I don't play Bayou Oaks often, for reasons I'll get into below, but I had heard some mixed comments about the property and thought it be a good time to get out there. It had also been a long time since the last official Golf Nola review of Bayou Oaks so I needed to get that done as well.
The main reason I do not play Bayou Oaks at City Park is due to the price. It is not that I mind spending money to play golf but I just don't feel Bayou Oaks is a $100+ golf course. Yes, it is usually in good condition but the golf course design is bland. There was supposed to be some type of native grass that never grew, and that may have made a difference, but right now the course is just long and somewhat boring. However, that is not the main reason why I do not think it is worth the price.
When compared to other top courses like English Turn (about $90), which used to host a PGA Tour event, and TPC Louisiana (about $125), which currently hosts a PGA Tour event, Bayou Oaks falls short on a few levels. Besides hosting PGA Tour events, that allow any course to increase their price, Bayou Oaks is missing three main things. One they do not have a grass driving range so you have to hit off mats if you choose to hit balls before your round. Even though there is a bag drop location it is never staffed and no one comes out to the parking lot to offer to help with your golf bag. Both English Turn and TPC have those. The other thing is a service when you are finished. Both English Turn and TPC have staff that will clean your clubs and help get your bag to your car when your are done playing. Not a thing at Bayou Oaks.
Now I would be fine if Bayou Oaks was a $100+ golf course but that should mean that English Turn should be $120+ and TPC would be $150+ for a local rate on average for the year. Bayou Oaks is actually great with having a beverage cart on the course every day and the golf course is usually in above-average condition. They just need to improve on some aspects to justify the pricing. I look at TPC as the premier course that sets the standards for New Orleans golf. No golf course should have any pricing withing $40 or TPC without hosting a tour event and especially if they do not offer the same level of service. Plus I noticed at least 3 different golfers at Bayou Oaks wearing t-shirts while playing. Not even nice designer-type t-shirts either. Big center logo t-shirts like you get at a concert or souvenir shop. Not something you'd expect at a $60+ golf course much less one that charges $100+.
Now for my time at Bayou Oaks. When checking into the golf shop this was the first time in a while I got a welcoming feeling. Previous visits have not always been that way. They were never rude but I felt they always felt inconvenienced when checking golfers in. The staff were people I have never met before but it was still a nice change to encounter. The starter and beverage cart staff were also wonderful.
The course conditions were a nice surprise as well. Although they are never horrible this may be the best I have ever seen them. From tee to green things were just better overall and more consistent from hole to hole than I have sen in the past.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Tee Boxes: 3.5 out of 5
Although all the tee boxes were very good there were a lot of divots that made it appear the tee markers are not moved around enough. It is possible the course gets so much pay that the amount of divots was from golfers that teed off before me but there was still plenty of good area to tee the ball up. The teeing areas are all nice and level as well and the grass was cut to a good height. A few of the tee boxes, especially on hole 4, were damp and you could see the wear from other golfer's feet. All in al,l I was pleased with the tee boxes.
Fairways: 4 out of 5
With the exception of the many unfilled divots, the fairways were near perfect. The cut height was tight and the grass was full. There were some damp areas and the ball didn't roll out much but that is expected this time of the year. There was a few times I noticed small amounts of mud on the ball but not so much it would affect ball flight. The back 9 fairways were more wet for some reason. There were some more noticeable areas you can see to avoid driving the cart through, although some golfers still drove through those areas, but they didn't seem to affect play. The fairways were dry enough for 90° rule to be in effect but not dry enough to have the course playing firm and fast.
Greens: 4 out of 5
The greens looked worse than they played. This is something I expect this time of year, especially when a golf course chooses not to overseed. They looked like they were between going dormant and wanting to still grow. Some areas looked patchy due to small areas being greener than the rest of the putting surface. The roll however was fast and true. The greens may have been the smoothest I have ever played on the Bayou Oaks South course. The greens were smooth enough and fast enough there were a few putts I didn't think I hit hard enough and right when I thought the ball was going to stop 3 feet short it ended up rolling 1-2 feet past the hole. The only issue on the greens, like I have been experiencing at many golf courses lately, is the number of unfixed pitch marks. I probably fixed 4 per hole the entire round.
I have to say I am very pleased with my experience at Bayou Oaks this time. I am just not a fan of the rate. The value for money is not there like at many other golf courses. Carter Plantation is another great example. Their weekend rate is $85, have a grass range, a cart staff that will help you with your bags whether you use the bag drop or not, and offer to clean your clubs afterward. They also have a new feature closest to the pin contest on hole 14. Something I need to go check out but they offer more and charge almost $20 less.
I will be back to Bayou Oaks again, I just won't go play there as often as I would other golf courses. I have fond memories of playing junior golf there and although I wish they would have redone all 3 of the courses instead of just building the one, they are the only public 36-hole golf facility in the greater New Orleans area.
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