Variety: The holes widely vary on this course, but there are also some repeating themes. Three of the first 5 holes have water. There is also a good mix of varying degrees of openness from wide open to very tight and long fairways. There are also numerous and fair out of bounds areas. You will need a variety of shots both forehand and backhand to score well and avoid hazards and OB. The levels of difficulty also vary widely thoughout the course from very easy, short, open shots to long, tight, low-ceiling fairways.

Elevation: There are mounds that have been apparently sculpted into the landscape if this large park (that otherwise occupies dead flat land) that are used in the disc golf course. Some are small, some are quite large and they are used well in the greens that inhabit them adding a potential for rollaways and a need to control spin direction on approaches to minimize the rollaway risk. Holes 7, 9, 11, 14 and 17 are examples of this. Even holes 2 and 4 slope toward water adding at least the sense of added danger on any aggressive tee shot. This elevation differentiates Lafreniere from most of the courses in South Louisiana which, being made up of the Mississippi River flood plain, has very little in the way of elevation changes.

Lots of holes. At 24, this is the highest number of holes that I can think of for any single course in Louisiana.

Easily accessible: You can park within 100 feet of the first tee.

This park is full of people. Even in the early afternoon on a work day I had to wait for dog walkers, joggers and others to finish crossing or running the length of the fairway before throwing.

Disc golf is clearly not the priority in this park. On the day that I played in mid-October, a large metal "Christmas tree" was almost completely blocking the 17th fairway very near the tee box.

Speaking of tee boxes, many holes have natural tees and some have concrete tees. Some of the concrete tees are not flat, crowned on one end, and several of the natural tees are also unlevel enough to give you a little worry. Overall I found the tees to be adequate, but wider, flat concrete tee boxes would be nice. One hole, 11 if I remember correctly, didn't have an obvious teeing area. There was another that I was not certain about, but just threw from somewhere near the sign.

Some of the signs have distance information. Some don't. Some are harder to find than others. Multiple baskets are visible from some tee boxes with no indication on the tee signs about basket position. The signs are just round, yellow, metal signs with numbers on them. When you cannot see the basket, as on some of the longer holes, you will just need to scout the hole before throwing. Navigation isn't always straightforward. For example, after 11, you need to cross the street toward the soccer fields to find the #12 tee box, but there's nothing to tell you that and the sign, which was in the shade of the tree it is under, was difficult to see on a sunny day from the 11th basket.

Print a map to have with you if you have not played this course. Without a map, I would have been lost on several occasions.

One of the holes was next to a large live music stage area and it looks like any activity on that stage could likely render the course unplayable due to the crowd there and additional people all over the course. One or two holes might need some trimming.

The one layout issue that struck me as a missed opportunity was the failure to have any of the tee boxes on any of the mounds. Available elevation is used exclusively for baskets, place them as much as 15-20 feet higher than the surrounding land in some cases. The failure to utilize any of those mounds for a tee just seems like a wasted opportunity. Of course, this might not have been allowed so I don't count that in my rating.

I didn't see any bathrooms or water on the course, so come prepared. Summers in South Louisiana can be butal.

If you are playing disc golf in the Greater New Orleans area, you have this and City Park to play in. At present, the next closest course is across Lake Pontchartrain in Mandeville (The Pines). Lafreniere is definitely worth playing if you are in the area despite the negatives I mentioned above - as long as you have a map. If you don't bring one, you may spend a little time figuring out some of the layout.

This course has a lot to offer, for the New Orleans area. I started playing this courses around 2006, but this is a new layout from the one I used to play. I feel the new layout is more scenic and offers more challenges.

Starting out on hole 1 you just need to park your car and walk 50 feet and you're ready to start your round! Big plus! The 4 out of 5 of the first baskets are water holes making this pretty intimidating for the first few. Hole 4 is definitely a fun CTP hole. 20 feet past the basket is water with a tree that protects the basket, so a smooth pin point drive is needed (I went in the water of course). Hole 5 totally plays with your head with the water on the left. You tee off three feet from the waters edge throwing along the water, not across. The "lake" bends into the fairway a bit that also gets into your head.

Hole 6 is the departing hole away from all water hazards for the rest of play. Hole 7 is a huge hole with a large grouping of trees right in the middle of the fairway and the basket on top of a hill. This is a very tough Par 3! There used to be a MANDO on this hole when it was the old layout. I didn't see one with the new layout so I played it how I wanted to. The rest of the course is pretty much typical Louisiana disc golf, flat with some trees and open fairways.

It's probably just the time of year but the grass was low and made for an enjoyable round. Water fountains, vending machines, and restrooms are available.

For the most part this was a great course to throw all types of shots. If you can hit the correct lines I can see this being a somewhat boring course, but who hits every line every time?

