The best courses you can play in Louisiana

Koasati Pines has ranked inside Golf Digest's top five in Louisiana since 2017 and earned a Best New Upscale Public honor in 2003 when it opened. Tipping out at over 7,616 yards, Koasati Pines has hosted the Louisiana Amateur on a number of occassions, presenting a stout test to the state's best players. A bonus 19th hole with an island green is another draw to this top public venue.

Home of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans since 2007, this Pete Dye design exudes a flair of TPC Sawgrass with some more low-profile design features like hidden bunkers and green complexes that offer options on approach. Dye had help from fellow tour pros Steve Elkington and New Orleans native Kelly Gibson on this 7,400 yard par-72 layout. Consistently ranked in the top 10 of Golf Digest’s Best in State, TPC Lousiana offers a nice mix of challenging short and long holes.

Bayou Oaks is home to two courses just five miles away from downtown New Orleans. The South course, which tips out at 7,302 yards, was renovated in 2017 by Rees Jones and Greg Muirhead. The shorter North Course, with four sets of tees maxing out at 5,740 yards, isn't a pushover despite its lack of length--water comes into play on eight of the 18 holes.

This 7,000 yard, par-72 features beautifully manicured Bermuda greens, and minimal trees that make room for open and forgiving fairways. The course can become quite challenging as the winds pick up from the Gulf of Mexico just a few miles away. With multiple tee options and an eclectic mix of long and short par 3s, 4s and 5s, the Golden Nugget course is an intriguing feat for golfers of all handicap levels.

In 2021, a new, Jeff Blume-designed layout opened after the land on which the original course was built was transferred back to the Chennault International Airport. Inspired by the Scottish links, the new, treeless course boasts wide fairways, firm and fast playing conditions, and a complex landscape making it the first of its kind in the state of Louisiana.