Travel Report: Mississippi
Blues legend Eddie Shaw hits all the right notes at the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale.
Travel Report: Mississippi
© SHANE LUITJENS
CHEAP SHOTS
With award-winning courses that can be played for a lot less green, Mississippi is a golf lover’s dream.
BY LARRY OLMSTED
In Mississippi, the catfish, riverboats and Delta Blues music garner most of the attention. And that’s a shame, because the Magnolia State is one of the best-kept secrets in golf travel, offering both quantity, with more than 150 courses, and quality, with three ranked in the nation’s Top 100 by Golf Magazine.
Visitors can also take advantage of one other thing most golf-rich states lack: bargains at every turn. Golf Digest named The Dogwoods Golf Course, outside of Tunica, the best new bargain in the country because it can be played for $39, cart included. (Some courses of similar quality elsewhere charge that much just for the cart.) Dogwoods is just one of the many deals you can find across the state, especially in and around Gulfport, Biloxi and Tunica. Here are a few of the areas’ top courses where you can play the links for less.
The Bridges Golf Club at Hollywood Casino
BAY ST. LOUIS, MS
Mississippi’s only Arnold Palmer Signature Design course is carefully laid out with target-style routing between the Hollywood Casino and the bay—making it a shot-maker’s course that calls for accuracy and execution. There are hazards at every turn, including stands of oaks draped in Spanish moss and omnipresent saltwater marshes with 21 cart bridges (hence the course’s name). With the 6,841-yard King’s Tees, it’s as hard a course as most amateurs will ever play, but thankfully there are several shorter options. After an extensive renovation, which included newer strands of turfgrass that yield more optimal playing conditions, it’s now better than ever. Green fees start at $55 with cart, and the casino frequently offers valuable online specials. 23 miles from GulfportBiloxi International Airport; 711 Hollywood Blvd; 866-758-2591; www.hollywoodcasinobsl.com/golf
The Oaks Golf Club
PASS CHRISTIAN, MS
Winding through deep coastal forests and marshes, the Oaks offers ever-changing views. The course gets a near-perfect 4½-star rating on Golf Digest’s Places to Play list, is perennially one of the top ranked in Mississippi and has hosted important USGA, Buy.com and Nike Tour tournaments. Summer rates are $59 to $79 with cart, and additional discounts are often available online. 14 miles from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport; 24384 Club House Dr; 228-452-0909; www.theoaksgolfclub.com
Windance Country Club
GULFPORT, MS
Not overly long at 6,659 yards, this course owned by the nearby Island View Casino can be a challenge, with its interesting par-3s and the unforgettable par-4 10th. A Ben Hogan, Nike and Adams Golf Pro Tour Series tournament venue, it has a noteworthy history as the site of the first professional victory of several top golfers, including Jim Furyk and Tom Lehman. The understated clubhouse also happens to turn out some of the best gumbo in a state famous for it. Stay-and-play packages start at just $99. 19385 Champion Cir; 228-832-4871; www.windancecc.com
The Dogwoods Golf Course at Hugh White State Park
GRENADA, MS
Lacking the housing developments that are typical of many new courses, this three-year-old design is pure golf. Nestled among acres of trees and built around the banks of Lake Grenada, it’s located in a gorgeous, hilly, park-like setting. The wide fairways appeal to both big hitters and novices, and everyone finds the fast, undulating greens a stiff challenge. The highest rate is $49, with the fare reduced to $36 after 4pm. Once you play 18 holes, you can play a second round that same day for just $20. 95 miles from Tunica Airport; 2424 Hugh White State Park Rd; 662-226-4123 www.dogwoodsgolf.com
ONE TO SPLURGE ON…
The Preserve Golf Club
VANCLEAVE, MS
Designed by US Open champ Jerry Pate, The Preserve—owned by Palace Casino— occupies a pristine 245-acre site in the middle of a nearly 2,000-acre nature preserve. As a result of its environmentally friendly practices, the course was awarded Silver Signature Sanctuary status by Audubon International (golf’s best-known eco-sanctioning body)—one of only 32 such courses in the world. There is no development, just nature, from cypress swamps and pine savannah to oak groves and native prairie. The layout is dramatic, with water in play or sight on the first four holes.
The third is a short dogleg par-4 with an approach over a lake; the 14th is similar, playing over a marsh; and 17 and 18 wrap around lakes for an action-packed finish. At $90 to $135, the Preserve is among the priciest in the state, yet still less than comparable courses in many places. Stay-and-play packages begin at $108. 26 miles from GulfportBiloxi International Airport; 8901 Hwy 57 North; 877-674-6539; www.preservegc.com
The Links at Cottonwoods
ROBINSONVILLE, MS
Surrounded by native grasses, this course on the Harrah’s Tunica property was designed by three-time US Open champ Hale Irwin. He built a homage to traditional Scottish links-style golf and, like a true links course, this one is treeless and unprotected. Immaculate landscaping and three lakes add to the appeal, but the holes inspired by specific British Open courses are what truly make the layout unforgettable. Fees run $49 to $79 seasonally for the green fee, cart and range balls, while stay-and-play packages begin at just $85. 16 miles from Tunica Airport; 13615 Old Highway 61 North; 877-307-7529; www.harrahstunica.com
Mallard Pointe Golf Course
SARDIS, MS
Less than an hour from Tunica and not far from the historic University of Mississippi campus, this venerable Bob Cupp-designed course wraps around the scenic Sardis Reservoir within John W. Kyle State Park, which also offers other recreational activities such as fishing and hiking, as well as rentable villas and cabins. Mallard Pointe received a 4½-star rating from Golf Digest and has five sets of tees to appeal to all skill levels. It also stretches more than 7,000 yards and emphasizes the wooded, rolling terrain of northern Mississippi. Green fees are less than $40 with cart—even on weekends. 47 miles from Tunica Airport; 3037 State Park Rd; 888-833-6477; www.mallardpointgc.com
Grand Bear Golf Course
SAUCIER, MS
This Jack Nicklaus Signature Design is ranked in the nation’s top 100 by Golf Magazine and is one of the most spectacular courses in the entire South. Owned and operated by Harrah’s Grand Biloxi Casino, Hotel and Spa, it is located farther inland than the other area courses, sitting on 650 rolling acres in the middle of DeSoto National Forest. Grand Bear is routed through wetlands, cypress trees and towering pines, and, as is his style, Nicklaus used very challenging tournament-style greens and deep bunkers. Whenever possible, he finishes the course along water, and this is no exception, with the last three holes on the banks of the Big Biloxi River. Stay-and-play packages start at $93, while green fees seasonally run $50 to $109. 17 miles from GulfportBiloxi International Airport; 12040 Grand Way Blvd; 800-946-2946; www.grandcasinobiloxi.com
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