Metairie, LA

Lafreniere Park

3.135(based on 23 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Lafreniere Park reviews

Filter
15 0
Cerealman
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.7 years 572 played 173 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Long-lived Lafreniere layout is a little listless

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

As one of the first 100 permanent disc golf courses established, the Lafreniere Park course boasts a park-style layout that has stood the test of time for more than 40 years, though the over-crowded venue and bland design earn this historic landmark only a decent rating.

The signage and cement teepads are top-notch. The new signs are detailed and give a good representation of the hole design.

The layout has some good aspects, as the course starts with several of the more open holes, allowing for decent warm-up, though Hole #3 is a tricky par 4 with the lake on the left side the entire way. Several of the holes in the middle part of the course feature a ceiling aspect. The layout also squeezes the most out of the one considerable hilly area – a rarity in the Greater New Orleans area – including finding space for two downhill throws on Holes #13 and #14.

The course and park itself seem well-maintained. Parking is located near Hole #1, and the course finishes not too far from the parking lot.

Cons:

My round at Lafreniere was on a cold and windy December morning. I threw my first disc shortly after 7 a.m. with the intention of completing the round in about an hour. While I was achieved that goal by several minutes, my round was interrupted and affected by numerous park-goers and other distractions.

Even at that early hour of the morning, I encountered geese, cats, walkers, park visitors, Christmas decorations and lawn maintenance workers. Several times during my round I laid up or threw at a 45-degree angle deviation from the straight-line route to the basket to avoid endangering people and wildlife. The main info states that the park is shared with other users and tends to be busy. I can imagine the challenge of disc golfing on warm, sunny days at Lafreniere Park is quite significant and that numerous holes might be unplayable at times.

The design at Lafreniere Park is fairly mundane. While there are trees present on most of the holes, the majority of fairways are undefined and flat. There are plenty of sidewalks that come into play as well as chain-link fences that border a residential area on several holes.

The navigation isn't always intuitive. Not all of the maps on the lovely tee signs indicate where the next hole is. I wandered in the wrong direction a couple times and had to pull up the map to correct my destination. There are a few short walks between holes, especially after Hole #15 when the layout requires a couple-minute walk and crossing North Scenic Drive to reach the next hole. Because the main road of the park runs through the course, you will cross the road four times during your round. Also, a couple holes play near the road, so it's recommended to keep an eye on nearby traffic.

When there are geese present, there is geese poop around.

Other Thoughts:

In the last couple months of the year, the layout is slightly affected by the Christmas in the Park drive-through attraction. This changed at least one of the holes and the light decorations presented a minor obstacle on a few other holes.

The park is named after Nicolas Chauvin de La Frénière, an attorney general of French Louisiana in the mid-1700s. He organized a revolt against Spanish rule in 1768 and was executed in 1769 for his part in the conspiracy. There's no record from historians that Nicolas the Younger was a disc golfer.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
12 3
samxyx
Experience: 5.8 years 31 played 30 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Ugly Looking, but decent 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 4, 2020 Played the course:once

Other Thoughts:

Pretty horrible looking course which has some surprisingly decent holes. It plays in a large, crowded park. Most holes are open. A few trees in the fairway as per usual. The challenge comes from their thick, low hanging, branches which force players to keep their shots low to the ground. Average basket is around 330 feet from the tee give or take. No real rough or out of bounds to worry about. Easy to salvage a par on a bad shot. No "Wow" holes. Several wide open holes. Favors lefties.

Some glaring flaws hurt this course. Primarily the course flows through the busiest part of the park. As a result people will be picknicking, playing soccer and lounging in the middle of the fairways. It makes some holes unplayable. NAVIGATION IS HORRIBLE. Very poor signage, nothing directs you to the next tee. Bring a map. Trash around several of the tee pads.

