Mississippi wasn’t a golf destination I’d spent much time thinking about before this trip.
I’d previously visited the Gulf Coast briefly with my family back in 2022 and had played Shell Landing while there, so I already knew there was excellent golf in the state. I was also familiar with names like Dancing Rabbit, Fallen Oak and Old Waverly. What I didn’t realize, though, was just how much variety Mississippi offers from both a golf and travel standpoint.
Over six days with Visit Mississippi and Play Coastal Mississippi last month, that perception changed completely.
We played beside coastal marshlands, through dramatic elevation changes deep inside national forests and across rolling terrain carved amid towering pines and hardwoods. We stayed at sprawling casino resorts and in a historic antebellum mansion just inland from the Mississippi River.
We dined like kings, filling up each night on fresh seafood and steaks, elevated comfort foods, wine and craft cocktails.
Somewhere along the way, Mississippi quietly turned into one of the most enjoyable golf destinations I’ve visited in years.
The quality of the golf was impressive on its own, but what’s stayed with me most is how complete the overall experience felt from stop to stop.
Mississippi also delivers tremendous value. Courses that would command two or three times the greens fees in many major golf destinations remain remarkably accessible here, especially when paired with the quality of lodging and dining across the state.
Our visit covered three very different regions of Mississippi: the Gulf Coast, historic Natchez and Pearl River Resort in Choctaw – each with its own personality, history and style of golf.
If you’ve never seriously considered Mississippi for a golf trip before, hopefully this gives you a better sense for just how much the state has to offer – and maybe even serves as a blueprint for putting together a visit of your own.
Traveling to Mississippi
Getting to Mississippi from Wisconsin isn’t especially quick or convenient – there are no direct flights – but it’s manageable and well worth the effort.
Driving is an option, particularly to Choctaw, which sits about 12 and a half hours from the Milwaukee area (it’s about 15 hours to the Gulf Coast). For those flying, expect a connection – most commonly through Atlanta or Charlotte.
I flew American Airlines into Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT) with a layover in Charlotte, and Delta home out of Jackson (JAN) through Atlanta. The flight down didn’t exactly go as planned. We pushed back early, sat on the runway for an hour and a half, returned to the gate for maintenance and ultimately departed a few hours late. A four-hour layover in Charlotte then followed, which meant missing both our first round of golf and the final round of The Masters.
It was a long day, but getting off the plane and seeing I’d won the North Hills Masters Pool certainly helped! That and finally being in some warm weather – it was low- to mid-80s all week – with great people playing a handful of excellent golf courses.
The return trip, despite severe weather in the area, was thankfully smooth.
For planning purposes, here are the best airport options for each region we visited:
- The Gulf Coast (Gulfport, Biloxi, Bay St. Louis) – Gulfport/Biloxi International Airport (GPT)
- Natchez – Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR, ~80 miles) or Jackson (JAN, ~105 miles)
- Choctaw / Pearl River Resort – Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN, ~110 miles)
I also created an interactive map of our full Mississippi golf journey, including the courses, resorts and airports featured throughout this article.
Where to Stay on a Mississippi Golf Trip
One of the most pleasant realizations of the trip was the variety of lodging across Mississippi.
Over the course of six days, we stayed everywhere from a historic 1840s mansion in Natchez to large-scale casino resorts on the Gulf Coast and at Pearl River. It was a broader range than I expected going in, and each stop immersed us in an entirely different feel and experience.
The casino resorts, in particular, stood out to me. They’re massive, well-appointed properties with sprawling gaming floors, great amenities and multiple dining options – far bigger than anything I’ve experienced in Wisconsin, including at Potawatomi or Ho-Chunk.
At the same time, places like Natchez offer something entirely different – smaller, more intimate stays rooted in history and character. That contrast ended up being one of the most interesting parts of our trip.
Rather than trying to cover everything at once, I’ll break each stop down individually – where we stayed, where we played and a meal or two that stood out along the way.
Leg 1: Mississippi’s Gulf Coast (Biloxi & Gulfport)
With hundreds of miles of coastline, gaming, an outstanding food scene and even the Milwaukee Brewers AA franchise, the Biloxi Shuckers, the Gulf Coast is Mississippi’s most popular vacation destination and the one I was most excited to revisit.
I first came here in 2022 with my family as part of a “Gulf Coast Road Trip” that combined visits to Gulf Shores, Alabama and Gulfport – you can read about that here:
If the Secret Coast is still a secret to you, give this deep south destination a deeper look. It’s a charming area that leaves visitors feeling welcomed and like they’re getting terrific value, and would…
This visit was a much different experience.
Instead of a quick stop along a broader trip (with my wife and our 4- and 3-year-old), we were able to settle in for a couple of days and get a deeper look at the area – from the casino resorts in Gulfport to the golf courses stretching along the coast and just inland. It’s a unique mix that you don’t see in many places, where beachfront resorts, Southern hospitality and a surprisingly strong lineup of public golf all come together in one destination.
