Bluffs on Thompson Creek on Life Support

[Steve Sayre]

Fair warning: this Arnold Palmer design (1988) has descended into a shambles. I suppose this must of happened in a few months’ time, as Golf Digest and Golf Advisor ratings are (still) glowing.  As GolfDigest.com put it just over a year ago:

“This was the favorite of the late Ed Seay, who thought the tumbling sand hills in “sweet woods” along Thompson Creek north of Baton Rouge was the perfect land for golf. The Bluffs C.C. and Resort is the highest-ranked public course in the state, and currently No. 4 within the Best Courses in Louisiana."

We just returned from a quirky little golf trip and had high hopes based on light (in retrospect, inadequate) research. The Bluffs has struggled with some sort of cataclysmic ownership dispute, and the residents of the community are trying to hang on.

Bunkers washed out and unplayable, ankle high grass on tees, a par 5 shortened by 200 yards, unmown rough, etc. etc. Greens OK. But in general, a real mess. Sure doesn’t look like a temporary problem. The whole place had a Twilight Zone quality. Pro Shop staffed by two residents. I’d guess 60% of the homes, which crowd the course, are for sale. No cell, no internet, no functioning POS. We paid $52 for 18, and left after 8. That never happens….

24 hours later, we had a very nice day at Fallen Oak just north of Biloxi. Very challenging and pretty Fazio layout, even allowing for some repetitious eye candy.  20 golfers on the tee sheet. Abuts DeSoto National Forest; not a home or any structure in sight. You have to stay at the MGM Beau Rivage to access, but if you eat at the Half Oyster down the street and then go straight to your room, you can afford the bundled golf/room rate. I guess the whales subsidize the golf.

Anyway, stay away from the Bluffs on Thompson Creek. Too bad.
 

[Jon Wiggett]

Steve,


it is always a shame when something like what you describe happens to a club/course. Whilst I think you have every right to report what you have found and to reach a conclusion for yourself that you would not go back nor advise others to play there I would suggest that actively telling people to 'stay away' is going a little too far. $52 seems very steep for the conditions you found.

[John Cowden]

This is too sad to hear.  While not entirely clear on the underlying issues, I thought The Bluffs filled a niche for which there was no market, and filled it well.   Connie and I stayed and played perhaps 12 years ago.  The amenities were C+ grade, the course itself a Doak 5-6.  But I hoped the setting might provide other residential opportunities, assuming the golf was of sufficient quality.  And it was!  The course was fine fun to play, iircc, strategic, and dramatic insofar as creating a river carry from an elevated tee on property that couldn’t be more than 300’ above sea level.  And the ambience of St. Francisville made up for the club’s shortcomings.   But again, who would be the club’s market?  Trying to sell real estate and a membership to a couple of California Yankees is a hard row to hoe, particularly when the surplus amenities include the possibility of driving over a 6’ rattler on the entry kdrive.  Bump bump.  On to Fallen Oak, and Biloxi, with what is likely this greenhorn’s very favorite casino. 

[Mike Nuzzo]

I played and stayed there around 2000.
It was fun, I played with nice members, and had a great dinner!


Golf now is charging $23 to play there - I assume that is the tee time that goes directly to Golf now and none to The Bluffs.
They didn't listen to Mike Young in this regard.

[Chris_Blakely]

Course was recently sold . . .



https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_f55001d0-5269-11e9-b70b-9b1e3f6acae2.html