Olde Oaks Golf Club

Olde Oaks Golf Club: Located a few miles south-east of Shreveport, Olde Oaks is one of several well-designed golf courses in a region sometimes referred to as Ark-La-Tex. With 27-holes laid out as the Oak, Cypress and Meadow nines, you can pit your golfing skills against three contrasting layouts. Each nine follows an expansive out-and-back routing from the clubhouse, but there the similarities end.

As the name suggests, the Oak-nine exudes a predominantly tree-lined feel, with pleasant undulations rather than pronounced elevation changes along the way. Oaks and pines line the nicely rolling fairways that lead you to excellent quality greens, often home to extravagant slopes and borrows.

The Cypress-nine provides a mixed environment, sometimes tree-lined, at other times more open. Upscale housing is more noticeable, though never too close to the course to be intrusive, nor detract from the naturalness of the layout. More water is in play on the Cypress-nine, as you'll quickly discover at the good-length par-5 1st, which is flanked by a good-sized lake from tee-to-green. Water threatens again on four of the remaining eight holes, in distinct contrast to the other two nines.

The Meadow course is based on an open, British links-style design, although with more water in play than the average Scotsman might be accustomed to. Rolling, rather than towering dunes line the good-width fairways, which weave through a scenic and very natural wetland landscape.

[This write-up is based on Where2Golf's visit in 2008. It seems Olde Oaks has enjoyed a mixed press in more recent years].