alabama’s Finest: Old Overton Club
I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama where my primary sport in my early teenage years and throughout high school was tennis. Tennis tournaments took me all around the city including different country clubs. Old Overton Club was one place I visited often for tournaments and always enjoyed the short track from Brook Highland through the winding hills of Birmingham. Old Overton is in the southeastern part of Birmingham set between highway 459 and highway 119 and technically sits in Vestavia. It is funny looking back at all those occurrences playing tennis growing up and I cannot say that the thought of golf at Old Overton ever crossed my mind. Now as a older (possibly but not confirmed wiser) golf enthusiast, I now fully recognize that Old Overton is one of the premier places to golf in the state of Alabama. So when an opportunity came up in May 2022 to get the privilege to play this golf course, it was time to find out what lay on the other side of tennis at Old Overton.
Before I say one word about golf at Old Overton, what I will always be most fond of is that my Dad was the one who created an opportunity for me to play this golf course and I was able to experience this round with him. Golf was not a high interest sport for my Dad, but but he recognized and saw my appreciation for the game as I grew older. Countless times he would make ways for me like this sunny May summer day day to create a experience for me because he knew it was something that would be important to me. It was just who he was and what he did, he put me first; it was not just me, he always put others first. I don’t know if I will ever get the privilege to play Old Overton again, but as I sit here today every moment and memory I have of this place is wrapped around him. He was at every tennis match I played at Old Overton and he made a way for this golf experience.
After winding way back through a residential area, you set foot upon Old Overton Club. On a early summer Saturday, the first thing I noticed was that the clubhouse was not super busy and the driving range was not overcrowded. The vibes from stepping foot on the property to leaving were very laid back. As I was researching the course for this write up, I could not find that many write ups or reviews about the course which leads me to like this place even more. In some dream where I have a golf club that I run, there would be a very low member count. Old Overton Club is a relatively new Club founded in 1993. The original build was co-managed by Alabama graduate Jerry Pate and Tom Fazio. Jerry Pate was brought back on to manage a renovation in 2020. Old Overton is considered a top five private course in the state of Alabama. It comes in at five in state in Golf Digest’s 2025-2026 best courses in the state of Alabama. Not everyday you get to play a top five in state course. Thanks Dad. Outside the aforementioned tennis facilities, Old Overton has all the basic bones of a storied golf club with a stoic clubhouse rolling through the center of the property. The course maxes out at 7,228 with a relatively modest slope rating of 134 and six tee box options. You’ll need a yardage gun that accounts slope adjustment out here, no surprise or former a former mining land. Expect to have all kinds of lies throughout the journey.
Rolling hills define Old Overton, here a flatter fairway view, but a beautiful shot with the creek cutting through the center
Old Overton takes rightful pride into the unique nature of its course which is actually carved into the site of a former strip mine. Designers Jerry Pate and Tom Fazio did a truly remarkable thing for any golf architect taking this rugged land and restructuring into a beautiful and elegant golf course The opening tee box is set up far above the fairway and the opening approach shot plays to an elevated green which is really a great synopsis and larger representation of the course as a hole. Hole after hole plays to up and down lies and lines. Creeks and Lake Overton intertwine their way throughout serval holes. The course is built around a heavily wooded area but most of the holes play pretty open. While you pass through a neighborhood to get to the course, I cannot remember much by the way of structures set around the golf course itself which I always appreciate. I certainly had a few holes where I struggled but never felt overwhelmed by the golf course. The course was in pristine condition. I remember stopping a few times to take in the impressive property and design of the course, it paired so nicely with the overall atmosphere of the club. I recall two standout par threes. The first comes early in the round and plays as a dramatic downhill shot and reminded me of the signature hole at Farmlinks. The second being the difficult par twelfth which requires a pretty significant carry over water.
Old Overton’s first signature hole in the round is early and plays as a dramatic downhill hole
I have had the fortunate opportunity to play at least fifteen different golf courses in the state of Alabama (whose counting) and can easily say Old Overton is my favorite course I have played in the state. That opinion is built of a complexity of an incredible eighteen hole experience in a very unique piece of property, great vibes of the club, and the person who opened the door for me to have an opportunity for the experience. If you are ever fortunate enough to get an invite to play Old Overton Club, you are in for a treat. Next stop in Birmingham, Shoal Creek (please?).