I was able to navigate the course with some ease from hole to hole. There are signs at the tees so I knew they were tees though some were not numbered. On a compact course which this can be at times it was cumbersome. Most baskets were numbered, though some weren't so again it was difficult. After you play this once you can navigate it every time after.

There are 24 baskets so if areas are unplayable you can still get 18 in.

Come prepared. Know the course layout before coming out. It will make your trip out so much more enjoyable.

Tees are muddy and slippery when it is wet outside or rained in the past week.

All water holes are clumped together in the first five holes. After that is all dry making the course feel predictable. It would have been nice to have some water half way through 18, but it's due to the available space.

There is a lack of garbage cans on the course unless you are by the shelters.

Some holes are ridiculously easy, but I guess that makes up for the few that seem impossible to par.

Course layout over all isn't too bad, but I feel if the park adds any more features the course may have to relocate yet again, or get smaller, or God forbid shut down. A new outdoor concert area and dog park have cut into the course already (I love the dog park and the "idea" of a concert area, but just don't take away from our disc golf please).

Tee signs are just numbered and some aren't even numbered. Just a yellow sign. Baskets are sometimes numbered and other times the number doesn't even face the tees.

I miss teeing off the big hill! This was a big let down coming out to this course.

This course just needs some TLC.

Add trash cans to some holes to help keep the park clean.

Add a tee box on one of the big hills like hole 15 used to have!!! : )

If you want a good family course then skip the first five holes and you can still finish out with 18 holes.

Overall I really enjoyed my time out there and am going to add it to my schedule to play monthly.

After "getting my feet wet" in the world of disc golf at City Park, I opted to expand my horizons and start trying new courses. Since Lafreniere Park's disc golf course is the only other course in the New Orleans metro area, I decided to give it a try.

The course layout is fairly logical, but a map would be helpful if you've never played here before. However, once you play 2 or 3 times, you realize that the course's layout is pretty easy to follow from hole to hole and no map is necessary. The 24 hole course is laid out in what can be best described as several clusters of holes.

Holes 1-7 are situated between N. Scenic Drive and the park's lagoon. With the exception of holes 6 & 7; which have a lot of trees "in the way", these holes offer fairly wide open fairways with few obstacles.

Holes 8-11 and holes 17 &18 are situated next to N. Scenic Drive & Downs Blvd near the entrance to the park. Holes 8-10 have several trees to negotiate but no other hazards. Hole 11 has a low lying tree near the tee and a dogleg right. Hole 17 is a blind throw as the flag is on top of a large manmade hill. Hole 18's tee box puts the trees in your way for your tee shot, and features a long dogleg right with the road (N. Scenic Dr.) being out of bounds.

Holes 12-15 are to the right of the parks' Downs Blvd entrance and are near the soccer fields. Only hole 12 offers a difficult challenge through the tunnel of trees.

Hole 16 is situated all by itself next to the restrooms and workout station and is a good place to take a break and get a cool drink.

Holes 19-24 are separated from the rest of the course and bounded by the dog park and N. Scenic Drive. The holes are all fairly wide open with the exception of the 432 foot hole 22. Lots of trees are strategically placed so that shot placement as well as distance both come into play.

Some of the trickier holes (baskets) can be:

Hole 1 - This medium length hole is bordered by water on the left, but unless you throw an absolutely horrible shot, the water should not come into play.

Hole 4 - Be careful of throwing too hard here as you are throwing directly towards the water and the basket is less than 10 feet from the water's edge. If your disc goes in the water, consider it gone.

Hole 5 - I've lost 2 or 3 discs on this hole, as there is water on the entire left side of the fairway that extends rightward into the field of play. Play it safe and throw far to the right if you can't carry the 250'ish feet to clear all of the water.

Hole 6 - This hole will test your ability to throw low and straight off the tee box. If you can't, you are definitely going to hit some trees. The basket is somewhat protected behind a small cluster of trees on a slightly elevated hill.

Hole 7 - The tee box is set on a man made elevation that offers a great view of the park.. This is a long par 3 as it is almost 500 feet to the basket. There are many trees in the way and it would be wise to keep to the right, as if you throw left, you will find yourself surrounded by trees. The basket to this hole is also on a man made hill that appears to be nearly 2 stories tall (15-20 feet). I have yet to par this hole.

Hole 12 - I have thrown some of my worst throws on this hole. It is a 383 foot dogleg left that runs along Downs Blvd back towards N. Scenic Drive with the street being out of bounds. There are trees everywhere so you have to keep your shots straight or you will be forever lost in the trees.

Hole 17 - Keep your disc low off the tee shot to avoid the big tree in your way. The basket is completely obscured as it sits on top of a man made hill and is all the way to the back of the "green".

