TPC Louisiana: Another Dye Challenge  

It resides on a reclaimed swamp and compared to Harbour Town, (which shares the same architect) it is more open with larger greens. It’s been shortened since Hurricane Katrina by 200 yards. Golf Digest named it the “No. 4 Best Upscale Public Golf Course” the year of its debut (2004). It is the fourth venue to host the New Orleans Classic and it will challenge the Pro’s shot-making ability come tournament time. “It” is the TPC Louisiana (Avondale, La), home of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which takes place the last week of April. The TPC Louisiana’s championship layout was crafted by world renowned golf course architect Pete Dye (TPC at Sawgrass, Harbour Town, Whistling Straits) with PGA TOUR players Steve Elkington and New Orleans native Kelly Gibson serving as player consultants.

The TPC Louisiana is one of only 24 TPC courses in the world and is as unique as Louisiana itself. Situated on 250 acres across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, the course features gently rolling hills, numerous wetlands, and cypress (the state tree of Louisiana) and oak trees. Let's not forget, the course is key part of Louisiana's Audubon Golf Trail.

The Course & its Architect

Originally built on swampland, the TPC Louisiana presented Dye with the type of challenge he likes. Dye wasn't surprised when he received the call from PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and has been quoted saying how much he appreciates the confidence Finchem has in him.

The good news for Tour Pros playing TPC Louisiana is that there are merely 103 bunkers. However, don’t let the number fool you, as the design more than makes up for the lack in number by creating ample “double sandie” opportunities. The placement of these bunkers can be absolutely hair tearing. Some are in landing areas. Some are very large (think football field size). As for pot bunkers, the ones where you can disappear and probably need a rope to climb out of, there are 62 of them.

Notable Holes

According to the most recent rankings, the par-4, 476-yard 6th is the most difficult hole. It is located within the front nine's “triangle of doom.” The second shot is a 90-degree dogleg to the left that is extremely susceptible to the wind conditions.

The easiest hole on the course is the par-5, 561-yard 7th. As long as golfers can avoid the massive fairway bunker on the right and the pot bunkers on the left, the 7th presents golfers with a very realistic opportunity for birdie, and for longer players, eagle.

The par-4, 492-yard 12th, the second most difficult, has been noted as one of the courses more visually stunning holes. The tee shot requires a slight draw and leads into a second shot requiring a fade with a long to mid iron. Just to keep things interesting, Dye has placed a deep bunker on the right and a large chipping area on the left.

The TPC Louisiana's final hole, a 589-yard par-5, has undergone numerous tweaks over the years. Dye had a “skyscraper” bunker on the left side of the fairway that since has been reshaped. Closer to the green, bunkers were expanded and mounding has been added to make a lay-up more challenging.

Note: This information comes from the PGATOUR.com website. Actual yardage may vary.

Tournament History

Originally named The New Orleans Classic, The now Zurich Classic of New Orleans began in 1938 and was played at City Park Golf Course. Along with the City Park Golf Course, past courses include Lakewood Country Club, and English Turn Golf and Country Club.

This year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans has a prize purse of $6,400,000 with $1,116,000 going to the winner plus 500 FedExCup Points. Last year, 37-year old Jason Bohn won by getting birdies on three of the last four holes for a 5-under 67 and a two-stroke victory over Jeff Overton. Past winners of the event include Billy Casper, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Davis Love III, David Toms, and Vijay Singh.

The Hurricane Effect

Hurricane Katrina knocked down over 1,000 trees and left brackish water standing for weeks on the course. In 2006, The Zurich Classic of New Orleans was the first nationally televised sporting event following Katrina, and many players committed their earnings from the tournament to Hurricane relief. In 2008, Hurricane Gustav claimed an additional 400 trees. As a result of the damaging storms, the course is now home to much more open views. From a design perspective, the damage actually presented an opportunity for the staff to rebuild and rethink some of the bunkers.

Conclusion

It has been said that patience is indeed a virtue on this course. As a viewer, whether watching on television or in person (TPC Louisiana has a stadium-style design that puts spectators close to the action at every hole), the challenges the Tour Pros face are extremely difficult to fully grasp.

The course general manager Luke Farabaugh has been quoted as saying, "If you're aggressive and miss, you'll pay the price." That will be obvious if one is watching the leaderboard.

Pete Dye told Travel & Leisure magazine, "It wouldn't be a golf course of mine if some players won't scream and yell about it." He added, "But that's the idea. As an architect, you want to get into a player's head."

There is no way to get inside the head of a Tour Pro, but since the course is open to the public (fees ranging from $110 up depending on time of year), it may be worth making time to play a round in order to fully appreciate Dye’s craftsmanship. And if you do so, walk (if that is an option).