TPC Louisiana - Avondale, Louisiana

Can you find the pin?  Heavily guarded greens.

Official Website: tpc.com/tpc-louisiana

Course Architect

Pete Dye

First Teed Off

2004

Rating	Slope	Yardage	Par
76.3	139	7399	72

Rates of Passage

$109-$229

Range use, cart, and greens fees.  Does not include tax.

Bunkers as far as the eye can see

View from the 19^th Hole

A wetland set along the Mississippi River, TPC Louisiana is something of a nature preserve.  Cypress and 103 bunkers that stretch the length of the fairway at times, make for a traditional setting with its fair share of challenge anytime you step outside the fairway.  We played in the high season and wouldn't deem it worthy of the over $500 price tag for the two of us to play, however it's a very nice track.

Through our Lens: Click to view 

Our Round 

Set in a rural area of Louisiana, a golf statue leads you off the highway to the entrance of TPC Louisiana.  It's quite possibly the birthplace of the mantra "a diamond in the rough."  Weather certainly wasn't our friend, and the course was pretty quiet as a result.  We'll assume that's why hospitality was lacking.  We felt a sense of being in the way in most aspects from loading our clubs, check-in for our round, and food and beverage service after finishing.  We weren't able to use the range due to the excessive rain they've had as of late, and there were "kids hanging out" at the chipping area, so we were told to stray from there as well.  It's a not a huge deal, but at this price tag, an opportunity to warm up seems a given.

We had a steamy start for our first hole before the blustery drizzle set in for the following seventeen holes.  There's a great deal of wildlife throughout the track, and we were fortunate to see a couple gators skimming through the water on the backside of three.  Bunkers abound, and the most notable was that of number 15.  The bunker stretches nearly 200 of the 500 yards this par 4 commands.  Interestingly, the bunkers are all lined with tiny islands of grass through their centers.  The green dapples appeared to serve as a drainage aid, however they could provide you more of a challenge, or a nice deck for your out depending on where your errant shot may fall.  Pot bunkers are set in some prime positions throughout the middle of fairways, and almost always guard the greens.

Our wettest round on record.

Overall, the course had a great design, and there was a fair amount of undulation throughout all aspects of the course.  Even so, the course was still playable, and the undulation didn't make for a frustrating round.  Dye incorporated three short par-4s that allow you to attack the course, while intermixing some long par-4 and -5s that were tough to reach.

The course will plays host to the annual PGA Tour Zurich Classic about a month after our round (last week of April).  Therefore, the course was in great shape, and we can't wait to catch a glimpse of how the pros attack their round in comparison to our play.

Locals can play this great Dye design at a steep discount, as compared to the daily rate.  Memberships with unlimited Monday through Friday play are available for $1800.  Similarly, they offer a NOLA card that enables the user to deeply discounted greens fees.  It actually would have cost us less for our round to buy the NOLA card and just play once.  Locals rejoice.

Scoreboard

2016, Best State-by-State Courses You Can Play (#2), Golfweek
2015-16, The Best Golf Courses in Louisiana (#5), Golf Digest
2015, Best State-by-State Courses You Can Play (#4), Golfweek
2012, America's 100 Greatest Public Courses (#99), Golf Digest
2004, Best Upscale Public Course (#4), Golf Digest

Professional Play

PGA Tour Zurich Classic

Expert Commentary

Bailey, M. (May 2009). At the TPC Louisiana Near New Orleans, You'll Have to Earn Your Money from the Sand, Travel Golf

St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square

Beyond the 19th Hole

A half hour outside the bustling bayou of New Orleans, TPC Louisiana is an easy addend to your stay in the French Quarter.

We enjoyed a great bike tour of the Garden District through Free Wheelin' Bike Tours.  It's a local, family-owned business from tour guides who've grown up in NOLA.  Furthermore, it's nice to stretch your legs and get some fresh air.  While it's not a star-gazer tour, we had the opportunity to see where Mark Twain spent time, in addition to the stomping grounds of Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, John Goodman, and the Mannings (of football fame).  Shuffle through the old Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, the final resting place of those afflicted with malaria and yellow fever back in the early days of the French.  

The French Quarter

Good food of the cajun variety and beyond abound in this town.  We enjoyed the following:

Breakfast

• Cafe du Monde, on the river and Jackson Square– famous for their beignets and cafe au lait
• The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant, tucked next to Pat O'Briens in the French Quarter 
• The Ruby Slipper, multiple locations in town for this diner-type joint
• Stanley, overlooking Jackson Square

Lunch

Oysters at Acme

• Acme Oyster House, prepare to wait for a seat
• La Petite Grocery, in the Garden District
• Cafe Amelie, enjoy dining in a French Quarter courtyard

Dinner

• SoBou, outside the W Hotel– offering inspired craft cocktails and menu items
• Tujague's, Creole eats and fun drinks near Jackson Square 
• Emeril's Delmonico, unique offerings near the edge of the Garden District and CBD

The Carousel Bar is another fun place to eat, drink, and be merry as you spin.  Located in the Hotel Monteleone. 

Scorecard