Gray Plantation - Louisiana - USA

Gray Plantation is about twenty years old and is a fun course. Lots of water.

The first hole is a welcoming par five. Bends slightly left and is tree lined left. Big hitters can get home in two, the 2nd is a good birdie oppty. Pretty straight, fairway bunkers left and the green is well protected with bunkers front right and left. Decent drive should leave you with a short iron in. The long third plays much tougher than its handicap designation of 7. Dogleg left with several bunkers on the inside elbow. This green is also protected with bunkers left and right front. The 4th is another long par four. This one bends slightly right. Favor the right side off the tee for the best angle and shortest yardage. The fifth bends left, with fairway bunkers on each side. A decent drive will give you a green light with a short iron. The first par three is the signature hole. From the tips it is only 168 yards. While it is all carry over water, not sure why it has the number 5 handicap designation. Regardless, a good fun hole. The 7th is the longest hole, yet paradoxically, it is reachable. The shape of a reverse S, if you do not hit a bomb off the tee, play it as a 3 shotter. My drive must have hit a sprinkler head or something. I had not planned on going for it, but I was right on the edge of the go for it zone. High risk, but when you reach as few par 5s as I do in two, when the oppty presents itself, one must leap. I hit it well, did not see splash, but I did not see a bounce either. I assumed I was in the reeds. As the bird flies, I estimate tee to green is about 475 yards versus 589. As a three shotter, the closer one gets to the green the larger the landing area, but it is also a longer water carry. Well-designed good risk reward hole. The rest of the story, I was up, nuked my eagle putt and ultimately settled for an ignominious par. After the excitement of the 7th the 8th looks like a gimme par three as the shortest hole on the course. Not so fast my friends, there is a water carry, but if you don’t make it, you didn’t deserve to. This green is surrounded by 7 bunkers. The front closes with a long par 4, slight bend left with a well=protected green.

The back also starts with a par five. Favor the right off the tee. The 11th is a dogleg right with the approach a carry over water. Nonetheless, it is a birdie oppty as it is a short par four. Decent drive should leave you with a flip wedge. The 12th is a relatively non-descript long par 4. The 13th is the longest par 3. Carry over water to an oval green that is surrounded by 5 bunkers. The 14th is a good hole and a birdie oppty. Dogleg left with fairway bunkers on the outside elbow, but a water hazard left. The final par five is relatively straight, until the last 100 yards that bend right. There is a water hazard down the entire right side. The 16th was my favorite hole. A big dogleg right around a water hazard. Normally, I would say it is not drivable, but this particular day a front was literally blowing in. No pun intended I threw caution to the wind. Hit it well and high and was rewarded as it barely cleared the hazard and ended up in the throat. Made the up and down. The 17th is the easiest ranked hole, a par 3 carry over water with a middle front bunker guarding the green. The finishing hole is long and tough. Par is a good score.

Overall a fun course, some memorable holes.

Gray Plantation Golf Course comes with a lot of accolades including 4½ stars and a 6-year run as one of the Top 100 public golf courses by Golf Digest. This semi-private course is also part of the Audubon Golf Trail featuring towering pines and dramatic par 3’s. 60 acres of lakes come into play on 12 of the 18 holes to go along with 94 bunkers that are dispersed throughout this course. They also offer an indoor state-of-the-art teaching academy and practice facility. Green fees with cart and range ball from $55-$65USD. Lake Charles and southwest Louisiana host over 75 annual events including Mardi Gras, the Black Heritage, Cajun French Music and Food and, the Contraband Days Pirate Festivals for your after game amusement and entertainment. And, if you love food and plenty of it then you have to chow down on local delicacies like crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya and boudin, a spicy combination of beef or pork and rice sausage that varies from restaurant. To read the complete article on golf in the Lake Charles, LA area visit http://golftravelandleisure.com/2013/11/06/golf-lake-charles-louisiana/