Overall the course needs a lot of work. Tee signs and, barricades around the fairways would be huge. If you came at an unbusy time, and can rip a low shot in the 350 range you'll like it here. 24 holes.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
16 3
blake833
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.9 years 160 played 140 reviews
3.00 star(s)

It's getting better 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 3, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

[EDIT: the course was redesigned into a 24 hole layout, review is updated to reflect the new layout, including bumping up the rating]

The big way this course stands out from every other course in the area is it's elevation! There are several hills around the park, and they are used as best they can.

The park itself is very scenic, with some wonderful waterways and wildlife around the playing areas.

There is a warm up basket in the parking lot near tee 7, a feature which is truly underrated, and rare.

All 24 holes have concrete pads. Most of them are new, but they are all still in great condition.

Having 24 holes seems more fun than 18, and the holes themselves are just plain interesting. They are exciting and fresh, and you really get to try for birdies on every one of them.

Since the update, navigation is a little easier. The map online is accurate, and the teepads are all numbered!

Cons:

Some of the fairways are still pretty snug up against each other. This could be a problem on a crowded day, but if you control your drive it shouldn't be too much of a hazard.

In using the hills, it is mainly by putting a basket on top or on the side of them. It would be nice to throw from an elevated tee at some point, but despite using so many hills, not one of them was for a teepad. Holes 1 and 5 are slightly elevated, but fairly wooded so you can't go for the nice long distance you would want to.

There are no pars listed on any of the signs, but if you are using this website as reference, or the dgcr app to keep score, they are listed there.

Some of the holes are just still not great in themselves. Hole 18 stands out as one where you just stand on the teepad and decide to throw into oncoming traffic, or into trees. The mando keeps you from going around them.

There are also just a few other places where moving the basket just 10ft would make a better placement. On hole 2, it is tucked in a 6ft gap between an OB fence to a dog park, and a big tree. No room for error, little room for approach. But the fairway is pretty open, and if you use the fence as a backstop, you should be fine.

UPDATE #2: Baskets have all been upgraded to Prodigy T1s. Some are a little shaky, but hopefully will settle (as long as kids stop climbing on them).

Other Thoughts:

This course has a good variety of holes, with long and a few short ones, left and right ones, wooded and open ones. This a great course for beginners and experienced players.

This course is incredibly fun, and makes you think about elevation changes in a way no other course in the area does. it's definitely a can't-miss if you're in the New Orleans area.

Good luck!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 1
enragedmullet
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.4 years 115 played 79 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Timing is Critical 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 9, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

24 holes that balance out City Park, course ends close to where it begins

Scenic park, w/ ducks and such

Variety of BH/FH shots, good use of obstacles on some holes

well maintained park; amenities available in the park, though not really close to the course

Elevation on some holes as mentioned in previous reviews, making for some fun shots.

Cons:

No benches/diagrams/next tee signs/ trash cans at tees/baskets. Some amenities are nearby but they aren't along the course.

Some tees are concrete, some are au naturale. Some of the concrete tees are this dimension while others are that dimension. Inconsistent.

Course map not totally accurate. To my memory that's most glaring at #10.

CROWDED. As mentioned in most other reviews, you gotta get here early if you're gonna try for all 24 on the weekend. Not sure what it's like on the weekdays but I played at 8 AM on Sunday and by 10 it was crowded to the point that some holes probably weren't playable. I understand that's the point of holes 19-24, so kudos to the park for that.

Other Thoughts:

The course feels a little crammed into the layout of the park. There are SO many things going on around the course that it's like someone really just wanted to cram 24 in here w/o regard to the other uses of the park. The first few holes play really close to the pond which presents a great challenge but w/o a map it can get confusing as to which basket you're aiming for. 12-14 are close to a soccer field that can definitely sees action.

19-24 are behind the dog park but also seem really crammed together.

The day I played it was super windy out and it was clear that there had been a big event the night before. Lots of crew picking up litter. Some support crew trucks were in the way of 10's tee so I played from the short tee, something not all holes have from what I saw.

