Fat Guy's New Orleans LA Golf Weekend
I've been to N'Awlins just once, well before Katrina, for a 3-day convention. I didn't manage to get in a round, but I did do a fair amount of partying on Bourbon Street. Thus, much of this info is based on golf magazine research, particularly T&L Golf's profile, along with my personal booze & grub recommendations, and those of the Food Network, Travel Channel, etc.
Orientation, Weather, & When To Go: Wedged between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans is flat and swampy. Some of the area's courses are squishy for days after downpours, so be sure to call ahead. The region's prime golf season is October through May, when daytime highs range from the low sixties to the mid-eighties. Although several of the finest courses are private, most allow reciprocal play or can be booked through Big Easy Golf (www.bigeasygolf.com). To make the most of the city, stay in or near the French Quarter. That means driving an hour or more to outlying courses, but you can pass the time by listening to WWOZ-FM (90.7), the marvelous jazz, zydeco and blues station. [T&L Golf]
Highs average in the 60's from Dec-Feb, 70's in Mar-Apr & Nov, a perfect 80 in Oct, high 80's in May-June & Sept, and low 90's in July-Aug. April and October bring the best golfing weather.
As far as picking a time of year for a golf weekend here, there's really only one question here: To Mardi Gras, or not to Mardi Gras? If you're in your 20's and can afford it, for Chrissake-- GO! I've never been to Mardi Gras, but it remains on my bucket list. Personally I've settled into a dastardly middle-aged attitude where I want all of the ambiance and entertainment of a place like New Orleans, with enough people around to make it feel kinda jumpin' and provide some nice eye candy, but without all the massive crowds, logistical hassels, standing 5 or 12 deep at the bar to get a drink, and paying ridiculously jacked-up room rates. Others I've spoken to who've been to Mardi Gras have all given me similar advice: You gotta go once, just to experience it. But the crowds are brutal, and once is probably enough. And trying to mix early tee times with world-class Mardi Gras hangovers might not be the funnest thing in the world, plus I suspect I'd be tempted to blow off a round or three when there are girls already running around Bourbon Street topless and half-loaded at 10 in the morning. And believe me, Bourbon Street is plenty fun enough on any random Saturday night (or even any random Tuesday evening for that matter), as the hedonistic vibe permeates the place even without the Mardi Gras crowds and traditions. Upon reflection, I'd recommend doing Mardi Gras and a New Orleans golf buddy weekend on seperate trips. Mardi Gras first, sans golf, then a non-Mardi Gras buddy golf trip second, maybe a few years after your Mardi Gras trip, when you can afford better greens fees, better hotel rooms, better restaurants, and you won't be quite as hungover for that morning tee time.
Where To Play:
Course Collecting:
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.
Where To Booze:
Fat Guy Recommendations- Assuming you're staying in The Big Easy (and why wouldn't you), it's not like you can go wrong in Satan's lair. Everyone knows to head to Bourbon Street. Pat O'Brien's (718 St Peter St) is famous for Hurricanes and has some great New Orleans ambiance with a nice outdoor courtyard. But I liked John's Open Door Saloon more, with live blues and the best Hurricanes (WARNING: 6 IS TOO MANY!!!). Travel Channel says LaFitte's Blacksmith Shop (914 Bourbon St) is 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. OR, per US Air Attache' magazine, hit Mid City Bowling Lanes (aka The Rock-'n-Bowl, 4133 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, 504-482-3133) for 18 lanes of crashing pins New-Orleans-style, with blistering live blues, and a hoppin' dance floor. With debauchery being the order of the day, you'll want to end your evening at Rick's Cabaret on Bourbon.
T&L Golf likes--
Napoleon House 500 Chartres St.; 504/524-9752.
Maspero's 440 Chartres St.; 504/524-8990.
Keuffer's Bar 540 Chartres St.; 504/523-8705.
Preservation Hall 726 St. Peter St.; 504/522-2841.
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro 626 Frenchmen St.; 504/949-0696
Where To Grub:
Fat Guy Recommendations & Research- For grub on the company's dime, the famed Emeril's does 3 seatings per night, but reservations are hard to come by. Call months in advance if Emeril's is on your Must Eat list. Commander's Palace (1403 Washington Ave.), where Emeril perfected his Cajun touch, is one of The Big Easy's oldest grand places to eat. Great filet, awesome jumbo Shrimp apps, unbelievable desserts. Features an open kitchen with a bar inside the kitchen. A classic place to wait for a table. OR, Philly's Metro Paper says it's a Big Easy tradition for upper crust families to treat their sons and daughters to a 16th birthday celebration at Galatoire's for the famous trout meuniere amandine ($16), "one of the simple joys of Creole cuisine." OR, Playboy named Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse one of the 10 Best Steakhouses in America. Owned by the same family that has Commander's Palace, Dickie's doesn't skimp on ingredients or portions. Everything they serve gets the creole touch. Here in the subterranean dining room decked out with swords and rifles, the strip steaks aren't grilled or broiled- they're slapped onto red-hot cast-iron skillets and seared to give them a delicious crust. Sip a Sazerac cocktail in the masculine bar up front, then order fried oysters, a robust Rhone wine, and a thick Porterhouse. Or try the mixed grill of andouille sausage, filet mignon, or chicken and pork tenderloin served with 2 sauces and lyonnaise potatoes on the side. A bananas Foster bread pudding with a rum-raisin creme anglaise and a snifter of Maker's Mark bourbon is the perfect capper.
OR, if you're on your own wallet and want true Cajun, try Mulate's, 201 Julia St across from the Convention Center. Great family-style cajun restaurant, try the Crawfish Etoufee. Live cajun music nightly at 19:30. For quick sandwiches, try the Home of original Mouffalotta sandwich-- foccia bread, ham, salami, and olive salad dressing at Central Grocery Co. on Decautur St. The Food Network recommends the authentic Cajun cuisine at K Paul's, but leave plenty of extra time to deal with the line to get in. Food Network and Bon Appetite Mag love the fried chicken at Willie May's Scotch House. N'Awlins' best wings can be found at World Of Wings, with 17 proprietary sauces, and good enough to compete in the Buffalo NY Annual Wing Festival. Golf Magazine's Travelin' Joe digs the char-grilled oysters at Drago's on the way into town from the airport.
T&L Golf says: In this holy city of gastronomy, you can only scratch the surface on a short visit. That said, Mandina's, a beloved Italian-Creole place on Canal Street, has built a cult following for its trout amandine and turtle soup. Family-owned since 1918, genteel Arnaud's, on Bienville Street, specializes in fresh seafood and alligator sausage served against the aural backdrop of Dixieland. Other all-stars include Galatoire's, for classic creole; Herbsaint, for a contemporary and worldly take on classic New Orleans flavors; and Serio's Po-Boys & Deli on St. Charles, whose third-generation owners recently won a Food Network "throw down" against Bobby Flay. On the drive back from Carter Plantation, Middendorf's is a chowhound's find: an authentic Depression-era landmark beside Lake Maurepas offering shrimp remoulade and peach-bread pudding, as well as fried catfish that can make grown men weep.
Where To Stay: I stayed at a hotel somewhere near the convention center. Not surprisingly, I don't recall the name. But definitely get a room within stumbling distance (or an easy cab ride) to Bourbon Street.
What To Read Before You Go: Horny? New Orleans by Ian McNulty. Self-explanatory.