Where We Stayed on the Gulf Coast
We spent two nights at the Beach View Hotel at Island View Casino Resort, and it didn’t take long to realize just how big these Gulf Coast resorts are.
Walking into the casino at Island View that first night, it felt like it just kept going. Rows of slot machines and table games stretched in every direction, with a second smoke-free gaming floor over in the Beach View tower. It’s a much larger operation than anything I’ve experienced in Wisconsin, and everything is connected via an enclosed walkway over the road between the two hotel properties.
My room in the Beach View tower overlooked the Gulf, and after a long day of travel getting in, it was exactly what I needed: spacious, comfortable and quiet. I slept really well both nights there.
What stood out most is just how much is packed into the property. Between the two hotels, there are a litany of dining options, bars, gaming areas and gathering spaces. It’s not all in one compact footprint – there’s a fair amount of walking involved, especially moving between the two sides of the resort – but once you get your bearings, everything you need is right there.
Golf on the Gulf Coast
Golf along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast offers more variety than I expected going in.
Within a relatively short drive, you can go from coastal layouts shaped by marshland and bay views to courses routed through dense forest with significant elevation changes. It’s not a one-style destination, and that contrast is what makes it interesting.
The architecture lineup is strong as well, with designs from legends like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and the overall conditioning and presentation across the board were really solid.
What I appreciated most, though, was how different each stop felt. No two courses played the same, and each brought its own identity – whether that was tight, strategic golf along waterways or wider corridors carved through quiet, forested terrain.
The Bridges at Hollywood Casino
Our first round on the Gulf Coast came at The Bridges Golf Club at Hollywood Casino, the only Arnold Palmer design in the state.
Set along the marshlands of the Bay of St. Louis, The Bridges moves through a beautiful coastal landscape of moss-draped oaks, pines, magnolias and expansive saltwater marsh. The course stretches across more than 600 acres and, true to its name, incorporates 21 different bridges throughout the routing – some small, others long enough to really give you a sense for the scale of the property and the wetlands surrounding it.
We played the front nine during our visit, and it turned out to be a really fun introduction to golf on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. While some holes play through more open marshland environments, others tighten considerably as fairways work through tree-lined corridors with water lurking just off the edges.
The closing stretch of the front nine was especially memorable. The par three seventh was a great one-shotter, followed by the drivable par four eighth – to me the signature hole on the property.
The green on eight juts out toward the bay and coastal marsh, creating an infinity-edge effect from the tee. It’s a beautiful hole design on a gifted piece of land, and it was not only fun to play but kept me busy photographing it from all different angles earlier that morning.
The ninth closes things out with a unique dogleg-right, uphill par four that rewards a good tee shot and culminates a really enjoyable side of golf.
Grand Bear Golf Club
From the coastal setting at The Bridges, we made the drive inland to Grand Bear Golf Club – and it couldn’t have felt more different.
A Jack Nicklaus design set deep within DeSoto National Forest, Grand Bear is defined by its sense of seclusion. Fairways are carved through dense stands of pine and cypress, with no homes, roads or distractions – just your group and the golf course. It’s a really peaceful setting, and the isolation allows the course to move naturally through the property without interruption.
There’s more elevation here than you might expect, along with wide corridors that give you room off the tee while still requiring quality approach shots into well-protected greens. The Biloxi River runs beside several holes, with its bright white, sandy banks adding both visual contrast and intimidation.
It was not the easiest course to photograph on-the-fly with my drone given how little time I had to work on it and how tight the corridors felt from above (it inhabits a massive property), but from a playing standpoint it was excellent – challenging, quiet and really well laid out.
My round had a little bit of everything, but it ended on a high note on the number-two-handicapped par four eighteenth. I hit a really good drive – long and right down the middle – leaving myself a 170-yard second shot into the wind to an uphill green with the lodge-style clubhouse beyond it.
Originally thinking seven-iron, I stepped back, grabbed a six and committed to it. The shot felt perfect off the face, and I saw it bounce high once following the front bunker.
When we pulled up to the green, I stepped out with Danny and said, “I’m sure I didn’t, but I might’ve made that one.”
I checked long first. Nothing. Then Danny looked toward the hole and said, “Yup, it’s in there!”
Walk-off eagle.
Not a bad way to finish the round!
Grand Bear was one of my favorite courses we played on the entire trip, and it moved immediately into my Top 100 Golf Courses That I’ve Played rankings.
What makes places like Grand Bear even more surprising is the value. A course of this quality in many major golf destinations would easily command $200-plus greens fees during peak season. Weekend rates here top out around $79. That kind of value was one of the recurring themes throughout our visit to Mississippi.
