Paragon Casino Resort and Hotel’s Tamahka Trails Golf Club, owned by the Tunica Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, has undergone a renovation to improve player experience, prepare the course for tournaments and position the course as one of the best golf experiences in the South.
Located in Marksville, the main aspect of this renovation was the overhaul of the course’s bunkers. Tamahka Trails has been unable to host the top state amateur golf tournaments for almost 15 years due to the condition of the course’s bunkers.
The renovation included replacing all drain lines and sand, shaping the bunker complex to eliminate steep slopes, converting roughly 40,000 square feet of bunkers to grass, strategically adding small pot bunkers to four holes and implementing the Better Billy Bunker system to improve drainage and better protect the bunkers.
Additionally, the following updates and changes have been made:
The addition of a practice green and chipping bunker;
A new set of tees were installed measuring around 4,000 yards, as is recommended by the USGA for juniors and beginners;
Tee boxes have been added throughout the course, including repositioning the standard men’s tees;
New championship tees were added on seven of the course’s 18 holes, adding more than 150 yards to the length of the course;
Upgrades to the fairway and cart paths, and
New and improved landscaping throughout the course and surrounding clubhouse and parking lot.
With these major renovations complete, the course will now be able to host state championships and other major golfing events. Tamahka has already secured The Louisiana State Women’s Four Ball Championship, The Gulf States PGA Chapter Championship and All Pro Tour Paragon Championship, Golfweek Amateur Tour and the Eagle Amateur Tour Inaugural Tournament for 2021.
The Tamahka Trails Golf Club is just one of the many attractions at Paragon. The casino and resort offer both adult and family-friendly entertainment options with a lineup of amenities including a hotel with more than 500 rooms, full-service spa and salon, indoor tropical pool with a swim-up bar, a soaring retail atrium with three shops, a “living” bayou and alligator encounters in the lobby and a three-screen cinema.
photo courtesy of Paragon Casino Resort and Hotel