10/12 magazine Winter 2009 : Page 20
gaTeway I Tee time If mullIgans and bogIes are your thing, you’re living in the right place. The corridor is flush with golf courses—many of them ranked among the nation’s best. Statewide, all that driving and putting generates 11,100 jobs and $446 million annually—about the same as two of Louisiana’s other renowned industries: seafood preparation and packaging, and oil and gas field machinery/equipment.Golfers have played nearly 200,000 rounds so far this year on the 11 Audubon Golf Trail courses alone. Asampling of public and semi-private courses: TPC of louIsIana Avondale This home of the Zurich Classic lies on 250 acres of low-lying wetlands along the Mississippi River delta and frequently is compared to a nature preserve. sTaTs: 18 holes, 7,600 yards, par 72 The buzz: “No. 4 Upscale Public Golf Course,” Golf Digest (2004) fees: Louisiana resident weekdays/ weekends: $89/$99; Twilight weekdays/ weekends: $79/$89 [includes cart; peak season and off season vary] audubon Park New Orleans Spread across 81 tree-lined acres in historic uptown New Orleans—and it’s accessible by streetcar. sTaTs: 18 holes, 4,220 yards, par 62 The buzz: “The most scenic and interesting spot for New Orleans golfers,” Golf Digest. fees: Weekdays/weekends: $30/$40 [includes cart] gray PlanTaTIon Lake Charles Sixty acres of lakes, 94 bunkers and four par 3s—two of which feature island greens—come into play on this Calcasieu River course. sTaTs: 18 holes, 7,000 yards, par 72 The buzz: “One of the country’s top golf clubs,” ZagatSurvey & ESPN; “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses,” Golf Digest (2006). fees: Weekdays/weekends: $50/$65; twilight weekdays/weekends: $38/45 [includes cart] Audubon Park in New Orleans CarTer PlanTaTIon Springfield David Toms’ first signature design winds through three distinct Louisiana landscapes—like oak flats, cypress wetlands, upland pine forests. sTaTs: 18 holes, 7,000 yards, par 72 The buzz: “Top 10 You Can Play,” Golf Magazine (2004) fees: Weekdays/weekends: $75/$95; twilight weekday/weekend: $45/$49 [includes cart] sanTa marIa Baton Rouge A municipal course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. on 150 acres of rolling terrain, with 15 lakes and two natural waterways. BREC spent $2.1 million on upgrades in 2006. sTaTs: 18 holes, 6,969 yards, par 72 The buzz: Consistent highest municipal course ranking from Golf Digest fees: Weekdays/weekends: $24/$34; twilight weekdays/weekends: $16/$26. Cart: $11 per rider; GPS: $5 20 10/12 MAGAZINE • winter 2009 CoPPer mIll Zachary The championship links-style course weaves through open fields of native grasses, centuries-old live oaks and a landscape dotted with bunkers. sTaTs: 18 holes, 7,000 yards, par 72 The buzz: “Although not exactly a household name in the world of golf course architecture, the team of Max Maxwell and Nathan Crace produced a splendid championship course at Copper Mill in Zachary.” (Condé Nast); “#1 Best New Affordable Golf Course in America,” (Golf Digest, 2004) fees: Weekdays/weekends: $50/$60; twilight all week: $35 aTChafalaya aT IdlewIld Patterson Five lakes and 10 native wetlands encompass nearly 40 acres of this 175-acre course in the heart of the Atchafalaya Basin. More than half a million yards of native soil was used to develop dramatic elevations and vistas. sTaTs: 18 holes, 7,533 yards, par 72 The buzz: “#1 Best Course You Can Play in Louisiana,” Golfweek (2008); “#5 Best New Courses Under $75,” Golf Digest Magazine (2008) fees: Weekdays/weekends: $55/$65; twilight weekdays/weekends: $40/$45 [includes cart] The Island Plaquemine Designed by Mike Young, this course is carved out of a sugar plantation. Water comes into play on 17 of the 18 holes, including Bayou Plaquemine and Bayou Jacob. sTaTs: 18 holes, 7,010 yards, par 72 The buzz: Featured on the Golf Channel and in Golf Magazine fees: Weekdays/weekends: $39/$49; twilight weekdays/weekends: $23/$39. Cart: $16. The weTlands Lafayette Trees are scarce and wind is a factor on the newest addition to the Audubon Golf Trail. Holes #9 and #18 feature double greens. sTaTs: 18 holes, 7,300 yards, par 72 The buzz: “This course has the potential to be an economic boon for southwest Louisiana.” (Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, 2007) fees: Weekdays/weekends: $41/$46; twilight weekdays: $33 [fees vary without cart] www.1012corridor.com
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