LaTour back open for business

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A couple inches of rain fell two weekends ago in central Lafourche Parish — enough to drench the yards of most of the folks in the small, tight-knit community with standing water and mud.

But over at LaTour Golf Club in Mathews, the wet start didn’t put a damper on the day — not in the least.

After waiting out the rain, a large crowd gathered in the clubhouse played some golf — lots of it — something that new course management said is becoming par for the course around these parts.


After a short public hiatus, LaTour is open again — now under the management of new owner, Trey Bouvcalt.

The course is dazzling — an 18-hole gem pieced together by longtime PGA Tour pro David Toms.

And with the wet summer we’ve had in southeast Louisiana, the fairways are lush, the greens are smooth and the course is as good as it’s ever been, according to everyone who plays it on a regular basis.


“I live in Texas, so I see a lot of really nice golf courses out there,” Boucvalt said. “And I’ve played at some really nice places, but I think this is one of the best I’ve seen. The course is green. I came here in May and I said, ‘Man, everything is still so dry.’ But we’ve gotten some rain and it’s not dry anymore. Everything is green, smooth and it’s just a beautiful golf course.”

“I’m not exaggerating when I say this. I think it’s in the best condition of any golf course I’ve ever seen in Louisiana,” LaTour club pro Johnny Friloux said. “We could host a PGA Tour event here right now — no problem. It’s in that good of shape.”

The process to re-open LaTour was a welcome sight for local golf fans who wanted a little extra variety in searching for a place to play locally.


Boucvalt, a prominent businessman in the oil and gas industry, said he was approached about purchasing the course, but added that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to do it, knowing the time commitment that goes into maintaining and keeping up a well-run facility.

But he said he toured the course before the sale and saw that the course had been kept in peak condition by the previous owners — even though it was no longer open.

That, combined with the people of southeast Louisiana, had him convinced that this was a project worth investing in.


“The people here are like no other. They are some of the best people in the world,” Boucvalt said. “I was always told that once the people here let you in, they’re going to support you and love you like you’re one of their own — like family. And I’ve seen that first hand. Anyone I’ve ever taken here, they’ve all said the same thing. They all said they couldn’t wait to come back.”

The course is challenging, but fair. The way the tees are set up makes for a challenge for players of all skill levels.

On the black tees, players face a brutal grind — a 7,170-yard golf course with lots of water, sand traps and hills, which create unique stances on every shot.


From the red, the course shrinks to 5,656-yards, but is still quite the challenge for the modest player.

“Anyone can play the course,” Boucvalt said. “That’s the beauty of it.”

The course re-opened for public business a few months ago and business has been booming since that re-launch.


Friloux conceded that LaTour’s prices are more expensive than some other courses, but he quickly added that believes the experience is worth the money.

“We don’t want to ever have a course that is a $20 per round golf course,” Friloux he said. “That’s not what we’re trying to do here.”

But he added that LaTour constantly has discount packages on social media, which will significantly lower the price and make the deal even sweeter.


Friloux said because business is so brisk, a golfer should call and make a tee time in advance to guarantee themselves the opportunity to play.

“We hate to send people away. We hate to have you come here and have to tell you, ‘Look, we don’t have anything available for another two hours, so you have to sit here and wait,’” Friloux said. “The best bet is to call and we can hook you up with a great time.”

Friloux said when planning a tee time, plan to make a day of it with friends, adding that costs significantly decrease if there are four players in a tee time, as opposed to one.


On the grounds is also a clubhouse, tour shop and restaurant, which has delicious eats for all three meals of the day.

Boucvalt said he has huge plans for LaTour that are pie in the sky ideas, but he said the challenge is to scratch one item off the to-do list at a time without getting impatient.

Several lots on the property have been sold since he took over the business and he, himself plans to build on the property.


He said he’d like to build a fully functioning practice facility on the site, as well as a new clubhouse. In the immediate future, he’s working to add sirens, which will be able to signal to golfers that it’s time to come inside in the event of lightning in the area. He also plans to build lodges on some of the vacant properties, which will be used as housing for players who may wish to play the course from out of town, but who don’t feel like commuting.

“We want LaTour to be one of the premier places to live in Southeast Louisiana,” Boucvalt said. “That’s the goal. The course has been full. The public support is great. That’s been excellent to see.”

LaTour


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