Can anyone recommend some golf courses in the Tampa area for a February getaway? Budget is $200/round. I'm posting this here before I do any research as I think I'll get better/more honest responses here.

Ah you came to the right place. I will DM you.

Last minute call but I packed the stick up and am taking them to Vegas with me. Doing the Double Down deal at Cascata and Rio Secco for $319. Cascata alone is $299 so why not?

Weather in the low 60's, good enough.

I was just out there and played Paiute Wolf, Royal Links, and then went up to Mesquite to play Wolf Creek. I liked all the courses but if you have the opportunity Wolf Creek is well worth the drive.

Does anybody have experience golfing in New Orleans? We've never been, so any general information you might have is welcomed also. It looks like we might not even need a car. We would like to golf twice and around $100 per person per round is where I am thinking we want to be, but I haven't researched things yet, so I don't know if I'm high or low.

i have no idea how much TPC Louisiana would be, but they are in Golf Digest's top 5 in state.

Thanks. I'll call them tomorrow. No rates on the website and it looks we will be there around the time of the Zurich classic

Watch out for stray bullets

https://www.espn.com/golf/news/story?id=3312784

Darnit, they'll be closed starting April 8th through the Zurich classic. Well, that's a bummer!

Have you been holding on to this nugget of information for 12 years just waiting for the right time to use it? Bravo sir. Well played. Your patience has been rewarded. I look forward to your future recommendations.

Hey otter I live down here in New Orleans.

Best course in the city is Metairie Country Club (Raynor design) but you would need to be part of a club and have your pro call to set you up with a tee time there. Guest rate is around $79 IIRC

There is also New Orleans Country Club but I have never played there and heard it's old money and have no idea what the course is like.

TPC Louisiana I’ve played dozens of time and it’s a fine Pete Dye course, a diet diet sawgrass- flat and tough but pretty uninspiring. It would probably be worth a play for y’all if it wasn’t during Zurich time just because it’s in great shape- they just completed a renovation regrassing all fairways and greens and reshaping all bunkers. Rates right around $100 for tourists.

The city gave some ten million dollars to Rees Jones post-Katrina to redesign a course in city park now known as Bayou Oaks at City Park, which is probably one of the most boring courses I’ve ever played. It’s in fine condition and right in Mid City area so easy to get to from anywhere. Green fee for visitors should be less than $100 in April because I don’t think the course gets a lot of play.

Across the river is English Turn, a gem if you played any Jack Nicklaus golf game on pre-windows 95 OS in the early 90s. Its a fine Jack design, but water and houses on every hole and pretty penal. Zurich Classic was here pre-Katrina. Rates here can fluctuate on Golfnow from $40-$100+.

Also across the river is Lakeview Golf Club, not as penal as English Turn, and I actually enjoy it and feel like it has some pretty memorable holes. Funny thing about it though is that it was purchased by the New Orleans Fire Department Pension Fund (lmao) and they promptly added flame shaped bunkers to some holes. This obviously went well for the fund! Rates should be around $60-$80.

So there are a couple city-owned courses left and they happen to be my favorite to play.

First off is Audubon Park Golf Course
...
It's a Par 62, 4,200 yard course in the center of Audubon Park in Uptown New Orleans. It's a great walk through gigantic oak trees and lagoons with birds and other wildlife. It also has a great clubhouse with a fantastic restaurant/bar to grab a burger and beer after your round. Carts are available but I would recommend walking with a light bag. Rates are less than $50 riding less than $40 walking.

https://www.lyingfour.com/conversati...4/audubon-park




Second is Joseph M. Bartholomew Municipal Golf Course
...
Best bang for your buck in the city, 18 with a cart is under $50. It is not in the best area of the city but I have never been out there during peak times and had a round longer than 4 hours. It's mostly wide open with a few hazards to keep you honest.

If you have the ability to go outside the city there are a few options:

Carter Plantation- a David Toms design that I think may be one of the best courses in the state, but 1 hour from downtown NOLA. Rates $50-$100 for tourists.

The Bridges Golf Club- Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast's golf course and also an hour from downtown NOLA in the other direction. Course is just across the state line in Mississippi so you can sportsbet in the casino after the round too! (casino is an absolute dump tho). Rates around $60-$80.

Money Hill Golf and Country Club- in Abita Springs, LA, this is minutes from Abita Brewery which is the largest and most famous brewery in Louisiana. Also 1 hour from downtown NOLA you can make a day trip of golf here and visiting the Abita Brewery or their restaurant/brewhouse. This course is private but I have gotten on by calling the clubhouse without having membership elsewhere. Rates around $100.



