Lakewood Golf Club

Lakewood Golf Club: After being ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, the "rebirth of this legend" has further enhanced New Orleans' growing reputation as a great golf destination (and still one of the most interesting and lively cities in North America) - the rebirth and complete course redesign included two fascinating features - with many hurricane damaged trees around the now quite open course, a wood-carver was commissioned to create life-like sculptures from some of the tree trunks - its worth paying a green fee just to see these carvings (... amazing what an artist can do with a chain-saw) - after the hurricane, the new owners (the Fire Dept Pension Fund), put out the threat of the course's extinction, while putting into the new layout several flame-shaped, fiery-red bunkers - this signature bunkering is found at the par-5 1st and par-4 18th, while a Fleur-de-Lys and a Maltese Cross also feature in the bunker design - fairway-flanking sandy waste areas and several small ponds will also need to be avoided, not least at the par-3 17th, surrounded by water on three sides - new tree planting will help break-up the openness of this relatively flat and open course, adding to its overall look and challenge - housing is only found around one part of the course perimeter - a classic and well-maintained parkland course that took a battering in the mid-2000s, but which has bounced back in fine style - a new clubhouse is on the plans for 2010/11.