Hole 22 - If you want to make a par, you better be able to throw long and straight, as this hole is covered with trees and is over 430 feet. Stay to the right as it's easy to lose a disc in the backyard of one of the houses that line the left side of this The course has steadily improved this year, as has participation among local fairway.

The course is well maintained and the grass is always freshly cut and kept short; so it's easy to locate your disc after every throw. Also, there never seems to be too many disc golfers on the course, so there's never any waiting.

The downside to this course is the number of picnickers and recreational visitors that frequent the park. Some of them have no idea what disc golf is and actually picnic right next to the baskets; especially the elevated baskets on hole 7 and 17. Furthermore, lots of kids often want to "help you" and pick up your disc and bring it to you after you throw it. :-( But overall, I've played here at least a dozen times and every time has been a good time.

If you are a first timer and are playing alone, allow at least 2 hours to complete your 1st round. Once you get accustomed to the course, it can be played (solo) in as little as 90 minutes.

* Nice usage of man made hills (I assume they are man made...didn't realize there was that much elevation in the area)
*Beautiful park setting
*Very visible tee markers

*#4 tee marker was missing (found the ground markers about 15' or so from #7 tee box)
*Bunch of trash scattered throughout the park, especially around the stage area (probably left yesterday from Mother's Day picnics and get-togethers...I played early this morning, so cleaning crews may have got it cleaned up later in the day)
*#5 tee box was underwater so I just played off to the side of the tee markers

Played this course this morning and really enjoyed it. The park setting led to quiet, peaceful round of DG. There weren't that many people there when I started, but by the time I had finished, it was teeming with people (though, the pedestrian traffic didn't cause any issues). There was standing water in the lower spots on the course, but that was expected with the amount of rain in the past few days. Several of the first few holes were open with little in the way of hazards, other than the occasional tree. A bad miss on the elevated baskets could lead to a long putt or lay-up attempt if you should overshoot the basket or the disc rolls off the hill. The course winds down with a few holes played in the trees along the walking path, then ends up with a long #18 parallel to the road. Hope I can make it back out and play another round while Im in town this week.

Signage ... Central course map and each hole and basket are marked +1

Tee pads, Baskets - Natural tee pads are ok, but some are short or thin. Baskets are all homemade, IF i didn't know when this course was installed, I'd complain, but I think It's a plus. +1

Water, Trash, Benches and restrooms. +5 Not many placed to deposit trash or to sit down.

Course design +.5 ... It's has and I assume always will change, but for the land it has, the hole are varied and challenging. Need an OUT and IN.

It's a multi-use park which will cause delays and distractions. -.5

There are minimal benches or trash cans along the way. -.5

I can't remember a *special* hole or anything to grant an extra point. It's history deserves a half a point. Go play this fun amazing course if you're in New Orleans for any reason.

I'll reiterate what others have said: the strength of this course is its variety. In addition to sheer volume (24 holes), the course utilizes a variety of terrain, lines, and distances: tunnel shots, open drives, water holes, hills, winding tree-laden fairways, all ranging from 180' to 480'. There's a lot to like in that mix, and little to no repetition: I don't carry a lot of discs/molds, but I've had to pull out every disc I use on this course at one time or another. Because of all this variety, the course has great replay value, and presents a lot of opportunities to challenge your game in one way or another.

While elevation isn't up to northern standards, it's notably varied in relation to other courses in the area. There are some sloping greens, pins on a variety of hills from small to drastic, and at least one big rip from an elevated point (hole 7). It's nice to have to take elevation into consideration around here.

Creative tee placement makes for some challenging and interesting shots, especially from the gold tees.

While non-discgolf traffic is something of an issue (see below), it's important to note that holes 19-24 are situated off to the side in such a way so as to minimize this problem. This provides an option to play even on busier days (although admittedly you wouldn't want to come from afar for just these 6 holes).

Perfectly manicured and kept up. Gotta love the region's weather in the fall/winter, too. Bathrooms and water fountains are readily accessible.

As has been noted before, the primary drawback of this course is people: I've often had to skip one or more holes because someone was picnicking/throwing a football/etc in the midst of a hole. Personally, I haven't found this to be too much of a problem: with 24 holes, it's easy enough to skip a cluttered hole and find a stretch of open ones. Only about a third to half of the holes are positioned where park traffic may become an issue. So outside foot traffic has yet to be a noteworthy issue for me personally, although in the interest of full disclosure, since I live nearby, I don't feel the pressure to play a given hole on a given day, since I know I can always come back and try it again another day.

In summary: foot traffic is an issue, but it's never been anything that has detracted from my experience.

The yellow tee markers can be a little hard to find at times; not a big deal by any means, but there are a few holes where it takes a bit of looking to find where to tee off.

Navigating without a map can be difficult on your first visit. A simple look at a map can mitigate most of the problems, however.

