Ranking The Walkability Of Every Greater New Orleans Golf Course

When deciding to walk a golf course, there is much more to factor in than just the distance on the scorecard. Is there a lot of distance from greens to tee, or are there streets you need to cross?

This topic is thanks to a friend of mine over at Port Orleans Brewing. I was asked the question of what golf courses are best for walking. If you've only ever played a golf course riding in a cart then you don't get a sense of what it would be like to walk that specific golf course.

For many of us who like to walk sometimes it can be difficult to know which golf courses are walkable and which ones aren't. Some golf courses may not even allow walking. This is usually because of distances between holes and to keep a pace of play. For example, there is a course I used to play often in the Orlando area that had so much distance between some holes it would be a 5-10 min cart ride. Needless to say, walking was not allowed.

Here in the New Orleans area, we have very few golf courses that wind through large subdivisions. Even the ones that do were built before golf carts were the norm or even before golf carts existed. Or we have properties like English Turn where the subdivision was built around the golf course.

As I rank these I have personally walked every golf course except one. The ranking is by the most walkable regardless of distance.

*Please note the distances were measured using Google Earth (as pictured below) The measurement is as if a golfer played the tips and walked the centerline of every hole. Distances are only an estimate and do not include walking from the range or the golf shop to the first tee.

1. The Golf Club at Audubon Park | Estimated Distance - 3.27 miles This is the most walkable mainly because of the short distance. However, with the exception of a few holes most of the tee boxes are next to the previous green. The widest separation is between holes 9 and 10.
   

2. Joe Bartholomew Municipal | Estimated Distance - 4.75 miles This is the most walkable par 72 golf course in the area. Not only is it on the shorter side but the design is such that every tee box is near the previous green, including the 9th green to the 10th tee.
   

3. Pinewood Country Club | Estimated Distance - 4.30 miles Older courses like Pinewood were designed with walking in mind. The longest distance between holes is from 9 green to 10 tee and even that is not that far.
   

4. Riverlands Country Club | Estimated Distance - 4.64 miles Another older design, Riveralnds only has a few holes that require some extra steps or some backtracking. The golf course is also short so the few holes that have extra distance between them don't feel far.
   

5. Bayou Oaks at City Park - North Course | Estimated Distance -4.2 miles A shorter and older golf course makes walking very easy here. It is only ranked behind a few others because of the extra distance and somewhat backtracking between holes 14 and 15. You could fit an additional 200-yard par 3 between these holes.
   

6. English Turn Golf & Country Club | Estimated Distance - 5.03 miles Designed with professional golf in mind English Turn was built to be a walkable golf course. Every tee box is next to, or a very short distance from, each previous green. The longest walk between holes here is from hole 9 to hole 10.
   

7. TPC Louisiana | Estimated Distance - 5.4 miles Another golf course built with professional golf in mind the longest distance between holes is from 9 green to 10 tee. The only reason it is not ranked higher is some of the extra walking required to get around bunkers or walk the opposite direction of the hole to get to some tee boxes.
   

8. Lakewood Golf Club | Estimated Distance 5.16 Miles Even though the golf course was redesigned it was done so on a property where the original design was done before golf carts were a thing. This allowed the newer design to be done thoughtfully and makes it very walkable. Except for 4 gaps between holes, every green and tee is close to each other.
   

9. Cypress Lakes at Ormond | Estimated Distance - 4.88 miles Although this is an older design and many ot the greens and tees are close together this golf course is in a subdivision. That means there are some streets that you need to cross and that adds distance between a few holes. There are an estimated 450 extra yards of walking between a few holes crossing streets.
   

10. Covington Country Club | Estimated Distance - 4.65 miles The original 9 holes is a relatively easy walk. Most of the greens and tees are close by but there are some gaps between holes. There is a small walk to the back 9 holes where you cross 2 streets twice and have a few holes that have some distance between them. There is also one hole that you almost backtrack to get to the next tee. If the back 9 was like the front this course would be higher on the list.
    

11. Belle Terre Country Club | Estimated Distance - 5.04 miles A course designed with a subdivision in mind there are some decent sized gaps between a few holes and a few streets that you need to cross. Because the golf course is not long it is not a bad walk but without the gaps and street crossing it could be almost a quarter mile shorter.
    

12. Bayou Oaks at City Park - South Course | Estimated Distance - 5.9 miles The only reason this course is ranked lower is the long distance. The golf course itself is already long but there is unnecessary walking included. It was built with riding in golf carts in mind. A long gap between holes 9 and 10 and gaps between holes make it almost a full mile longer than it needs to be. You have to walk around ponds to bridges, or there are many holes where you go in the opposite direction of the hole to the tee box and then retrace your steps to play the hole.
    

13. LaTour Golf Club | Estiamted Distance - 5.6 miles Another golf course that is already long LaTour gets ranked lower for the gaps between holes. Although many holes are close to the next tee box there are 5 good-sized gaps between holes where the golf course was designed with a future subdivision and streets in mind. There is also some rolling elevation in some areas that adds to the walk. Not horrible but noticeable.
    

14. Carter Plantation Golf Resort | Estimated Distance - 5.65 miles Built within a subdivision there are some areas where you cross a street or have a separation between holes. There are also areas you have to walk around such as ponds and bunkers as well as one area you have to walk to an elevated bridge. There are also elevation changes that add to the workout your legs are already getting.
    

15. Grand Ridge Golf Club | Estimated Distance - 4.98 miles Not a long golf course but there is almost an extra mile of walking between holes. In some areas, you have to walk down streets to get to the next hole. One of those is the main street into the subdivision that gets a good amount of traffic. This is something you deal with even using a golf cart. To be honest they may not allow walking her anymore but I am not sure.
    

16. Timberlane Golf Club | Estimated Distance - 5.06 miles Another golf course built in a subdivision there are some distances between holes where you have to cross streets. Where holes are next to each other the greens and tees are very close. The longest walk however is between holes 9 and 10. You can either risk your life walking across LaPalco Blvd or walk around and under a bridge. There are also two holes on the back 9 where you walk backward to get to a tee box of the next hole.
    

17. Stonebridge Golf Club of New Orleans | Estimated Distance - 5.4 miles Even though the yardage at Stonbridge is not long the walks between holes can be. A few holes you walk backwards to get to a tee box and you have long walks to get across the canal. There are also 6 times you have to cross streets and between homes, which adds extra steps.
    

18. Oak Harbor Golf Club | Estimated Distance - 5.83 miles The most difficult golf course to walk and the only one on this list I have not attempted to walk. They may not even allow walking. Many holes have some distance between them. Two times you would have to walk up and down a levee and through a tunnel which is close to an extra 700+ yards of walking. Then the walk from hole 9 to hole 10 is about another 400 yards. There is close to 1 and a half miles of walking just between holes.

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Again those distances are measured down the centerline of fairways and playing the back tees. We don't always hit the ball straight and measurements do not include walks around greens for putting, so our walks will most likely be longer.

What course do you think is the most walkable? Let me know in the comment if you agree or disagree with these rankings.