Hardest Public Golf Courses in Louisiana
Santa Maria Golf Course in Baton Rouge ranks first among public golf courses in Louisiana, tied on slope with Golf Club at StoneBridge and ahead on yardage, with a slope of 142 and a course rating of 75.3 from the Black tees (7,153 yards). It is a municipal course, open to public play. Next are Golf Club at StoneBridge (slope 142) and Oak Harbor Golf Club (slope 141).
6 hardest public courses in Louisiana, by slope
Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.
| Rank | Course | City | Access | Slope | Course rating | Tee | Yards | Access checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Maria Golf Course | Baton Rouge | Municipal | 142 | 75.3 | Black | 7,153 | Nov 2026 source |
| 2 | Golf Club at StoneBridge | Bossier City | Semi-private | 142 | 73.6 | Gold | 6,851 | Nov 2026 source |
| 3 | Oak Harbor Golf Club | Slidell | Public | 141 | 73.1 | Blue | 6,805 | Nov 2026 source |
| 4 | Carter Plantation | Springfield | Public | 140 | 74.3 | Black | 7,033 | Nov 2026 source |
| 5 | Cypress Lakes Country Club | Destrehan | Semi-private | 139 | 72.1 | Blue | 6,507 | Nov 2026 source |
| 6 | The Country Club at Golden Nugget | Lake Charles | Resort | 137 | 73.0 | Tee 1 | 6,940 | Nov 2026 source |
How this list is built
Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.
Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Louisiana, which ranks every rated course.
Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 68 golf courses in Louisiana have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 11 of them so far.
Resort courses may require a stay or hold tee times for guests. Semi-private courses limit public tee times. Call ahead before you plan a round.
Louisiana public course FAQ
What is the hardest public golf course in Louisiana?
Of the Louisiana courses Stymie has checked for public access, Santa Maria Golf Course in Baton Rouge has the highest slope rating: 142 from the Black tees, with a course rating of 75.3. Golf Club at StoneBridge is next at 142. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.
What is the hardest municipal course in Louisiana?
Santa Maria Golf Course in Baton Rouge, with a slope rating of 142 from the Black tees. It ranks No. 1 on this list of checked public courses.
Can anyone play Santa Maria Golf Course?
Yes. Santa Maria Golf Course is a municipal course, open to public play. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against golf.brec.org. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.
How is difficulty measured?
By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.
More Louisiana golf
- Hardest golf courses in Louisiana, private clubs included
- Easiest public golf courses in Louisiana
- Every rated course in Louisiana
- All Louisiana golf courses