by Hal Gevertz
Before I proceed with my article I wish to inform you that all is well and not hazardous in this part of Louisiana. Their beaches are in tact and all their restaurants featuring local Cajun and Creole cuisine including fresh fish, shrimp, mussels, and crayfish and other delectable’s are at your beck and call because most of it is raised and farmed in their inland waters.
So if you in are in the mood for a fantastic adventure you can also enjoy a few of the 75 year -round festivals (second only to New Orleans) including Mardi Gras, Cajun French music and food festivities. It includes Contrabands Days, a two week celebration of their link to the pirate Jean Lafitte where that annual event begins when Lafitte and crew capture the city and force the major to walk the plank. There are also seven inexpensive, top notch golf courses to exercise on. If that sounds right up your alley, pack your suitcase, take your golf clubs and head for Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana.
I parked my clothes and clubs at the beautiful L’ Auberge Du Lac Casino 26-story Resort that’ the tallest building between Houston and Baton Rouge. It includes 1,000 spacious rooms, suites and villas featuring comfy beds, great views and large baths. There is 26,000 square feet of meeting space, 30,000 sq. ft of gaming, a fabulous tropical pool with a moving circular river and a luxury spa, salon and marina. It also include eights various dining options with the award winning Snake River Grill coming in first place. It features innovative cuisine with a focus on steaks, seafood, wine and attentive personalized service. Then there is Jack Daniel’s Grill that also features steaks, specialty sandwiches and other favorites with more than 40 beers from around the world.
The romantic history of Lake Charles involves tales of pirates and buried treasure. It began with the arrival of the first French settlers in the 1760s. The lumber boom fueled by vast woodlands in the area was responsible for the rapid growth of the city in the early years. This was followed in the late 1800s when sulphur was discovered in a nearby town named for it. The fifty acre tract of mining land was then known as the “richest fifty acres in the world. By the late 40s, the main focus was the petrochemical industry which is still the backbone of the city that keeps their population from staying away from the out of work category.
Lake Charles, the fifth largest incorporated city in the US state of Louisiana is located on the banks of the Calcasieu River and borders both Lake Charles and Prien Lake. It’s situated on a plain about 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The Port of Lake Charles is the twelfth-largest seaport in the United States, the fourth largest liner service seaport in the U. S. Gulf and a major West Gulf container load center.
And along with fabulous fishing and a myriad of other sporting options along with five interesting museums to spend some time in, you will be able to set your sights upon ponds and river outlets abundant throughout the region. You might even be fortunate to catch a glimpse of the king of the marsh
But since I viewed five golf courses where many ponds hang out, I saw my share of those” look but don’t touch” scary creatures. The first course visited was the brand new (2009) National Golf Club of Louisiana. This par 72 6,946-yard expansive layout features 14 lakes, 80 bunkers, preserved wetlands and some of western Louisiana’s most formidable putting surfaces. Their MiniVerde greens will keep them deep green year-round. Its part of an expansive mature, soft pine forest and its rolling terrain of outstanding holes are set up beautifully in design and quality.
It starts off with a strong par five of 537-yds with water hanging in on parts of the right side. The fairway eventually makes its way to a green where bunkers are noted on the right with oversized fronting putter land falling away from right to left. The 391-yd 4th is another waterscape with water on its left size as it bends around to a small elevated bunkered green with more water on the same side.
The 192-yd par 3 fifth is one of most outstanding Signature holes you will ever come across. Fronting the tee is a body of water that has to be traversed where three separated hot-dog shaped bunkers (Oakmont Pew traps style) awaits wrong way direction. A slanty green is behind all the trouble with its steep back to front movement.
Another solid par three of 176-yds is found at the 12th where water plays a waiting game on the right side followed by some quality bunkering by a green that makes its way up and then downward where most of the pin placements reside.
As the National Golf Club winds down the top rated par four 16th of 457-yds comes with water on the right side and then shows more wet on the left as you get closer to a diagonal shaped green that is on the quiet side of movement. This is followed by the par four 494-yarder where water starts off on both sides of the fairway and ends up with the wet on the right making its way all the way to an expansive green surrounded by a cluster of bunkers.
The par four 415-yd 18th finishes the course with class and “posaz” as aqua sprinkles the entire right side and another field of wetness takes over on the left side close to a slightly raised undulating putting surface with protecting bunkers standing by.
