Geaux Health & Fitness Magazine June 2014 | Page 45
Ready.Set.Geaux Sports
golf anyone?
by Erin Fulbright
Many business deals are made by playing golf, but a day spent on
the golf course can be a means to relaxation as well to an excellent
workout for most men. You are working those arms while swinging
that club to drive the ball yards away, and let’s not forget all that
walking. Well, if you opt out of the golf cart, but nonetheless, it is
a workout.
Belonging to a country club can be expensive to play around of
golf, and Celebration Station is just too amateur for you. So where
do you go for that Saturday morning relaxation? BREC has seven
golf facilities, five of which are 18-hole facilities, according to
Director of BREC Golf Jeff Marks. With breath-taking views
and 18-holes of bliss, one of these seven courses is sure to fit your
needs.
• Santa Maria Golf Course is located at 18460 Santa
Maria Parkway in Baton Rouge. Santa Maria is one of
BREC’s premier facilities. It is a Robert Trent Jones
design located on the southeast side of East Baton
Rouge Parish. “The course received a number two ranking in 1996 Golf Digest for Best Public Courses by state.
It was also ranked by USA Today in 1998 as the best
course in Louisiana for $50 or under,” Marks said. He
described this course as a “true shot-makers course that
places an emphasis on accuracy on approach shot.” It is
built on 150 acres of land, with views of 15 lakes and two
natural waterways.
• Beaver Creek Golf Course is located at 1100 E. Port
Hudson Plains Rd. in Zachary. The course is another
premier facility located in the northwest part of East
Baton Rouge Parish that is popular manly among
advanced players, according to Marks. This course is a
Craig Schreiner design and features a windswept front
nine and a sheltered back nine that meanders through
protected wetland areas. The par 72 lay out will provide
golfers with many unique shot making opportunities.
• Webb Golf Course, located at 1351 Country Club Dr.
in Baton Rouge, is another popular course for golf lovers. Built in 1931, it is among the oldest facilities with
a parkland style layout. The 18-hole course measures
in 6,656 yards in length and is popular among walkers,
Marks said.
• City Park, located at 1422 City Park Ave., was the first
public golf course in Baton Rouge. The course was built
in 1926 and was designed by Tom Bendelow. It is a
short, 34 par, nine-hole course built in the “The Golden
Age of Golf.” City Park is one of 20 courses in the country to be placed on the national register of historic places
as the community’s first municipal golf course, according
to BREC’s golf website.
• Dumas Memorial Golf Course, located at 13350 Hwy.
19, is an 18-hole layout stemming from the 1960s style
of golf that puts a premium on shot-making. The course
features holes with “generous” fairways and shorter holes
that demand more precise driving. At Dumas Golf
Course there is a driving range next door at Clark Park
for a little pre-round warm-up before you hit the green.
• J.S. Clark Golf Course is located at 2301 Thomas Rd.
in Baton Rouge and offers an executive style nine-hole
layout that features a PGA style practice area, which
will come in handy for newcomers to the game. This is
another great course for walkers. J.S. Clark is similar to
the design of the Beaver Creek Course, making it great
to practice before heading to the course for a quick nine.
According to the website, it only takes two hours to
complete so you can still play, even with a busy schedule.
• Howell Golf Course is located at 5511 Winbourne Ave.
in Baton Rouge. This 18-hole course is a mid-sized,
parkland-style with a canal (also known as Hurricane
Creek) crossing 10 holes of the course. The canal will
add a little challenge to the game. Who doesn’t like a
little challenge?
For more details on each course and information, including hours
of operation and prices, visit www.golf.brec.org today. GH&F
June 2014 geauxhealthandfitness.com
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