The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is the only team event on the PGA Tour and is annually staged at TPC Louisiana, a Pete Dye layout featuring his trademark unorthodox bunkering and prevalent water hazards.
While not brutally difficult, TPC Louisiana features a number of extremely intimidating holes that create plenty of drama at the finish line of this unique event.
Some of the par-4s become a little redundant and forgetful, but there is some drama and excitement around this layout as well. So, let's have a look at TPC Louisiana as a whole, shall we?
Memorable Holes: 6.0
TPC Louisiana's standout holes are mostly showcased on the par-3s and finishing holes, but there are a few memorable ones outside of those groups as well.
For example, the 476-yard sixth hole is a quality par-4 that doglegs hard to the left around a lake guarding the landing area.
The 377-yard 13th is also a quality shorter par-4 that features an enormous tree in the fairway on the inside of this dogleg left. The green is a difficult target to hit as it is tiny and perched on a plateau.
Interest: 6.5
Despite being treelined and located near New Orleans, TPC Louisiana actually plays more like a British links course due to the small pot bunkers and undulating run-off areas surrounding the greens. This creates a fascinating dynamic as giant oak and cypress trees present an added obstacle to the links-like setup.
For instance, the 575-yard 11th is a par-5 with a wide, rippling fairway and a green surrounded by four pot bunkers and one waste bunker.
The defining feature of this hole used to be a towering tree in the middle of the fairway about 90 yards from the green. Sadly, the 105-foot bald cypress tree was lost in Hurricane Ida in 2021.
Par-3s: 6.5
The par 3s at TPC Louisiana are all long and very difficult. The 221-yard third is the longest of the bunch and probably the least interesting. The green is deep and surrounded by bunkers and run-off areas, and it sticks out like a peninsula into a lake, which will catch any wildly errant shots.
The bunkerless ninth measures 207 yards with water and railroad ties hugging the entire left side of the deep green. The 216-yard 14th features another deep green with a large deep bunker on the left and three intimidating pot bunkers on the right.
Lastly, the 215-yard 17th is almost identical to the ninth with a narrower green and a couple of pot bunkers to the right.
Difficulty: 5.0
TPC Louisiana is not a terribly difficult golf course. There are a number of easy par-4s and par-5s, but these are mixed in with some very difficult long par-4s and par-3s. Two examples are seen at the 492-yard 12th and the 490-yard 15th.
Both dogleg to the left off the tee, then back to the right on the approach; both greens are well-guarded, the 12th by a couple of pot bunkers and a massive waste bunker to the right; the 15th has no greenside bunkers but sits on a plateau which falls off on all sides.
Finish: 7.5
The finishing holes are the strength of TPC Louisiana. The 355-yard par-4 16th snakes around a waste bunker before reaching a green set next to a pond that guards the left side of the hole. This is a great birdie opportunity, but it is not without its dangers.
The aforementioned 17th is an extremely difficult par-3 where disasters can occur.
The par-5 18th is a memorable finishing hole, as it's a 588-yard dogleg right around a lake with the water tightly hugging the length of the hole. The hole plays dramatically differently if the pin is on the higher left section of the green versus when it's on the lower right side near the edge of the water.
Overall: 6.30
For the criteria used to determine these ratings, please click here.