TPC Louisiana

We played TPC during a weekend trip to NOLA. The course was well maintained and in great condition. Many sand traps came into play, at least for me, but water was less prevalent. We got to see some alligators on hole 17. The marshal/staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The food at the clubhouse was very good. We would play here again!

One thing about this relatively exposed layout south of New Orleans across the Mississippi River is that if the wind blows there is nothing to buffer it. And today the fan was on. The good thing was the wind was helping on the holes where it was advantageous, particularly on Nos. 9, 17 and 18. Those of you who have played here may have read that statement and said, "17?" While it is true that it was not downwind like 9 and 18, it was off the right, so you could hang it out and let the wind blow it back and take the water left of the green out of play. Course played a bit soft due to the recent weather, and greens weren't slow, but were a bit hairier than I remembered, I suppose because of the time of year. I really like this Dye layout. He doesn't try to slap you around like Sawgrass or Kiawah. Being long off the tee, while always an advantage, is not a key to scoring well here. In fact, throttling back can often leave you with no more than a mid-iron in, while avoiding all trouble a hole presents. Good iron play will carry the day. Beware, however, that missing these greens can require some deft up and downs off tight lies. And being wet today increased the degree of difficulty in that regard. The green undulations aren't crazy here, so putting shouldn't inflate your score. The bunkers are for the most part smaller than normal. Pete's signature coffin bunkers are plentiful here. Watch out for the gators, as they are numerous, particularly along the hazard bordering the 18th fairway. Good value play, especially this time of year, as the TPC logo doesn't inflate the greens fee here as much as other courses within the network.

Great course. Would definitely play again

That day the greenkeeper were overdressing the greens, we Gas Thema in front of us for many holes. Why do they start their work on hole one and not on hole 18 and than backwards.

Never the less we had a wonderful day on a beautiful course.

Could not have picked a better course to play. great practice facilities. Greens were in great shape. The course makes you hit fairways but if missed it's usually in a bunker that you can hit out off. Played 6,600 yards. Will play the longer tee box on the next visit.

Summer golf in Louisiana is normally one of two things - hot or wet. Sometimes it's both. This day, it was very hot and sticky, and the rain that had fallen pretty much every day prior to the week of this event.

This round at TPC Louisiana came courtesy of the ForeKids Foundation which is a charitable organization that helps to put on the Zurich Classic PGA Tour event held at the course annually in April. I volunteer for that event and normally we get a free round of golf - this year the foundation also put on this tournament for us as well, as an extra thank you due to some trying weather and volunteers going above and beyond this year.

The TPC course is a Pete Dye design, with some typical Dye features - railroad ties, some target golf. It was carved out of some Louisiana swampland, about 15-20 minutes from downtown New Orleans.

On the day we played, the course was in good shape. Aerating had taken place several weeks back so the greens were getting back up to speed, but hadn't made it to the speed they normally play. My one complaint on the day was the rough. When the tour comes to town in April, the grass is just coming out of it's winter dormancy, so the rough is thin. During the summer months, the rough gets very thick. Couple that with a good bit of rain, and the rough was nearly unplayable, causing slow play in 2 ways - poor shots and trying to find balls that just simply missed the fairway. We lost at least 2 balls that just weren't hit on the fairway, but into the rough. Once the ball settled to the ground, the rough was so thick as to make it impossible to find.

The course itself has 5-6 different tees so there isn't any way the course should be too long for you. The front and back nine are on the same area so everything is even. Overall the course is nice. Is it outstanding? Remarkable? Memorable? Not so much, but it's a great golf course. The cost on a normal round is a bit steep, though they run a lot of specials. In the summer, though, they run lots of deals to get people out there. Because it's a bit of a hike from some parts of the city, it needs a discounted rate more often to get people out there.

Great overall experience. Friendly staff that was very attentive. The course is a very fair test with an interesting layout. The fairways and rough were in good condition despite a 3 hour rainstorm that ended just an hour before I went out. It was cart path only, but that's perfectly understandable. There were a few brown/dried out spots on a handful of the greens (what do you expect in Louisiana in July), but they had minimal impact. If you can get a tee time thru a Hot Deal, I highly recommend jumping on that opportunity, as the greens fees are a bit steep.

Awesome TPC course and facility. Very nice course design with appropriate forward tees for the ladies. Will definitely play this course again.

The course was awesome. Great price at $59.00 after 3:00pm. The greens have been better but was surprised how many members do not fix their pitch marks on the greens. . Overall I thought it was a great round of golf on a great course

I visited TPC Louisiana with a bachelor party. Booking tee times was exceptionally easy, as the people I worked with were friendly and made everything work for us, including handling a reduction in the number of attendees late in the game. Upon arrival, we were greeted kindly and it was smooth getting from bag drop to the first tee.