Signature holes to me are the ones near the mounds, I think 7 and 9 come to mind. Also 5 is a terrible blind shot w/ a hedge that hides some equipment directly in front of the tee sign. With the contours of the lake it can be daunting.

If you're in the area and have the time you definitely want to check out the course to balance out City Park. Personally though, I'd rather play the latter. granted there's no elevation and Lafreniere might seem like the prettier of the two, there's also no non-DG crowds for the most part.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
Taylor510ce
Experience: 10.1 years 15 played 12 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 21, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice park,
some very short holes for begginers.
Practice basket.

Cons:

Terrible tee signs
Needs a course map
Number plates are either missing or turned the wrong way
Trees need trimmed to make fairways decent--most fairways are obscured by trees that have overgrown and created either a very low ceiling canopy or no good line for any shot off the tee

Other Thoughts:

Could be a great course if some maintenance was done for better sight lines, and if baskets were moved to create more than just straight shots with trees in the way of what could be beautiful fairways that formed real disc golf holes.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
ELLE
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Don't go on weekends... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 31, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Pretty park in general.

Cons:

Crowded

Other Thoughts:

Visiting the New Orleans area I had a day in the plans to go play Lafreneire and New City Park. I have to say that is park in general is a very nice place, so nice in fact that unfortunately, I had people picnicing, flying kites, driving remote control cars, playing fetch with dogs and just generally doing anything you can image in the middle of the disc golf course, it gets little regard in the eyes of the park patrons. People picnic right in the middle of fairways and on greens next to baskets, so if you go on the weekend you'll be skipping holes to avoid park patrons. Otherwise, it's a reasonable course in a pretty setting, holes are for the most part short and with only a few tree obstacles asking the player to choose between a couple mildly challenging lines. Not a high level challenge, but a reasonable course. Just don't go on a Sunday afternoon like I did... I was the only disc golfer on the course and it was more crowded than any course I've ever been on... big mistake.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 0
Doofenshmirtz
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.8 years 121 played 72 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Not your typical South Louisiana course. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 16, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

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.

Cons:

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.

Other Thoughts:

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.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 1
wivibi
Experience: 17.8 years 11 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Ups & Downs 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 9, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

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.

Cons:

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.

Other Thoughts:

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.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 1
machfive916
Experience: 10.1 years 9 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Machfive916's review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 23, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

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.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 2
nightwing
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 273 played 56 reviews
2.00 star(s)

It is what it is. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Parking, restrooms both good.
Beautiful ponds and park features
Quick rounds possible
'Early days of disc golf' nostalgia here

Cons:

Antique baskets.
No teepads.
Course over-run with non-players
Several repititive open grassy field holes
Only a few interesting shots.

Other Thoughts:

NOTE: I have updated my review to tone down some negative rhetoric. But I still have to be honest; it is kind of sad that a pleasant old course like this hasn't been upgraded. It gets over-run by park visitors who don't even notice that it is there.

This leads to the question: Are 'they' walking all over 'our' course, or has the course been abandoned? I think the answer is to grab a few puitters and soft mids and just go out have a casual round. If you start bombing blind, knife-edged drivers, I think park visitors would have a right to complain.

The baskets are adequate for a 'frisbee toss', but they also reinforce that a casual round is a good expectation here. Bullets will chain out.

'Teepads' here are mostly grass with some dirt. If this were a 'pitch and putt' course, this might be ok, but there are several 300' plus holes.

A few holes were removed or affected by Christmas displays. Again, if you just go out and have some fun, that shouldn't ruin your round.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 2
hammerhead611
Experience: 10 years 13 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Very nice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

* 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

Cons:

*#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

Other Thoughts:

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.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.6 years 178 played 144 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Terrific Design Given the Park's Setting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 22, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lafreniere is sprawled out over a large city park that has a wide variety of other activities going on. There are a number of bathrooms, benches, trash cans and water fountains, as well as plenty of space for parking; so, all of your basic amenities are met. Located right off of highway 10 and within minutes of the airport makes for easy access.

