New Orleans

[SL_Solow]

My son is spending several weeks in a rented home in New Orleans working remotely and enjoying the better weather and food with his new bride.  He plans to get out and play a few rounds.  It has been awhile since I visited so I am seeking advice on places to play.  If it matters, he is a low single digit who "gets it" when it comes to architecture.

[MCirba]

Shel,

I'll resist the old joke about asking where to play golf in New Orleans and responding why would you want to play golf in New Orleans...well, I guess I didn't resist.

But, as someone who loves the city, Metairie is probably the best if you have access, although unlike many I did enjoy Pete Dye's TPC at New Orleans quite a bit for a flat course.   Lots of strategy built in.

Audubon Park was cited in Tom Doak's CG as a creative use of limited acreage and it's an executive course in a public park with folks jogging and bicycling past with zoo sounds for ambience.


One cool place with a local vibe is the Joseph Bartholomew public course in Pontchartrain Park, named after the African American course architect responsible for many of the early New Orleans courses.


I haven't played the Reesified City Park course...not sure what they are calling it these days but I'm picturing long, hard, water, as I think they were vying for the tour tournament, replacing TPC.

[Tom_Doak]

Highly recommend Audubon Park.  It is very short overall, but there are a lot of good par-3's and good short par-4's, and a couple of excellent long holes in the mix.  A good player will not be bored by it at all, though he might be able to shoot a low number!

[Steve Lang]

   There's a No Laying Up, "Strapped" episode at Audubon Park to get a feel for the place... one native, when asked of strategy... keep it out of the water!   Looks to be a pretty cool walk in the park...


Where's their house?


South of the river, TPC, like Mike mentioned, flat but I found fun to explore, greens deceptive at first exposure, played it one afternoon with rented clubs when I had a break on a project at a nearby plant upriver.  Some smallish bunkers that you scratch your head over seeing on approaches until you find yourself in them.  The front and back had some nice stretches... a little more contained.


We played Carter Plantation (David Toms's first design) once and while presented in good condition that day, and has a nice setting, seemed kind of boring, nothing really striking about the gca to bring one back.

[SL_Solow]

Thanks to all.  Tom, David is bigger and hits it farther than the last time but he still has the same swing and he will take instruction.




 

[PCCraig]

We walked around Audobon GC about 6 years ago while digesting a big lunch once. It's in a pretty part of town near Tulane and Loyola.


It looked like a fun enough golf course but one very much connected to the surrounding community with a nice vibe.


Frankly, I think it would be a nice option for golf as it wouldn't take a ton of time and then you could get back out and do other fun stuff around town.


By the way, don't miss the WWII museum...just incredible.

[Philip Gordillo]

I would be delighted to host him at Metairie CC but we are shutting down soon for a complete redo by Brian Silva and NMP Construction.  Unfortunately the course will not be ready for play till the fall but I'm looking forward to hosting GCA'ers in the future.  That being said, I agree with the others that Audubon is truly unique for our area.  If he doesn't mind driving, LaTour Golf Club is a hidden gem about 30 mins outside of NOLA.  It was designed by David Toms and it's in sugarcane country so definitely a links style course.   I'll send you a PM with my contact info in case he needs any other information.

[Ira Fishman]

Shel,


Covid prevented us from making our annual trip to the Big Easy. I cannot help on golf (see prior posts about Why), but I can offer some food challenges:


Best Beignet:


Cafe Du Monde (the Champ) v Cafe Beignet.


Best Dessert:


Fried Apple Pie at Herbsaint v Bread Pudding at Commander's Palace v Brigsten's Pecan Pie.


Best Old School Restaurant:


Galatoire's v Bon Ton Cafe


Best Muffaletta:


Central Grocery (the Champ) v Napoleon House (admittedly the drinks help).


Best Gumbo:


The Gumbo Shop v Mr. B's.


Best Breakfast:


Camellia Grill v Ruby Slipper


And the most difficult one--Best Fried Chicken:


Willie Mae's v Brothers.


I love Chicago food (just had Malnati's and Nottoli's shipped to us), but New Orleans is special.


Ira

[Mark Smolens]

Drove down to NOLA in '82 for the Final Four (Fred Brown to James Worthy, oops, to MJ for the win!). First night there went to dinner with a fraternity brother and his boss at Pascal's Manale. My eventual law school roommate, who went to Tulane, advised that the barebecued shrimp was the nectar of the gods. Just as the food arrived, three guys were seated at the next table -- Dick Enberg, Billy Packer and Al McGuire. McGuire looked at my plate and said "son, that looks good, what is it?" He proceeded to turn his chair and regale us with stories for the next hour and a half.


Thank goodness I don't live there -- I'd be back to 200 pounds. . .

[MCirba]

The first time I went to New Orleans I put on nine pounds in a week.


And that's with golf where I mostly walked and carried.

[Ira Fishman]

One of the perks of my job is that I can go to the Super Bowl for free. I have done so only once: New Orleans 2013. After the game, Sheryl and I went to pick up chicken at Brothers which was only a couple of blocks from our hotel. There were at least a couple of dozen colleagues who had done the same thing and were scattered across the lobby. It was 1:00 in the morning. We gained way too many pounds that night.


New Orleans for food is the Highlands for golf. One of a kind.


Ira

[Peter Pallotta]

The first time I went to New Orleans I put on nine pounds in a week.

Mike - over the years I’ve ‘put on nine pounds in a week’ several times, doing almost nothing at all and certainly nothing all that enjoyable, and having now no particular memory of whatever  food (or drink) it was that I so copiously indulged in to gain all that weight. Which is to say: good on you — if you’re going to do it, do it right!!

[Steve Lang]

   Ira,


No love for Bananas Foster at Brennan's?  The original.


We stopped there for a drink and BF dessert one night, and next to us there was this decked out gent and his lady with a big hair thing going at full dinner, we could smell the hair spray organics 6 feet away... damn if when the waiter lit off the spoon of alcohol and began to drip over the sizzling bananas it didn't flash back to the lady's hair!    I gave the waiter an extra tip...


Most fun 3 figure dessert I've ever had!