From there, we had a terrible experience with the course marshall - my group included two experienced but novice players, one relatively inexperienced player and one beginner. We had a difficult time with the first hole (I'll talk about the course later... it is beautiful and challenging!), and the marshall approached us to tell us that we needed to pick up our pace. We understood his concerns and adjusted our play accordingly. However, it didn't end with that. Although we were playing at a moderate pace, the group behind us was playing very quickly; by the sixth hole, the marshall decided to let them play through us - a move we all welcomed, as it presumably would take pressure off of our group. However, matters got much worse from here.

After the group played through us, we found ourselves waiting for them on each hole, which was not a concern to us since we were enjoying ourselves. Typically, they would be on the fairway taking their second shots, but they were just close enough (~200 yards from the tees) that we were hesitant to tee off (I occasionally get that perfect 250 yard drive). Even so, the course marshall followed us from hole to hole, watching our every move. At one point, I hit a ball into a long, wide bunker that had no rakes nearby. Out of respect for the course, I ran around to the other side, grabbed a rake and proceeded to take my shot. When I went back to rake the bunker, the marshall rudely told me to "Forget it and move on." His comments became ruder as we played on - "I'm surprised the whole group even made it; most of these bachelor parties half the people are too hung over to get here," "I'm sure you all will be glad to get back to the [French] Quarter after this," to give a sense. By the back nine, his presence was incredibly distracting, and we couldn't even really track our play since any time we hit a bad ball, we were instructed to simply drop on the green, even if it was something as simple as hitting a tee shot into a water hazard. I felt like I had a reasonable round, but I have no idea what my score was since we were discouraged from playing out a full hole. I felt that after paying more than $100 per person, we had paid for the privilege to play a full round, which we did not have the chance to do. For reference, the other group we played with felt similarly "watched" by the marshall, but he did not make comments; our best guess is that he was tolerant since they shot well, between 80 and 99.

Although the overzealous, rude marshall basically ruined my experience, I can say that the course itself is beautiful. For a casual golfer, it poses a lot of challenges, but it is also forgiving. Fairways are wide, and bunkers are mostly shallow. In some cases, bunkers provide excellent protection from water hazards. Greens are gorgeous and play very fast, but there are few double breaks and no unreasonable grades.

The clubhouse was phenomenal - after speaking to the pro shop about our bad experience, we were offered a round of drinks, which I thought was a great gesture. The staff in the clubhouse was warm and welcoming, and the facilities were incredible.

Overall, I would love to play this course again, but I would hesitate to do so if I couldn't break 100 on a regular basis, and I would highly discourage beginners from playing this course, especially if you are from out of state - the pressure put on by the course marshall only intensified the already great challenge the course posed. For those who shoot in the 70s or 80s regularly, this course would be a fantastic challenge, and I highly recommend it!

This is the best course in NOLA, hands down. It's expensive, but the best

The home of the Zurich Classic. It is what you would expect from a TPC Course. As someone who has played it lots of times (30+), at various times of year & growing seasons, the best compliment I can give is, consistency. That is a good thing, especially with the small details.
The staff is always friendly and helpful. Practice areas are always clean, in good condition, with practice balls to match. The golf cars are clean and well maintained. The golf operations are what you would expect and demand from this facility based upon the fees.
The golf course may be the best conditioned public course in the area, I haven't played them all or English Turn under new management. The routing is a traditional bow-tie loop. As you would expect from Pete Dye, lots of mind games. This is made the more difficult since the property is flat, and depth perception can be difficult for many.
The Fairways are generous, with a bail-out side. All the areas through the green are kept at a manageable height for Bermuda, so lies are not too tight and the rough is not penal.
The firm greens are the real defense, with many set at angles to the fairway, with lots of collection areas/run off, think "wavy potato chips." There are hazards in play on most holes, so if you tend to spray it, you will lose a ball or two. The final three holes are my only issue with the layout. I think Dye could have used the land better. The 16th has been modified since it opened, and is still a weak hole. The par 3 17th, is too similar to #9 and way too demanding from the back tee, the Zurich doesn't use it. #18 is an interesting par 5, with lots of options and pitfalls. It is really fun to play when the grandstands are up, gives a true "stadium feel."
Overall, if you come to NOLA, and want a quality round, and don't mind a 25-30 minute drive, this is a viable option.

I was here on business in New Orleans and after searching several courses, chose this one. It is about a 20 minute cab ride to the course.

For a course that hosts a PGA event, it has a relaxed atmosphere and the staff is very nice. The practice facility is right next to the pro shop and first tee and has a decent putting green, chipping area and range.