I enjoyed my round at Lafreniere more than I thought I would, given its setting. I give credit to the course designer for utilizing the course's terrain and park setting to the absolute maximum potential. This is one of the best courses I have played in this regard. There are many holes that offer multiple lines either off the tee, for your upshot, or both (holes 2, 7, 8, 12, 22-24 do the best job of this and were my favorite holes). Holes 7-9 play on the most extreme elevation in the park, while 2-4 and multiple holes on the back 6 do a great job of using the minor elevation changes. Water is present on the original hole 1 (not sure if this is changed for good), 2, 4, and 5, giving more variety to the hole types and adding a nice dose of risk/reward type shots. Furthermore, there are a couples mandos and holes that use the sidewalks as O.B. My favorite stretch of holes on the course was 19-24, due to the slight rolling hills, multiple line options, and distance from other park activities.

The natural tees have markers to throw from and the tee signs and baskets are generally easy to spot being yellow and having hole numbers on them.

The park is beautifully maintained and the rough is very, very limited. This makes for a relatively stress-free round of having to search for discs (unless you go in the water).

Cons:

-The least enjoyable factor of this course to me would have to be the amount of people that travel through many of the holes. Because the course is so spread out, it plays near many other activities and comes in close contact with paths and roads numerous times. While I was able to play through the entire course during my mid-afternoon round, I still had to wait a few times for people to pass through. It appears that people love to use the man-made hills on 7 and 9. I have also heard bad examples of interactions with park-users and times where people have camped out in the middle of a hole to relax.
-As I said previously, the course is very, very well designed given the topography, but holes do start to run together after awhile without a real drastic change. Looking back, none of the holes stand out to me as being a ton of fun or ones that I would want to play over and over. I would imagine that because of this, the course gets repetitive after playing it a couple times.
-A few holes are straight forward and simply open shots. Many holes are creative and thought-provoking, but when you have 24 holes on land like this, there is bound to be some boring holes.
-Very minor cons with the naturals tees and boring tee signs

Other Thoughts:

Lafreniere is a more enjoyable round than first appearance, and I really appreciated its thoughtful, creative, and technical design in spite of its straight-forward park setting. More often than not, you will be thinking about your shots than just bombing a drive or easily laying up a shot. The fact that every hole is a par 3 also makes your round more interesting in trying to score birdies and fighting against scoring any bogies. This course is definitely above average due to its technicality and terrific design, but sits at a 3.0 without any real stand-out holes.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
13 1
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 315 played 266 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Lalalalafreniere!!!! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 25, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Disc golf is one of the many activities on offer at Lafreniere Park, a large mostly flat expanse dotted with trees of various types and sizes. Occassional water (mostly on #'s 4 and 5) and a few small hills help keep this course from being completely one dimensional.
- Navigation is relatively smooth even with the bare minimum in the way of signage and the course's propensity to jump across roads to other sections of the park.
- Grass tees, while far from ideal, were plenty sufficient for my needs the entire round.
- Stretching the course to 24 holes helps add somewhat to the fun factor, and with enough trees to force some basic line shaping Lafreniere is fun enough to play without ever having a "wow" sorta moment.

Cons:

- Absolutely NO privacy. This course twists and turns back and forth past one busy park activity or attraction after another. Benches, walkways, the water's edge, busy park roadways, some sort of band shelter pavilion thingy, past the entrance, exercise station, washrooms and back along the road, along a dog park fence for a bit, then some people's yards, then back again to the parking lot...I mean, holy moley there's a freakin' lot of shizzz goin' down at this place.
- I got stalked by three turkeys (honest injun) for three holes right by the entrance gate.
- Overall, not much in the way of risk/reward (#4 and #5 are pretty decent in this regard but that's about it).
- After awhile, I felt like each hole was more or less the same thing. The designers really tried, it's just a fairly uninspiring piece of land for disc golf.