A breakdown of my Top 100 golf courses played, with insights on architecture, trends, toughest courses and what surprised me most.
WinDance Country Club
Maybe the biggest surprise of the entire trip, though, was WinDance Country Club.
Designed by Mark McCumber and opened in 1986, the course stretches to just over 6,600 yards and is described as both challenging and approachable. That proved to be spot on.
Having not known much about it going in, I expected a fairly level, straightforward country club layout. The property, though, is anything but!
There’s significant elevation change throughout the course along with ravines and really interesting topography that I didn’t initially associate with Coastal Mississippi. Paired with small, slippery greens with plenty of movement, it ended up being a course that kept surprising me the deeper we got into the round.
The par four fifth was probably my favorite hole and the one that really made me stop and take it all in. A massive ridge runs along the left side, while a deep creek cuts through the approach area – a dramatic scene I honestly didn’t expect to find in this part of the country.
We played a two-team scramble during our round, which made for a really fun and relaxed way to experience the course. Our group was led by Assistant Golf Professional Jack Bedell, who has one of the most complete games I’ve seen – long off the tee, sharp around the greens and capable of pulling off just about any shot imaginable. At one point on the sixth hole he looked at a pitch shot and casually said, “Well, this is either going in or over the green.” He holed it dead center of the flag, of course.
On the other side was Head Professional Micky D’Angelo, who was carrying drives 330-plus and taking dead aim at greens on par fours from 380-plus. Watching both of them navigate the course was almost as entertaining as playing it ourselves.
Between the setting, the variety in the land and the overall layout, WinDance ended up being one of the most memorable stops of the entire trip – and one I’d absolutely recommend adding to a Gulf Coast golf itinerary.
As a bonus, if you make it into the clubhouse afterward, don’t pass on the Bushwhacker ice cream drinks at the bar – they’re well worth it and it brought me back to our family trips to 30A on Florida’s gulf coast.
Shell Landing Golf Club
While we did not play Shell Landing during this visit, I did back in 2022 and absolutely loved it. A Davis Love III design, it’s been worked on recently by golf course architect Nathan Crace who has done outstanding work on the bunkering, especially.
In addition to being a beautiful golf course with long views across marshlands, it’s also a fantastic challenge with good width off the tee, great par threes and one of the friendliest staffs I’ve ever come across.
My Favorite Meal on the Gulf Coast
This is a tough one, as every meal we had on the Gulf Coast was superb including a perfectly cooked filet at Carter Green Steakhouse at Beach View Casino Resort.
White Pillars in Biloxi took dining to a level I’d previously only ever experienced at La Frida in the Sunset Resort at Pueblo Bonito (link to article), though.
In fairness, I’ve been working hard to expand my horizons when it comes to eating – not worrying [quite] as much about onions in my food and being more open to new flavors. Was I ever glad I held to that at White Pillars.
Led by Chef Austin Sumrall, a James Beard award semi-finalist and winner of the Great American Seafood Cookoff in 2021, the Michelin-rated White Pillars elevates dining like few restaurants I’ve visited in the past. Every course seemed intentional and balanced – rich without being heavy, refined without feeling pretentious.
From the locally harvested French Hermit and Eagle Point oysters (both raw and fried – my favorite were the raw Eagle Points) to the appetizers (it was my first time ever trying chicken and sausage gumbo – Paul-approved), entrees (pan-seared swordfish? Yes, please), shareable sides (mac and cheese with fried chicken skin crumble), desserts, wine and drinks (old fashioneds, mint juleps and all kinds of creative cocktails), it was first-class all the way.
The entire night was going swimmingly until we were invited to tour the 1905 mansion previously known as Gunston Hall.
While touring the upstairs bedrooms we were shown where Dr. Folkes’ daughter, Josephine, still spends most of her time – she’s said to get upset when tourists doubt her presence, even giving one visitor an unexplained bloody nose.
With a visit to the historic town of Natchez on the agenda for the following day, it was not something I wanted to think about.
Leg 2: Historic Natchez
Of all the places we visited during our time in Mississippi, Natchez is probably the one that’s stayed with me the most afterward.
Set high above the Mississippi River, Natchez is one of the oldest and most historically significant towns in the Deep South. Massive wealth once flowed through the area during the height of the cotton industry, and that history is still everywhere – in the antebellum mansions, historic churches, iron balconies and beautifully preserved streets that make parts of the city feel frozen in time.
It’s also a town deeply connected to storytelling – and a lot of those stories involve ghosts.
Our friends from Visit Natchez took us on a private tour through much of the city, including historic mansions, bars and several of the area’s most haunted sites. It was fascinating and honestly beautiful to experience, but after a while the nonstop paranormal stories started getting into my head a little bit.
That probably wasn’t helped by the fact I’d be spending the night alone in a room off a secluded balcony at a 189-year-old mansion called The Guest House.