My next golfing adventure took me to Mallard Cove in Lake Charles, one of the
best municipal golf courses in Southern Southwest Louisiana. Its right next door
to the former Chennault airbase named in honor of General Chennault who once led
the famed Flying Tigers and the U.S. 14th air force against the Japanese in
China and Burma.
Developed in 1976 by Jim Wall, a former associate of Robert Tent Jones, the 7,015-yd course in 2001 underwent a major renovation of greens, tees and bunkers and water hazards come into play of the 18 holes.
Because of destructive Rita in 2005, a spanking new clubhouse was opened in 2009 with two miles of cart path being completed in late 2010 to compliment your round of golf. Comfortably level fairways, medium height trees, and narrowing fairways is exemplified by the 574-yd opening hole of what Mallard Cove has to offer. Water comes to play on the immediate right with a touch more of wet on the same side as you get closer to a small undulating green with slight movement.
As ponds seem to come out of the woods, one of the best is the 407-yd dogleg right 6th where a juicy framed pond fronts the green and where the far right side is the dry safe way for ones approach. This is followed by a 169-yd one shot opportunity of driving over water from tee to green. Then comes the 504-yd par five 8th where water intervenes 150-yds from putter land with the far right side avoiding the hazard.
The most difficult Mallard Cove hole is found at the long 601-yd par five 10th. Tree trouble abounds on the right side with the main body of difficulty arriving 100-yds from green where a deep, wet creek separates an oversize putting surface that falls away from back to front. The signature one shot 190-yarder comes next with water from tee to green to contend with. Another par three at the 187-yd 16th is unique as a small pond on its forward left size is frequented by large mouth bass. That’s in case you are hungrier for a fish fry than trying to make par on a green with a large, elongated bunker holding up the front side. The 563-yd 18th will separate the best in golfers as there is water hanging around both sides. The fairway eventually makes its way around the right side where you will find an upslope green with sand traps and trees hanging around to avoid.
Of the five golf courses visited my favorite was the Gray Plantation Golf Club
that was built in 1999. It was designed by Rocky Roquemore who has put his stamp
on more than 100 courses around the world. This 7,191-yd course along with 94
bunkers comes with both the Calcasieu Waterway and 60 acres of man made lakes on
11 holes that contribute to the courses difficulty and aesthetics. Golf Magazine
describes it as “a delicate mix of Southern charm and Cajun fire and Golf Digest
has named it as one of the top 100 greatest public courses.
Nature also provides plenty of natural wildlife including wood ducks, egrets, alligators, and an occasional fox roaming the edges of the marshland. Because of Hurricane Rita messing up the course in 2005, it’s just starting to get back in shape, minus a forest full of trees and the recent rebuilding of putting grounds after salt water gave them a bad time.
The Gray Plantation shows off its antebellum feel along the 540-yd par five opening hole with numerous white column and red brick two story homes on its right side. The green is undulating and upward with slight breaks to contend with and a deep bunker fronting the proceedings.
The next par four of 417-yds is uphill with major bunkering to avoid and a steep contoured putting surface that could spell three putts without any trouble. The 465-yd par four dogleg right 4th shows off acres of wetland on the right side close to the green that rolls along uphill with left to right breaks. The signature 168-yd one shot 6th has the smallest green on the course. It’s perched on a spit of land surrounded on three sides by salt water. The right formula for success includes distance and accuracy.
And then we come to the toughest “top of the best” 589-yd 7th”. The fairway is expansive with water on both sides of the teeing grounds. Then comes the approaching grounds where players have the option of treading the needle past a wetland or lay up for a dangerous long approach over swampland to a shallow green that’s sloped from back to front. Another scary water-down hole is found at the 370-yd par four 11th where water holds court from start to finish. It features a split fairway with a lake in the middle. Brave souls have the option of trying your skill over water to a fast moving putting surface that breaks from left to right.
As I headed over to the lovely one shot 213-yd par 3 13th that comes with water from start to finish and a bundle of bunkers circumventing the putting surface, I passed a yellow metallic sign stating that underneath the turf grass and surrounding terrain is a petroleum pipeline that Shell Oil owns. Now wouldn’t you like to have that royalty under your own private club to avoid paying dues and other charges?. The 165-yd par three 17th is another wet one where 80% of it is Island green. A ridge in the center of the putting surface could cause many balls from careering back into the water otherwise the rest of it is slightly contoured with subtle movements.
The hard-working, blue-collar, town of Sulpher was where my next test of golfing was located and it’s a true community effort “do it yourself “golf course. What made this Frasch Park Golf Course so special is that volunteer laborers helped carve the original course when the first nine holes was opened in 1955 and the back nine 10 years later. It was worked out of mostly flat countryside thick with oak trees, Spanish moss and towering pines.
