The Atchafalaya (Bears)
7032 yards – 74.6 Rating – 134 Slope – 85 Score
Day 12; May 2nd, 2017
I have done 50 official course introductions for this trip (and a few unofficial ones as well). I’ve also done one substitute introduction for a new course in Arkansas when Pleasant Valley didn’t work out at the last minute. Exactly once, in all of those intro’s, has anyone from the general public commented on anything other than the course (I receive lots of “you are going to love that course” type messages). That exception was about Atchafalaya, and it manifest itself in well over half of my comments and messages being about Ed, the head golf pro.
So, before heading to Louisiana, I had been forewarned; if you don’t want meet one of the nicest golf pro’s in the business, steer clear of Atchafalaya. As it turned out, this advice was spot on. Ed is, indeed, a credit to his calling and just a great person to spend a few minutes (or, quite probably hours) with.
Many of the accolades that were passed on to me also focused on the course, and like Ed, it did not disappoint.
We tee’ed up first, so there certainly were no pace of play issues for us, but even the groups we saw making their way through later in the day were moving along fine. Everything seems to run very efficiently and the staff and grounds people are all very friendly and helpful.
The golf itself was great and the course conditions fantastic. I’d say the front was in better shape than the back because the second half of the course is more open and they hadn’t had a lot of rain when we came through, but that’s like calling Pebble a little less recognizable than Augusta; both sides played terrific. There was a heavy mist on the ground when we started and the rough was a touch “grabby” as it was thick and wet, but nothing overly punitive and this was mostly over by the 4th or 5th hole. It was plenty warm by the time we finished our round so I, personally, would deal the dew every time.
The course, as you might imagine, has ample water hazards; featuring them on more holes than not. However this track makes play interesting in more ways than just that. The par five 6th, for example, encourages a 200’ish yard club off the tee instead of a driver and then offers an interesting risk/reward second shot over some trees on the left hand side (I felt the sting of the risk on my second shot, but would take and recommend the same approach again the next time through).
Don’t get so focused on the golf that you miss the plentiful scenery. As you make your way up the second fairway, keep an eye out to your right for the wooden cabin nestled in the woods. Also, note the abundance and variety of wildlife that makes the course its home. Between the interesting pink and white flat-billed bird we saw in a pond on the first tee, a baby gator on the 10th, and myriad of other critters in between, it is clear you are playing in a thriving habitat.
Overall, this was a great day on the golf course. Not only would I come back and play again, my wife and I have already actively discussed doing so.
