Lake Charles Country Club

Lake Charles sits in the flatlands of the Calcasieu Parish coastal plain, where the landscape is defined by water, cypress, and the particular humidity of the Gulf Coast. Golf here is a year-round pursuit, though summer demands a certain tolerance for heat and the heavy air that rolls in off the Gulf. The surrounding region is a serious sports and outdoor culture — hunting, fishing, and golf coexist comfortably.

As a full-length private layout at par 72, the course rewards members who invest time learning its subtleties, which on flat Louisiana terrain typically means reading wind, managing soft turf conditions after rain, and respecting the water that defines so much of the region's character.