The Scots developed golf to irk common loch pests, like merats, locharoaches, and Nessie, who to this day rarely surfaces for fear of being beaned by a well-aimed ball. Brush up your monster-vexing skills with today's Groupon: for $50, you get one round of 18-hole golf for two people, cart included, at Timberlane Country Club, located in Gretna (a $100 value). As an extra bonus, you'll get a complimentary bucket of balls for use at Timberlane's driving range. Today's Groupon must be redeemed in one visit and is valid after noon on weekends and after 10 a.m. on weekdays. It cannot be put toward outings or group play.

In 1959, Robert Trent Jones Sr. completed work on Timberlane's 7100-yard, par-72 golf course near the west bank of the Mississippi, and it still stands as a friendly, challenging round in a pleasant, private setting. Mature oaks line the sides of each Bermuda-grass fairway, and in 2007, Timberlane re-surfaced its expansive greens with Tif Eagle turf, giving putts a new zip and helicopter pilots a new view. Before hitting the links, sharpen up your chipping, putting, pitching, pitch-shifting, and Super Bowl Shuffling on the all-grass practice range and putting green, or try the driving range nearby. When you're ready, hop in your provided golf cart to match wits with the labyrinthine course, which features four sets of tee areas per hole, 17 water hazards, 80 sand bunkers, and 13 mechanical yetis. If he's around, see if you can snag a tip from resident PGA pro Tim Brown, who was named by Golf Digest as the #1 Best Teacher in Louisiana in 2009.

Golf with a friend is the best kind of bonding. There's nothing like being out in the open air, hearing the wind blow through the beautiful old trees lining the well-groomed fairways, and refusing to grant your compadre a mulligan. The satisfaction of a well-played hole is amplified by enjoyment you get from your partner's three-shot spectacle in the woodsy rough. Be sure to call ahead to schedule your tee time.