Louisiana is a unique, dynamic and growing state of exotic people and attractions, not the least of which is the variety and quality of its outdoor adventures and sports opportunities.

This certainly holds true for the Louisiana Audubon Golf Trail, a collection of 13 golf clubs in the state.

After four days of golf at five courses in Louisiana, I couldn’t decide whether my favorite course was the new Black Bear Golf Club in Delhi or Gray Plantation in Lake Charles… or the appetizers during dinner at Cypress Bend Golf Resort and Conference Center… or the shrimp etouffee whipped up for us at the lakeside cabins at Poverty Point State Park… and so on.

Golf and food – it’s a surefire way to go in Louisiana. One was a pleasant surprise (the golf). One was not (the food). But that’s not all. Louisiana’s mantra is “L’aissez les bon temps roulez.” And in order to “let the good times roll,” one is obliged – even in the company of serious golfers – to crack some crawfish, groove to some zydeco and visit a casino resort. If you don’t, you might as well have gone to Branson, Missouri, played 36 a day, ate meatloaf at Morrison’s and grabbed a six-pack at the Piggly Wiggly.

Forget sugar cane, cotton and oil. Louisiana’s primary product is fun. You don’t have to go all the way. You don’t have to “suck heads” as Cajuns say of their prized crawfish. Louisianans understand that some hard shells are tough to crack. So even if you don’t have a taste for gumbo, Dr. John, or blackjack, you can still partake of the state’s most precious resource – its people. I’m sure there are other places where you could hear an older player say “I got more tees than bend-overs,” explaining why he never picked up his golf tees. It just seems you’re more likely to hear it here.

Most people are in tune with the gastronomic delights of Cajun Country, as well as the music, fishing and other water sports. What they may not know about is the golf. The five courses I played on Louisiana’s Audubon Golf Trail offered great prices, outstanding conditions and layouts as diverse as the state’s major cities – Shreveport, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.