29 / 38
Nicklaus
took
into
consideration the unique
drainage issues that are
associated with golf in New
Orleans when designing
English Turn and it shows.
Conditions are flawless and
consistent, and the par-72,
7,078-yard track – now considered short for
a championship course – can be more than a
handful when the wind is up (and it always seems
to be.) English Turn carries a rating of 74.6 and a
slope of 140 from its back set of four tees.
The grounds that make up the course and the
community at English Turn are rich in history.
During the spring of 1699, war raged between
England and France. The exploration and
colonization of the Mississippi River (and the
plundering of the river’s untold riches) were
prime concerns for both countries. France had
established a small colony along the Mississippi
near New Orleans, and England, anxious to
control the river, sent a warship to invade the
French settlement.
Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, lieutenant
of that settlement in the Louisiana colony that
would become New Orleans, dispatched a small
convoy to the British warship anchored to the
south of New Orleans. Bienville, approaching
the English captain, warned him to depart
immediately or face a large-scale military battle.
The English turned the warship around and
returned to England.
Bienville had bluffed the English captain – the
French “armada” consisted of only two small
canoes with five brave Frenchmen. To this day,
the grand bend in the Mississippi downriver from
Old New Orleans is called “English Turn.”
Unlike Bienville’s armada, the golf experience at
English Turn Golf & Country Club is genuine and
large. The course makes golfers execute all their
shots to score well and is a real challenge but fun
to play.
NWO Golf Links