Carter Plantation

New Orleans has golf courses, but not a lot of them, and the ones that are in the immediate vicinity often are short on charm. Sometimes, it's a good choice to venture away from the city and find some other great options. Carter Plantation in the little town of Springfield is about an hour northwest of the city and well work every second you'll spend driving to it.

I'd not played Carter in about 3 years so it's always interesting to see how layouts mature, change, and develop over time. I remember playing it within it's first year of opening and thinking how nice the place was. Well, it still does not disappoint.

We've been getting pounded by our traditional summer showers in the area and Carter was not exception. The course was damp, really wet in a few places, but with the only standing water in the bunkers, that was OK. The course drains amazingly.

After a relatively easy first hole, the second ramps up with a shallow green which has some funky angles to it. Follow that up with a mid-length par 3 with a green so deep you could hit 3-4 different clubs on the hole. The course begins in lowland wetlands and then moves up into pine wetlands by the time you reach the par 4 9th hole.

During high season, at the turn there used to be a little halfway house, but when we played it was closed. However, the 9th isn't terribly far from the clubhouse should you require an ice chest refill.
The back starts similar to the front, just with the holes playing a bit tougher.
The notable holes on the course are the Par 4 8th, a hard dogleg right and across a pond. PLAYER TIP NUMBER ONE - don't try to cut the corner across the near bunker on the dogleg - the water comes into play quickly. Your target should be the middle to right edge of the farther bunker with a fairway wood or hybrid.
The next notable hole is the Par 5 13th hole. Plenty long, it is generous off the tee (although 2 bunkers squeeze the landing area) and on the layup, but the green is fronted by bunkers and backed by water.
The short Par 4 14th is drive-able, but bunkers make your shot a challenge, particularly if you roll off the back of the green because the green slopes severely from back to front. There is no good bailout if you miss the green either.
The final notable hole is the par 3 17th. Water on the left and bunkers on the right as well as a well canted green make this one tough, although picturesque.
I played with my golf club, so my rates aren't indicative of what they normally charge. I've played it on the regular for as little as $49 and as much as $70. Again, it drains well and that's important in the summer here. The bunkers need some work, excessive rain has washed a good bit of sand from them, and many of them are packed solid from the rain. In the summer be prepared for hot. Great course, among the BEST in the New Orleans area. Even though it's an hour away, because New Orleans is so starved for quality courses, this has to be included amongst the highest quality in the region.

Great condition of greens
Will be back to play again

Very nice layout with fast, smooth greens. A little waiting while playing but as to be expected on a nice day. I did notice a good bit of ball marks on the greens where people didn’t fix them. Besides that, the course is great as always.

Played this course many times and it’s always a pleasure to play a course that ran so well from the staff to the amenities this place is top notch every time I’ve played here.

Got a last second deal for $29 + tax. Not many golfers being a Wednesday early afternoon. Had the whole course to myself. Everything is so well kept from range to the pro shop to the course itself. Course is challenging from pro and gold tees.

Very slow pace of play. I was a single and wasn’t able to play through due to every group with groups ahead of them. Makes for a long round but still my favorite course within 60 miles of my home. Great Course!!

6+ hour round. Way overbooked. Tee times to close together. Didn’t have enough carts.

it is a gorgeous and massive course, im relatively new to golf and even as a beginner it is a great course, great condition, and beautiful greens hole 4 and 7 are stunning.

It seems a bit daunting since there's houses on the course so that can be daunting but really not that bad. other than that and wishing the cart came around more, it's great.

a note to beginners: I played twilight when i went and we were about the last ones on the course then and could take our time. played 9 holes just fine w a 3pm tee time