KINDER, La. – A beautiful golf course has been developed in the natural beauty of Louisiana by the small but vibrant Coushatta Tribe.
The Coushatta Casino Resort is one of Louisiana’s premier gaming destinations, which features many amenities including a golf course. The Koasati Pines Golf Course opened in 2002 and has had a growing reputation since.
“It’s one of the most beautiful courses definitely in the state, if not the world,” said Koasati Pines Director of Golf Matt Jones. “We maintain the quality year after year, month after month, and we’re proud that our customers like us and keep coming back.”
For the past four years, Koasati Pines was named the No. 4 golf course in the state of Louisiana by Golf Digest Magazine. Additionally, readers of Golf Digest gave Koasati Pines a four-and-a-half out of five star rating for “Best Places to Play,” which no golf course in Louisiana has.
“That’s the readers voting, not the editors, so it’s people playing our course that think we deserve that four-and-a-half star rating,” Jones said. “That’s based on service, condition of the golf course. … that’s something we take a lot of pride in, that the customers that play here think we deserve that award.”
The course is nestled in the wilderness, without any houses nearby, and features luscious landscape, lots of scenery and year-round attention to detail.
“It’s top notch conditioning and we get compliments constantly by our customers that our course is in the best condition of any course they play,” Jones said. “And we keep that up.”
Elements of nature are a strong component of the layout and design of the 400-acre course, and Jones said water is a big part of that. “We have about 40 acres of lakes.”
Koasati Pines features golf carts with GPS built into the dashboard, so their presence doesn’t take away from the golfer’s natural experience. Jones said the GPS is helpful at a place like Koasati Pines where the majority of golfers are vacationers unfamiliar with the course or who only visit once or twice a year.
“The GPS is not a new technology, but it’s extremely important at a course where customers may not play very often. The GPS helps you to know where you are and how far you have to go with your next shot.”
Being a casino golf course, engineers and designers who built Koasati Pines brought the element of gaming to the sport of golf so customers have the same element of risk and reward they do inside playing blackjack.
Jones said some holes have options like cutting a corner or risking a water ball; if you make the shot you’ll benefit greatly and if not, you’re in trouble.
“It definitely offers a unique complement to being a casino golf course.”
Koasati Pines has four holes with multiple approaches; it’s up to the golfer to select his or her best bet.
Being the longest course in Louisiana, Koasati Pines can be enjoyed by experienced golfers who will make it to the far holes. However, the course accommodates all levels of golfers, with six sets of tees at every hole.
Koasati Pines also has a clubhouse, large practice facility and a large staff to keep the grounds pristine.
“We just try to keep up to the standards that the Coushatta Tribe expects,” Jones said.
Approximately 28,000 rounds of golf per year are played on the course.
The casino resort opened in 1995 and features six restaurants, 2,800 slot machines, 70 table games and 100,000 square feet of gaming.
The Coushatta Casino Resort is located just north of Kinder, approximately two-and-a-half hours northeast of Houston, Texas or three hours west of New Orleans.