The golf course on the campus of Louisiana State University is pretty much what one would expect from a 65-year-old layout built in a dead-flat state on the banks of the country's longest river — flat as a board.
Designed in 1961 by Al Michael and Phil Thompson, LSU Golf Course never will be confused with on-campus counterparts like Yale Golf Course, Lonnie Poole Golf Course at North Carolina State University or the Washington Duke course in Durham, North Carolina. In fact, it does not even remotely resemble the University Club of Baton Rouge a few miles down Nicholson Drive, the David Toms design that is home to the university's men's and women's golf teams.
With greens fees ranging from $12 to about $25, the LSU Golf Course does have a certain appeal, despite conditions that never measured up to other courses throughout Baton Rouge. The course located in the shadows of 102,000-seat Tiger Stadium will close this summer, citing an inverse relationship between revenue and expenses. Students from the university's turfgrass program have historically been recruited to help maintain the course, which has struggled with conditioning for many years.
The course is a popular destination for beginners, high-handicappers, seniors and those in search of a deal, all demographics the industry needs as it continues to plod along in its post-Covid renaissance. It also is scheduled to close June 30.
According to the university, 15,012 rounds were played at LSU in 2025, but revenue has not been able to keep up with expenses. The university did not announce any official plans for the site, but published reports indicate the land has been targeted for a $1 billion entertainment district, the centerpiece of which will be a $400 million arena to replace the university's Pete Maravich Assembly Center.