By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

LAPLACE — Belle Terre Country Club stays pretty busy these days with summer approaching and a host of events scheduled ranging from a Parish President Nickie Monica’s tournament to a youth tournament for kids across the nation coming up in June. And after just playing host for the Mackel last weekend, the club isn’t slowing down any time soon.

Translated from French, Belle Terre means &#8220beautiful land” which is what golfers across the parish and the region are familiar with while playing on the course. Having hosted some top-notch qualifying events for the PGA and Ben Hogan Tours in the 80s, the country club is returning to that recognition as an outlet for some of New Orleans courses which are still struggling to recover from the flooding last year. The club even extends an offer to displaced golfers which Club Pro Bruce Bell said is being utlized to the fullest.

&#8220We’ve grown a good bit since last year,” he said. &#8220And the recognition is returning. The future here is looking pretty good.”

The 18-hole course was created by renowned designer Pete Dye and built in 1982 as one of the premiere courses in Louisiana. It is consistently rated as one of the top ten courses in the state by notable publications. “Golf Digest” rated this course as the 6th “Best Public Course” in the Louisiana for 1996.

Next up for Belle Terre is the Memorial Day Flag Tourney coming up this Monday. A tournament for the Men’s Golf Association is also on the docket late next month, which will be just before the New Orleans Golf Association comes into town for a tournament in August. In October, Harold Keller and the Get High on Life tournament is set where our very own columnist will be on hand to benefit his parish cause.

For more information or entry forms for the benefit tournaments, contact the country club at (985) 652-5000 or visit them online at www.belleterregolf.com.