rich history, reasonable fees, perfect
stop on the audubon golf trail
by Ryne Berthelot
Paul Van Geffen has kept busy since his
boss retired last November.
“It was cool working under Stan
[Stopa] for a few years,” Van Geffen said.
“He seemed to know just about everybody,
and he was a really quirky guy, so every
day was interesting. It was just a pleasure
to work with him early on in my career.”
After spending four years under the
tutelage of long-time golf pro Stan Stopa,
Van Geffen took over the reigns at the
Audubon Golf Course and has enjoyed
every moment of the last year.
After leaving New Orleans Country
Club, Van Geffen found a hint of
excitement in one particular sentiment:
he rarely sees the same faces everyday.
“Coming from a private course, it’s
pretty nice to see different faces all the
time. Being public, I get to see a lot of
different people. I wasn’t really used to
that at New Orleans [Country Club].
We have so many folks from out of town
coming through to play,” he said. “It’s
pretty cool to see.”
Seemingly by design, the course was
meant to appeal just as much to the
public as its own members. Thanks in no
small part to the other attractions in the
Audubon family, the course and adjoining
clubhouse have become a staple of the
New Orleans community, many of whom
take advantage of the reasonably-priced
green fees, which range from 30-to-50
dollars depending on date and time. The
exterior sidewalk that surrounds the 81-
Continued on page 38
35