There are a couple courses in the area of NOLA that I do not have experience with:

Timberlane Country Club
Stonebridge Golf Club

If you have any more detailed info about your group and your expectations I can point you in the right direction.. Sorry NOLA is a pretty crappy golf town, but it makes up for it in other areas!

WOW, THANK YOU!!! Thanks so much for everything. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain all the options. I'll discuss it with my wife. She typically likes scenic courses but it sounds like that's slim picking. It will be fun just to experience a couple new courses though.

The ones that are an hour away are probably too far. However, I don't think we are planning on staying too close to the French Quarter since I don't want to be too close to all the crazy party scene. Therefore, it might be closer than I think and I'm glad you gave us those options as well.

Is there a website I can find on PGA Courses that show hole by hole score averages?

http://www.espn.com/golf/stats/hole/_/tournament/998

I want something like this but from last year

Played Wolf Creek a couple years ago. For sure a unique course and was quite fun.

I can second playing English Turn. That's where they used to have the PGA event before the TPC was built. Some nice houses on that course!

GMac full Partridge: https://twitter.com/RichieMcCormack/...216464384?s=19

I'm pretty sure that these will be the 2 courses that we play. In my mind I didn't really want to drive an hour, but then my wife reminded me that we've never seen any of Louisiana and 1 hour isn't bad and besides, what else are we going to do?! (we actually have plenty to do, but I get her point).

I think the English turn will be about $130 when we go if I remember right. I called a couple weeks ago and I think that's what they said. Carter Plantation they said will probably be around $70.

It sounds like the higher price of Jack's course doesn't mean that it is nicer, right? It's probably got more to do with the location and his name. I've never played one of his courses, so I'm looking forward to that. the only thing I'm not looking forward to are houses on (probably) every hole. But oh well. We will save the nicest for last, which appears to be Carter plantation.

Thanks very much for the advice and Scott, thanks for seconding his recommendation.

Got 10 1/2 holes in with the Mavrik this afternoon since driving range was closed today.

Shoved my first one into the houses left which isn't unusual for me, especially with no warm-up. 2nd ball was a good one going exactly 300y. 2nd hole I shove another one left. Teed up another and sent it, measuring at 295y. 3rd hole only one swing to get it in play, 545y par 5 had 230y left.

4th hole I had 67 yards left on the 395y hole, easily my best swing of the day. 5th is a driveable par 4 of 290 but into a 10 mph wind. Shove the first one left into the water then hit the second one about 10 yards short of green-high to the right.

Here is where the club outperformed my swing. 7th hole I hit one really high on the toe and it still ended going 280y. Got to swing it 2x off the same tee a 2 more times. My miss def seems to be a shove left. Range time should hopefully take care of that.

Overall impressed. If the Rogue didn't crack I wouldn't have switched though.

you're still a lefty, right?
your shove left is my block right

Still a lefty

Was able to get 9 in after work yesterday and I had only 1 shove left. Still stayed on the course so it's getting better.

Anyone got any golf recommendations for Playa Del Carmen?

Going 2/26-3/2 solo for a Business All inclusive at Hotel Xcaret and def plan to play once or twice. Still not sure if I should bring my clubs with me tho..def want to but may not if I only play once.

I think I'm going to bite the bullet and play El Camaleon Mayakoba and wondering if there's any more worth playing down there.

Seems like transportation to all these places are like $90. Anyone familiar with anything cheaper or just leave it to my hotel and play it safe?

Having a difficult time dialing in the Mavrik so far. Did an extended range session (for me) today. May have finally keyed on something. The trick will be if it works on the range the next time, and then on the course.

I seem to be having crazy toe hits on this/ Might be because I am really trying to swing up on the ball and I might be moving away from the ball in doing it. I went extreme and was setting up the ball almost with the adapter on the shaft. Was hitting it good after that move. Just odd.

Are you sure its properly fit to you? That seems weird you would be getting severe toe hits with it if you aren't with your other clubs. I realize you want to hit up on a driver but I never think about that and at the end of the day its the same swing.

Yeah it's the same shaft carried over from my Rogue so it shouldn't be an issue. Maybe I have always had toe hits and I just couldn't feel it on the Rogue?

First golf of the season coming up in about 10 days (unless the local weather is unexpectedly good before then). So far I've made sure my clubs are clean, stocked the bag, spiffed up the shoes, organized my hat collection, washed all the towels ... I'm pretty much out of things to do other than stare at the clubs and wait for the calendar to flip.

Patience is hard.

go swing in the driveway for 30 minutes a night.....at least that's what i do.