Golf Guide: Shreveport - LA

Life in Shreveport in the far northwestern corner of Louisiana is greatly enhanced by the Red River where people benefit from parks like the Charles and Marie Hamel Memorial Park, walkways and riverboat casinos docked permanently along the banks. The river boats evoke gambling's heyday in Shreveport and Bossier City during the mid 1800s when steamboats plied the waters and shootouts between gamblers over the cards could erupt any time. Shreveport was also the capital of the state and a Confederate Army stronghold during the Civil War.

Today Shreveport has been recognized by the National Civic League three times as an "All-American City," a city where citizens have worked together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieved uncommon results. Shreveport has a vibrant cultural life with several theaters, museums and active performing arts groups including an opera company, symphony orchestra and art museums. There is a new Convention Center with an adjoining 12-story Hilton Hotel and the city is home to the third largest film industry in the country behind California and New York.

The revitalized riverfront has five casino hotels: Sam's Town, Eldorado, Horseshoe, Diamond Jacks and Boomtown. Guests come to stay in the adjacent high rise hotels, gamble in the riverboat casinos and enjoy the entertainment.

There are about a dozen golf courses in and around the city, with half of them open to the public where tate fees are for the most part below $50 at tracks like Northwood Gold & Country Club and Huntington Park Golf Course.

Some like The Golf Club at Stonebridge designed by Fred Couple and Gene Bates winding through wetlands and oaks combine a first-rate golf experience with private club-style perks while Cypress Bend Resort on Toledo Bend Lake rolls out conference and hotel facilities along with golf.

One of the top courses, Olde Oaks Golf Club, is part of the highly regarded Audubon Golf Trail, a collection of 12 courses located throughout the state. Set on 340 rolling acres, Olde Oaks was designed in close collaboration with PGA Ryder Cup Captain Hal Sutton, a native of the area.

With a humid subtropical climate, spring and fall are ideal times to play while winter can have some chilly days and summer some very hot days.