Other Thoughts:

- Boiling of seafood is absolutely prohibited, according to the sign at the entrance. So watch out.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 6
BirmingDan
Experience: 14.8 years 6 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Be Flexible 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 16, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Some nice holes. Even a couple with ELEVATION in New Orleans, believe it or not.

Cons:

Non golfers everywhere.

Other Thoughts:

I used to live in New Orleans, and there were only two courses. This was my second choice. Any day spent disc golfing is great, so I won't complain too much. Just be patient with the soccer crowds, the joggers, the picniccers, etc.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 5
NickRappazini
Experience: 13 years 10 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

One of the first ever!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

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.

Cons:

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

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

Other Thoughts:

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.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 1
Qikly
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.7 years 181 played 148 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Course - and Very Playable! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 18, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

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.

Cons:

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.

Other Thoughts:

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.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 0
Roc1Time
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 131 played 115 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Alrighty then 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

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,

Cons:

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.

Other Thoughts:

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.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 0
srm_520
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20 years 156 played 142 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The Best New Orleans Has to Offer 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 28, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

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

Cons:

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

Other Thoughts:

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.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 0
hooked312
Experience: 15.9 years 34 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Crowded, but Enjoyable 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 9, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- With limited landscape there is a good mix of holes.
- Great use of the man-made lagoons to incorporate water into the course.
- Bathrooms and water fountains in the park.
- The Park seems to be very well maintained as there were crews out all over working on the grounds.
- Decent baskets, and hole signs with distance on them.

Cons:

- As previously stated in other reviews this park is very popular for Non-DGers. There is a dog park and paths all over, so there is always lots of people to watch out for.
- Grass/Dirt tee pads. It is sometimes difficult to locate the small tee markers in the taller grass.
- The tee signs could have a little hole direction on them. Your first time out you need to go out of your way to figure out where the baskets are.
- The bulletin board with the course map is hard to find in this park, but it is close to shelter #3.
- After a few holes I found that the course could flow better. Some of the walks in between make sense, but other holes just seem out of place or even forced.

Other Thoughts:

Even though the park can be very busy and difficult to navigate for first timers I found the course to be a fun challenge. I had to pull out a wide variety of shots from my bag, using almost every disc I brought.
I thought the water and the man-made hills were well used to add to the course layout and that and since the course was so well maintained it was a very comfortable round.

Final thought: not sure where the bunnies, roosters and strange ducks are from, but I thought it was fun to see them running wild in the park and I didn't mind them at all.

I am adding a course map to the pictures and some updated pics of the holes. I would take a picture of the map with you for your first time playing.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 1
MikeK
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.8 years 330 played 128 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Classic Old School Lafreniere

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 6, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lafreniere Park's greatest strength must be the variety of holes. With everything from short 185' holes to a par four with a water carry, and some holes with elevation or OB, the course requires a slew of disc weaponry to master. There's water on two holes, concrete or road or walking path OB on a few, fence OB on a few, and decent elevation change on a couple of holes (three downhill holes which are rare in the area), and elevated baskets here and there to keep it interesting.

There's a decent amount of trees to provide shade in the summer. There are a few par threes that some would say are more like par fours, but there are plenty of shorter holes to provide birdie opportunities.

If you like wind, this course is for you, except during the long Louisiana summer when you'll beg for a breeze.

Prodigy baskets installed in 2018 and are a great upgrade.

Cons:

The course gets overrun with non-players on weekends after about noon. Always best to play early in the morning on this course if at all possible.

Not the easiest course to navigate without a map; the course was re-designed in 2022 and a new map is available under the links/files section of this course page.

Other Thoughts:

Concrete teepads installed in 2018. New tee signs installed in 2022.

There are bathrooms 250 feet behind 20's tee, and near 9's basket.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top