For four decades, the 6007-yd layout consisted mostly of tight, tree-lined fairways with patches of St. Augustine grass and weeds. There were no bunkers and a canal was the only water. At that time, it was just “hit the ball and watch it run, run and run.” But today there are normal behaving Bermuda grass fairways, plentiful ponds and two island greens. It now plays just under 6,400-yds from the back tees and is tight and funky in places. For a “do as you go” public golf course it’s demanding and quite impressive.
Teeing areas have been lengthened and most of the greens have been enlarged. Some holes have been reconfigured and made longer with numerous hazards to enjoy one way or the other. Teamwork among its members has certainly made the difference here because of pride and perseverance.
As our journalists arrived late at the golf course, we were only able to play nine holes and the back nine was the place to start. The par four 286-yd 10th is spaciously tree lined through the entire fairway until you make contact with a devilish (Donald Ross style) high rise green. Any approach just missing the tiny putting surface by one inch will mean trouble as it falls away to the bottom of it.
This is followed by a 310-yd par four where all the trouble is found close to the putting surface. A sprawling Oak tree hiding it has to be hit over the hazard to find the small, level green near a fresh water, fish laden pond also fronting the scene.
The 184-yd one shot 13th is much tougher than its 17 handicap states. There is a cement retaining canal on its right side that carries overflow water through the community. The green to the left of it almost kisses the hazard with safe passage on the left side. A par or birdie is much treasured here. It can be attested by an old time member who parks there almost every day. I noticed at least 100 wayward golf balls in his cart that found the canal with ease. Another par 3 appears on the scene at 154-yd 16th. Anything too far right of the tee will find all the aqua you can handle and a body of wet also separates turf grass from some uplifting putting surface. The 411-yd par four 17th catches the same culvert going in the opposite direction from tee to green with a narrowing fairway that must favor the left side to avoid the wet.
What makes Frasch Park Golf Club so thoughtfully generous is that junior golfers and others in that age bracket have complimentary playing privileges. Because of it that group of golfers every few weeks head to the golf course to repair ball marks and sand over divots.
So here I am back where the Lake Charles media trip at the fabulous L’Auberge du lac Casino began. And it was across the street from the resort where my final 18 holes of golf took place. Designed by world renowned golf architect Tom Fazio, the course is noted for its emphasis on marsh and lowland features of Louisiana’s natural environment. This interesting 7,036-yd par 71 Contraband Bayou named layout also features a combination of aquatic and natural vegetation winding around eight spectacular lakes where alligators also makes their home. Eighteen new greens are under construction to replace the ones Hurricane Rita made a mess of.
The course takes off with a 373-yd par four along limited width fairway that moves about uneven turf grass. The green, when reached, moves gently upward with breaking placements that work along from right to left.
The 435-yd 3rd hole is where you could join the tree-trouble club on the left side of the fairway as well as a center bushy obstruction just off the teeing grounds. A fairway bunker also hangs out to be avoided as you make your way to a football shaped green that breaks from right to left. The 557-yd par five 6th travels straightaway with trees also playing a waiting game along the perimeter of the hole. It then dwindles downward to a cradle styled green that angle from left to right. The top rated par four 425-yd 8th has to avoid a large body of water hugging most of the entire left side and a solid display of bunkering on its right side. The putting surface makes its way up from front to back while angling from right to left.
The granddaddy of them all is greeted with this very level 601-yd par 5 10th hole where water presents itself on the left side for 175-yds. Then another parcel of wetness hangs around across the way from a long narrowing green that breaks from left to right. Another outstanding designed hole presents itself at the 369-yd 14th that bends slightly left through a grove of tall timber and sand traps as it makes its way upward to an elevating green that breaks slightly from right to left.
Two of the best holes that Contraband Bayou have to offer begins with the Signature 196-yd one shot 17th that’s riddled with hazards starting with almost an island of water separating the tee to a bunker fronted putting surface and backed up by a ribbon of sand. It’s followed by 549-yds of excitement where the drive over water continues along almost the entire right side with sunning alligators are to be to be avoided except for taking a picture from far away. The uplifting, bunker covered, putting surface with pronounced tilting from the upper left side is quit difficult in finding the cup.
For Louisiana Luxury on the Lakes L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort www.Idlcasino.com or (337) 395-7777. For Golf Reservations 1-800-456-SWLA visitlakecharles.org.