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 45