It was a great winter day--some sun and temperatures in the 70s. The course was slightly wet after several days of rain, but drains well. The fairways were a bit rough with some bare patches, but it was February. I played in 3 hours and 10 minutes. The go cart track was going full force and I could hear the roars on about 4 holes.

The course is extremely playable for the average golfer. Multiple sets of tees are reasonable for everyone. The driving is not tight. There is a nice mix of distances on the par 3s, par 4s and par 5s. The greens usually have bail out areas on at least one side. Most greens have the ability for a run up from one side of the fairway. The water present does not require forced carries or absolute reasons to challenge it. Only a few trees come into play. The driving areas are relatively wide until you get closer to the holes. The rough now is not thick, but I suppose the bermuda will be a bit thick by April. There is minimal elevation to the course.

Two things make this course challenging. 1) First, the greens. They are generally fast, large and surrounded by fairly tight chipping areas where your ball will easily roll into. And the required chip will need to be crisp. The greens also are sometimes difficult to read--2 of them seem to break away from the adjacent water. 2) Second, the typical Pete Dye optics to the golfer. Invariably, the shot required or encouraged (fade or draw) will be at least visually intimidating and often with trouble in play . For example, if the hole sets up for a draw, you will be drawing the ball towards trouble often and the prevailing wind pushing the ball towards the trouble. But if you want to fade the ball to avoid trouble, you will need to start the fade over/near the trouble. (think of Hole #17 at Whistling Straits as the prototype)This starts on Hole # 3 and continues for many of the subsequent holes. However, unlike other Pete Dye courses, this course does give the golfer ample bail out on the side away from trouble. This is how it can be challenging for the pros and still playable for the average golfer. For those who tire of Pete Dye designs, the waste bunkers aren't too annoying and only 1 hole with railroad ties.

The pros routinely rate this course as one of their least favorite on tour. For them, I see why: It isn't particularly scenic--it is located in a swampy area away from the metropolitan area. They probably all have 30 minute drives to the course. There are not very memorable holes or green complexes except perhaps the final 3 holes. Hole # 16 you have to decide whether to lay up behind the bunkers and have a long iron to the green with water to the left of your approach. Hole # 17 is a large green with water to the left with the prevailing wind pushing the ball to the left. As someone who hits a draw, I had to start the ball off the green (check the pin sheet or use a range finder) and end up in the middle. Hole #18 is a par 5 with water up the entire right side and bunkers on the left that have a high enough lip that you probably should use a 7 iron at most to get out of.

It's a TPC set-up. Great practice area, solid conditions and the best part was the accommodating staff. At one point I counted a dozen or so workers on the course attending to details since the conditions were already very good. At $100+ it's affordable for a TPC facility. I you can get it for less, jump at the chance to play it.

The more I play this course, the more I like it. Maybe it's because I'm older now and I appreciate courses that are a little easier to get around. This is really Pete Dye Lite (with Steve Elkington's influence). There are lots of bunkers, but many of them aren't difficut. And the fairways are pretty generous. Still it's interesting and somewhat akin to TPC Sawgrass for a lot less money. And in the summer, at $150, it's one of the best values in the TPC Network.

This course is very close to a race track where most of the cars are drifting. It is very loud especially on hole number 4. We played on a Sunday. The Pro shop attendant that checked us in treated us like a non member. Everybody else was great. I liked the course layout. It was quite muddy and has a long way to go to get ready for the tournament in April. The bunkers and water hazards were the biggest challenges for me. At $69 it was a good value.

I've played both Sawgrass layouts, Boston, Memphis as well asTampa Bay and TPC's Louisiana compares well to all of them. Despite a ton of rain in recent days, conditions were moist, not muddy without any casual water in bunkers or fairways. Typical Dye design in bunker population and placement, but this track has some subtle character to it. It was fun, pretty fair and a real challenge to hit tee shots close on all but one of the Par 3's. Not sure if I just picked the perfect day, but this seems to be a TPC that doesn't get a ton of play and offers a very relaxed atmosphere throughout the grounds. Considering the damage Katrina caused this property in 2005, count me among those in the golf community who appreciate the decision to clean up TPC Louisiana and not just shut it down and relocate the PGA Tour event elsewhere.

I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER GOLF EXPERIENCE . THE COURSE WAS AWESOME SHAPE, THE EMPLOYEES WERE VERY KIND AND HELPFULL , HAD A GREAT DAY, CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK . THIS IS HOW YOU ENJOY A DAY OFF FROM WORK .(VERY RELAXING !)

Course was well kept. The staff seemed disinterested in our golf experience. Couldn't find the starter when we approached our tee time. Had to go into the pro shop to ask if it was ok to tee off. They really didn't seem to care. The gal on the golf cart was very friendly.