The Bluffs On Thompson Creek GC
St. Francisville, LA (32 miles NW of Baton Rouge)
1988, Arnold Palmer
Grey 7154, 74.6, 143, 72
Blue 6644, 71.7, 135, 72
Green 6000, 69.9, 75.0,130, 139, 72
Fees: ~$60
Directions: From Hwy 61 going N, head to Hwy 965 and make a right, the course is about 6 miles away on the right.
Golfcourse.com Review: This extremely scenic course was built on the natural landscape. The terrain is hilly, so you can expect uneven lies and several elevation changes. The multi-tiered greens are large, so three-putting is common. There are water hazards (streams, lakes, creeks, and ponds) that come into play on 16 holes. "GOLF Magazine" ranked it 34th among the "Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S." It was also the only course in Louisiana ranked in "GOLFWEEK's" 1997 list of "America's Best 100 Modern Courses," where it placed 100th. The Bluffs On Thompson Creek is part of The Audubon Golf Trail. Overseeding is done on the tees only.
Signature Hole: 17 #17 is a 239-yard, par 3, featuring an elevation change of fifty feet from the tee to a green guarded by water and sand bunkers.
Avg. Golfcourse.com Player Review: 4.4/5.0. "Great course, great layout, staff and service sucks, love #17, not a fan of #18."
Where To Grub, Baton Rouge: In Baton Rouge, Rick S. says locals took him to Sammy's Grill (8635 Highland Rd, Baton Rouge, 225-766-9600) for crawfish (in-season) and seafood. Bill T. recalls a great BBQ joint just across the street from the LSU campus. He couldn't quite remember the name, he thought it was "TJ's". A Yahoo search revealed two possible candidates: B J's Mesquite Smokehouse Bbq & Grill (8231 Scenic Hwy, (225) 774-0840), OR D J's Bar-B-Q (6609 Scenic Hwy, (225) 356-9227). He said it was an LSU/college football shrine with a Heisman trophy replica etc. on display. Unbelievable BBQ per Bill.
LSU Tailgaiting: Maxim recommends kicking things off with 11 a.m. Bloody Marys at famed local brewpub the Chimes, but don’t hang around too long: Tailgating in Baton Rouge means wandering its RV wilderness mooching hooch, jambalaya, and gumbo.