Bourbon Street Hurricane & Golf Weekend
Compiled by Fat Guy
Seven blocks of a hedonists' paradise in the French Quarter of N'Awlins. Wrought iron balconies, quaint courtyards, Hurricanes (the drink, and the severe weather phenomenon), cover bands, frozen drinks served in day-glo plastic cups, jello shots, and women show their goodies for a cheap currency that means nothing anywhere else. Here's how to do a Bourbon Street golf weekend right.
THE BARS
Cat's Meow- Wildly uninhibited karaoke bar with a Spring Break vibe.
John's Famous Door- Good bands and Fat Guy's best Hurricanes on Bourbon.
Razoo- Bourbon's best pickup bar, bands up front, outdoor patio in back, and a rowdy crowd.
Bourbon Street Blues- More of a dance club than a Blues bar.
Krazy Korner- The closest club to Pat O'Brien's.
Pat O'Brien's- The tourist stop for hurricanes. You can probably get a pouch of their Hurricane mix at your local grocery store. The Hurricanes aren't bad and it might be the quaintest courtyard on Bourbon. Stop in for one Hurricane just to get the t-shirt, then move on.
LaFitte's Blacksmith Shop- The Best Dive Bar in The Big Easy, and possibly the longest continually serving bar in the country. Take in the Old World ambience in this shack, rumored to be a hideout of the famous pirate LaFitte. They've never bothered with modern day conveniences like electric lights; nighttime brings candlelight as the only lighting.
Tropical Isle- A Jimmy-Buffet-island-style bar popular for serving Hand Grenades in Day-Glo green cups.
Johnny White's- A second floor local's joint with a Hawaiian vibe.
Pirate Bar- If Buffet is a pirate turned 40, then this is the spot for the middle-aged crowd.
Funky Butt (Rampart St.)- The French Quarter's best jazz bar.
The Old Absinthe House- A relaxed, casual and locals-favorite bar. It’s across the street from the famed Galatoire’s, so don’t be surprised if you see people in pearls and diamonds mingling with those in cut-off jeans.
Gold Mine Saloon- Located on Orleans Avenue and Dauphine streets, this late-night dive offers dancing, drinking and flaming shots. Don’t be surprised if, at all hours of the night, there is a line waiting outside — this place gets packed!
Strip Clubs: Hit the classy Rick's Cabaret on Bourbon, or the pricey Scores always has gorgeous talent, Hustler Club got good reviews on TUSCL.com, and the upscale Temptations gets high marks for the VIP room treatment.
GOLF
TPC of Louisiana at Fairfield
T&L Golf says: Think Harbour Town Golf Links. Think Kiawah's Ocean course. Think TPC at Sawgrass. That's the trilogy of Pete Dye's heralded tracks that he has channeled into the TPC of Louisiana at Fairfield, a sensationally conceived, low-profile layout whose crafty design is an architectural ode to swampy southern Louisiana—albeit one without railroad ties or island greens. 15 minutes from downtown, bordered by canals, crafted to mirror the characteristics of the below-sea-level land, and lined with stately oaks, tupelo gums and towering cypress trees. Dye filled out the layout with freaky little undulations to direct shots hither and yon. And it's long: 7519 from the tips. Avoiding the six man-made lakes and more than thirteen acres of stern, pointy-faced bunkers—many in the form of devilish potholes requiring sideways escapes—is something different altogether. Indeed, the bunkering here should prove harder to escape than a New Orleans jail, and that seems to be what pleases Dye the most.
Lakewood GC hosted the PGA Tour for 26 years before the TPC came along, and is also very near to the French Quarter.
English Turn Golf & Country Club, is an exacting Jack Nicklaus layout. Its mature oaks and plantation-style elegance survived Katrina quite nicely. Tiered greens, forced carries, water on every hole and a relentless, tournament-deciding final hole—471 yards into the wind—create all the drama you need.
Other Great N'Awlins Tracks You've Never Heard Of:
Two club pros and a waiter in the French Quarter said not to miss Money Hill Golf and Country Club, in Abita Springs. Named for pirate treasure believed to be buried on the grounds, it's a private Ron Garl design (see the reference above to Big Easy Golf to get you on), built on a seven-thousand-acre, red-clay estate that once housed a tung-oil factory. The Goodyear family, the estate's longtime owners, have created wildlife sanctuaries on the course. You should have little trouble getting off the tees—the fairways are generous—but more than eighty bunkers, plush rough and long carries over water, including at the 198-yard par-three fourth, keep you alert.
In a category all its own, Audubon Park Golf Course, an 1898 urban landmark operated by the Audubon Nature Institute, is not to be missed. The course, which occupies eighty-one acres off St. Charles Avenue, survived the hurricane because, like the French Quarter, it sits on high land known as "the sliver by the river." A $6 million renovation in 2002 has turned it into a 4,200-yard, par-sixty-two delight. Laugh not; this is serious fun. Twelve par threes, four par fours and two par fives make this honest, oak-lined layout a singular experience. Think three-hour rounds, smooth greens, an engaging Glaswegian who works in the pro shop, and a renowned zoo next door.
Golf Magazine's Travelin' Joe says he's heard great things about La Tour Golf Club ($49-$69; 985-532-7111, www.latourgolfclub.com) in Matthews, a David Toms/Ken Morgan design that's 45 minutes from downtown. If the reports are true about a superb collection of par 3s, firm and fast conditions and hearty Cajun fare in the temporary clubhouse, La Tour would definitely qualify as a hidden gem.