Contraband Bayou at L’Auberge Resort & Casino

Lake Charles, LA

Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.8

Contraband Bayou is not your typical Tom Fazio designed course – he’s toned it down to make it more of a resort style course that won’t beat you up and is suitable for players of all levels. Granted it’s got water 14 holes, alligators on a couple more, some challenging green complexes, and 57 of his steep and deep bunkers but the fairways are wide and forgiving, the greens are big and easy to read, and the bunkers and water can be avoided if you play strategically and pick the right set of tee boxes. The GPS is fantastic, the conditions are excellent, the rates are reasonable, and you can spend your golf winnings at the Casino.

The Country Club at The Golden Nugget

Lake Charles, Louisiana

Texas Outside Review – Rated 9.5

Named as the #2 Golf Course in Louisiana by Golfweek in their Best Golf Courses of 2018! The Country Club at the Golden Nugget has views of the bayou, plush fairways in excellent condition, perfect putting surfaces, great scenery, and some very fun and challenging golf holes.

The National Golf Club of Louisiana

Westlake, Louisiana

Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.6

The National Golf Club of Louisiana is the newest and most affordable premier golf course in Louisiana and the course was selected as one of “America’s Best New Courses” by Golfweek. The National Golf Club is fun and somewhat challenging thanks to a mature pine forest, preserved wetlands, and fairways with 14 lakes and 80 bunkers you need to avoid.

Gray Plantation Golf Course

Lake Charles, LA

Texas Outside Review – Rated 9.4

Gray Plantation Golf Course is well deserving of it’s rating by Golf Digest as the #3 best public course and #6 of all the courses in Louisiana. The course is also one of the premier courses on Louisiana’s Audubon Golf Trail. The Gray’s layout is scenic with water, tall pines, and natural areas and it puts a premium on strategy and the approach shots to the greens. During your round you’ll encounter a little bit of everything including some risk reward shots, dog legs, 85 bunkers, forced carries, water on 12 holes, maybe an alligator, and even an island green!

Cypress Bend Golf Course

Many, LA

Texas Outside Review – Rated 9.1

Known as the crown jewel of the Audubon Golf Trail, Cypress Bend Golf Course is a joy to play. The course curls around Toledo Bend Reservoir with ten holes along the water requiring precise shots across hidden coves and bayous. Plus you’ll find hardwood forests, undulating greens, strategically placed bunkers, and scenic views. Cypress Bend has a fantastic Stay & Play – read our review of Cypress Bend Resort’s Stay & Play to learn more.

English Turn Golf Club

New Orleans, LA

Texas Outside Review – Rated 9.4

Wow, what a spectacular Jack Nicklaus designed golf course that is defined by small well guarded greens; fairways lined by lakes, bunkers, mounds, and grass depressions; two meandering lakes that can come into play on all 18 holes; and over 95 bunkers ranging from long skinny 200 yarders to small pot bunkers. The course is fair but challenging for all skill levels. The conditions when we played were near perfect, and the course was well manicured and maintained and landscaped. The facilities are top notch.

Southern Trace Country Club

Shreveport, LA

Overview of Southern Trace Country Club

Southern Trace’s members purchased the club’s assets and now Southern Trace is a club on the rise and their goal is to become the best country club value in the state of Louisiana. transformation. This Arthur Hills designed golf course, which is now managed by Troon (one of the best golf management companies in the US), was voted #1 in the state of Louisiana by Golf Digest on several occasions and for over 30 years has been regarded as the favorite place to play for golfers in Louisiana.

Lakewood Golf Club

New Orleans, LA

Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.7

Lakewood Golf Club was host to 26 New Orleans Opens with winners like Watson, Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, and lots of other golf legends. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina virtually destroyed the course and 2500 trees. It was redesigned and reopened for play in 2009. The new layout is very fair and won’t beat you up but it requires you to avoid water on 14 holes, miss the deep pot to huge treacherous multi-fingered bunkers (some shaped like flames in tribute to the New Orleans Firefighters), be positioned for the dog legs, and carry the water and waste areas.

The Island

Plaquemine, LA

Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.8

Two bayous and nine lakes help define this fun layout with water that comes into play on 17 out of 18 holes. The water coupled with 56 bunkers, and some tight fairways make The Island challenging but if you pick the right set of tee boxes, play smart, and make some shots you’ll have an enjoyable round of golf at a very reasonable rate.