TPC Advice

[Sunny D]

Hi all,

I am heading to New Orleans for some golf the week of November 18th. I am going to be playing the TPC Louisianna Course. I would welcome any advice if someone has played it. Also any recommendations for courses around New Orleans. I am looking at Money Hill as well. It's about an hour away but I hear is an amazing course. Thanks all....

[jeffc]

post this on torontogolfnuts.com. Lionel (Goshawk) on there is from Nawlins and can likely help.

[Sunny D]

thanks Jeff....

[Sunny D]

post this on torontogolfnuts.com. Lionel (Goshawk) on there is from Nawlins and can likely help.

Hi all

They are a little late in coming but here are a few pics from my round at TPC Louisiana. First let me say that I thourouhly enjoyed my round of golf. The course was in great shape. The greens were running true and the course manager said that they were running a little slow at 10 the day we played. We played from the Pete Dye tees which are the farthest back. In many instances close to the PGA tees. The weather was perfect, sunny 75 degrees and no wind at all.

At first glance the course looks rather unassuming. Yes, there is water and sure there are traps but nothing diabolical comes to mind. Then you start to play.... I realized that unlike a lot of other courses that I have played the course designer has created illusions. Hit just off the fairway and you are in some nasty rough, the kind that loves to eat the ball then grap your club from your hands and beat you. If you miss the rough then you are into mounds and hills that present the most impossible stances to even get at the ball and trees that are actually much closer to the fairway then they appear.

Anyway, on the first hole I looked down what I thought was a fairly generous fairway and ripped a drive long and straight and dead center. Great, in the fairway on the first hole!! But when I got to the ball I realized that I only had about 20 yards of fairway on either side of my ball. Umm..... not sure about you guys but I don't drive it that straight every time.... But good news I pared the first hole at TPC Louisiana. For the rest of the front 9 I played very conservative golf. The driver came out one more time, the other holes saw me hitting my 4 iron and focus on placement. I played the front nine with a 42.

Then came the back nine. Almost like a different courses. The faiways got a more generous thank heavens but landing areas were placed very strategically so that if you went long you were in a bunker or that very nasty rough. Short was not often an option as there were a few holes with forced carries. The greens on the back 9 were a totally different than the front. They were all well protected with regular bunkers, pot bunkers, grass mounds, waste grass areas. (in fact the only thing that I did not see were castle walls and flaming oil - but I would hate to give Pete Dye ideas) The greens were smaller as well, and most had movement in every direction but the one you wanted or at least it seemed that way to me. But hard as they were they were fair. If you hit the correct landing area in relation to the pin placement then it was certainly possible to one putt. The correct area was of course about the size of a dime. Well, maybe it was about a six foot circle but it sure seemed like it was a dime. I shot a 46 on the back nine and was very happy to walk off the course having broken 90.

Have to say this is my first time playing a course the pro's play. I understand the golf commentators better now when they say players have to know when to go for it. I played very conservatively to the strengths of my game (my long and mid irons) and played well. I also putted well and my putting is streaky. My playing partners did not fare so well using driver much more and all scored close to 100. This course punishes you for not being in the short grass....

Looking forward to playing Sawgrass in December. I''ve got a few more pics so send me a note and I can send to your email - having attachment issues....