The Golf Club at Audubon Park is a Par 62 executive course. A great course to get a quick round in and work on the game. Especially your irons and short game.
This is a fun golf course I always enjoy. The weather was perfect, and it was a great day for golf. This is the second time in the past couple of weeks I have played at Audubon Park, but as much as I love the course it, unfortunately, is not at its best right now.
I'll first start by saying the greens were in great shape. The only blemishes on the greens were ones left from golfers that do not repair their ball mark. I think I repaired an average of 5 per green. Those marks out of the way the greens were rolling smooth and quick. They were a bit of the soft side as pitch marks were deep and the ball would spin back a few extra feet, but firm short shots would bounce and roll out. Overall I give the greens a 4/5.
The first thing I noticed at the first tee was there was not one tee marker in-sight. This was for the entire round on every hole. As a result, the tee boxes are chewed up in many different places as golfers are just playing from wherever they please on each tee. I personally play the yardage plates in the ground on each tee. Some areas of each tee box were ok, but they mostly look unkempt. Just like I mentioned with the greens many of the tee boxes were soft and some even a bit wet even though we haven't had any rain for a few days.
The fairways on the few holes that have them, were in good shape for the most part. The Corona Virus restrictions of not having sand available on the carts and that it is cart path only at all times shows its wear and tear on the course. Due to the extra time, it takes for a divot to grow out it has left some bare areas in these fairways. Also like many other areas, the fairways were soft as if it had been raining or the sprinklers were left on too long. This was especially true in the fairway cut areas around all the greens.
We did notice some sprinklers were either leaking or the heads never fully closed and were putting out water in some areas, so it would be fair to say they are having an issue with the sprinkler system causing the course to play soft even with the lack of rain.
The bunkers were probably what you'd expect right now with no rakes being out on the golf course, but they also had the appearance and playability if maintenance has not raked them in a while. They were still playable, but the sand was slightly more like dry rocky dirt than bunker sand. Which I personally have no issue with as they are hazards anyway.
Overall the course is not that bad and perhaps I am being overly critical, but I know what the course normally looks like and today was not it. Plus I would not be doing my duty to New Orleans Golfers if I do not give an honest review. I will however add I know that the golf course maintenance crew is understaffed. For whatever reasons or troubles the club is having they are probably short-staffed by at least five employees. When there is a minimum number of maintenance staff it is hard to maintain conditions. The crew that is there does work hard and are very friendly and follow golf etiquette.
By no means will any of this keep me from going back again soon. The course really is fun and the golf staff is always friendly.
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