On the grounds of Louisiana State Penitentiary is Prison View Golf Course. It’s a nine-hole par 72 course than runs around 6,000 yards (“Welcome”).
It’s right down the road from the C. C. Dixon K-9 Training Center that was named after my great-grandpa. From the Houston Chronicle:
The idea for the course came from the inventive mind of Warden Burl Cain, who wanted to give his employees a reason to stay close to home.
Cain said he doesn’t play golf himself, but Angola has 1,800 employees.
About 600 people, including workers and their families, live inside prison grounds along B-Line Road. Every guard who lives on B-Line is a member of one or more immediate-response teams.
“Everyone’s happy at home,” said Cain, whose previous recreational contribution was a less daunting set of tennis courts, to go with the baseball fields and swimming pool. “And I have them here if something happens, so I’m happy too.” (Triplett)
I’ve been wanting to go back and play for a while and finally got a chance. When we finally arrived, it was raining heavily. We waited a little while, and the rain finally stopped. Fortunately, the course drains very fast, and I played (or attempted to play) a round.
Works Cited
Triplett, Mike. “Prison View a Place to Escape.” Houston Chronicle [Houston, TX] 9 July 2005. Web. 22 Apr. 2011.
“Welcome.” Prisonviewgolf.com. Prison View Golf Course, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2011.