I wish tee signs would have some sort of indication of where the basket is positioned. This would make finding the baskets on a few holes usefully easier. All they indicate is hole number and distance.

Baskets could be better, but they're serviceable.

Although they're presently unmarked on DGCR, this course contains beginner tees on many holes.

I'm a big fan of this course. As a New Orleans resident, I've played City Park many times, but had avoided this course because of the aforementioned foot traffic issues. Finally, as City Park became repetitive, I decided to throw caution to the wind and try out a new course. I'm very glad I did, as I actually prefer this course: it has way more variety than City Park. So if you're visiting the area and can only make it to one course, I'd recommend this one, especially if you can make it during less-frequented hours (i.e. the morning). Although they're close enough (5 miles or less apart) that you could easily hit both.

Notta bad little course! The elevation is used very well here and you notice it as soon as you drive into the park. Many of the holes have elevation used on the greens making your upshot and your putting game super important here to score well. The baskets are ok and there are natural tees on this course. There isnt a lot of water here but where it is, it is used to the maximum effect. The variety here is great too. There is just about any shot that you can think of and it doesnt favor a righty or lefty. There is also everything from wide open long holes to short tight ones andlong tight ones to short open ones. The park was very well taken care of. The grass was mowed, trees trimmed, and not any trash around at all. The fun factor was high for me because it didnt seem to have any repeat holes even though there were 24 holes to be played,

The park is VERY crowded with walkers, pets, kids, chickens, and everything else you can think of. (Yes, chickens!) The water that is there looks very nasty and Im sure that if you throw in it, it is gone FOREVER! Yellow dots marking the tees are hard to find on certain holes. Take a pic of the map or use the map on this site because for a first timer navigation can be a little tough. I used this one and it worked fine.

Super cool variety and fun course to play indeed. Stop by, its well worth the time, especially if they havent mowed City Park like when I was there. The course seems to drain very well because it rained a bunch when I was down there and rained like a monsoon the night before I played and didnt have any issues.

With 24 holes and clocking in at just over 7000', this is a great course with well-placed holes in a very popular park. There is just enough foliage variation, and pin placements on hills to make things interesting. Water also slightly plays in on holes #1, #4, and #5, but conservative play should keep you dry. If you do get wet - your disc is gone baby gone. Note that many holes have pin placements on a few big hills, which I'm a fan of and think is a positive when you can't get elevation play any other way.

The tee placements are easy to spot with bright yellow tee markers indicating hole number and relatively close distances, and the natural tee boxes are well maintained. The park itself has plenty of amenities to keep everyone happy, and the entire area is well maintained. Ultimately, this is what a person expects a city park course should to be. Finally, the distance is perfect for new players to grow on and just long enough to keep most rec. players interested.

BEST HOLE/S: #1, #9, & #15

In a park this nice, you wish the tee boxes would be concrete, and alternate tees for advanced players would be a great option to lengthen the course a bit. However, the biggest con is simply that this is a really nice and very popular park. Fortunately, many of the holes are well placed to minimize pedestrian encounters, but you're almost certain to play into picnickers and park goers on most days.

People that we played around were all courteous and looked like regulars who know the course is there, but be fair warned before heading out during peak hours. Also, Holes #19-#24 are bit out of the way and an afterthought to the first eighteen, but still a fun little six holes and worth the walk.

WORST HOLE/S: #11, #12, & #20

After looking at the current condition and layout of City Park, I'm surprised Lafreniere doesn't rank far ahead it in overall course quality. You have six extra holes, no course construction, and frankly it just feels safer than City Park. In reading some of the reviews about this course, I wasn't that excited, nor did I expect too much when coming here - but instead I walked away happy to experience this course. Bottom line is if you're in the Crescent City and can only hit one course - make this place you're first pick. It's busy, but great for a casual round.

I love this course. I think the 24 hole length makes for a killer experience. I also think that the grounds are well kept and the aesthetics of the course are phenomenal. As a beginner I felt like I was really challenged and although I shot 20 over par, I wanted to come back the very next day.

The elevation on some of the holes provided for an added challenge that I have yet to see in a course and the distances, which I believe are professional grade made me appreciate the use of a good flick.

In terms of professional grade play I believe that this course would be well suited to tournaments and that the hole distance, obstacles both natural and artificial, and the course length make for much fun.

People. People. People. Although I certainly understand the necessity of conserving space and sharing with others, there are a lot of times when there are children running around the hills. One basket is actually bordered by a playground. On several holes there is a high fence lining a row of houses. It is not that I think these ruin your day or even make the course unenjoyable but as a "newbie" I really felt pressured to hold back a little and play conservative.

This is only the second course I have ever played, the first being City Park in New Orleans. Comparatively there is no question that Lafreniere has the better design, yet there are several factors that could make or break your opinion of this park.