By the time we got back that night, I had fully convinced myself I was about to star in my own ghost story.
Thankfully, that did not happen.
The Guest House in Natchez
The Guest House Historic Mansion Inn sits right in the heart of downtown Natchez and blends the city’s historic character with comfortable, modern accommodations within walking distance of restaurants, bars and much of the downtown area.
I stayed in the Louis J. Winston Room, located just off the balcony overlooking the courtyard and outdoor dining space of The Guest House Restaurant. We got to know that area pretty well Tuesday night, sitting beside the water feature telling stories and drinking bourbon on the rocks late into the evening.
By the time I finally made it back to the room, I’d admittedly worked myself up a little more than I should have after a full day of ghost stories and historic tours around town. To be safe, I left a couple lights on and put the TV on what I considered the least offensive and most calming option possible: The Nature Channel.
Thankfully, the night was entirely uneventful.
The room itself ended up being incredibly comfortable and quiet, the homemade chocolate chip cookies waiting inside were a welcomed touch and the location made it easy to explore Natchez on foot throughout our stay.
Still batting 1.000 against ghosts.
Natchez Golf Club
Natchez Golf Club at Duncan Park was another really pleasant surprise during the trip.
Originally opened in 1916 as a nine-hole layout designed by Seymour Dunn, the course expanded to 18 holes in 1997 under the direction of architect Bryan Ault. The result is a cohesive and surprisingly demanding layout that asks for much more than sheer length despite measuring just over 6,500 yards from the back tees.
The front nine, especially, features several tight driving corridors framed by mature trees, while the small push-up greens place a premium on precision and touch throughout the round. The land movement across the property is excellent, and while water is used somewhat sparingly, it comes into play effectively on holes like the par five thirteenth, where a large pond hugs the inside of the dogleg and influences the strategy of the entire approach.
What stood out most to me, though, was how much personality the course has. It feels like a place that has grown naturally over time rather than something overly manufactured – a golf course deeply connected to its community and surroundings.
A big reason for that is Greg Brooking.
One of the true highlights of the entire trip was spending time with Greg, who serves as President, Head Golf Professional and Certified Golf Course Superintendent at Natchez Golf Club. The more time we spent around him, the more obvious it became how much pride he takes not only in his golf course, but in Natchez itself.
That connection to the community showed up everywhere – from the condition of the course to the stories he shared throughout the day and even later at lunch down at Under-the-Hill.
My Favorite Meals in Natchez
We enjoyed two really memorable meals while in Natchez – dinner at Biscuits & Blues downtown and lunch the following day at The Camp following our round at Natchez Golf Club.
Biscuits & Blues had exactly the kind of atmosphere you hope to find in a historic Mississippi River town. The brick interior, old bar, music playing in the background and lively crowd all made it feel like a place that’s been part of Natchez for a very long time. I ordered the seafood combo platter – fried fish, shrimp, hush puppies and fries – and it completely hit the spot after a long day touring the city.
The following afternoon after golf, we headed down beneath the bluff into Natchez’s historic Under-the-Hill district for lunch at The Camp, which ended up being one of my favorite overall settings from the entire trip.
Historically, Under-the-Hill served as a gathering point for traders, travelers and all kinds of questionable characters moving goods along the river before heading north on the Natchez Trace. Today, thankfully, the atmosphere is a little more relaxed.
The Camp features an outstanding tap beer selection along with laid-back food that perfectly fit the moment following a day on the course. I went with the fried fish tacos and wings, and the tacos especially were phenomenal.
Right next door sits Under-the-Hill Saloon, believed to be the oldest bar on the Mississippi River. It still contains much of its original seating and historic memorabilia, and stepping inside felt like stepping backward in time.
One of my favorite details from the entire Natchez visit, though, had nothing to do with golf or food.
Along the hillsides near Under-the-Hill were huge patches of blooming poppies – all planted by Greg Brooking. Earlier in the day we’d spent hours with Greg at Natchez Golf Club, and hearing how much joy he gets from watching families, prom groups and visitors stop to enjoy the flowers told me everything I needed to know about both him and the community around him.
Honestly, that spirit was one of the defining parts of our entire Mississippi trip.
Everywhere we went, we met people who genuinely cared about their towns, golf courses and the experience visitors were having. Greg was one of the best examples of that, and spending time with him ended up being one of the true highlights of the week.
And if you happen to have kids who play competitive golf, consider taking a look at the Norman Puckett Junior Golf Championship held annually at Natchez Golf Club – one of only two 54-hole World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) junior events in the country.
Link for more information and to register for the Normal Puckett Junior Golf Championship (June 13-15, 2026)
Leg 3: Choctaw & Pearl River Resort
If somebody asked me where to start planning a golf-focused trip to Mississippi, I’d probably point them first toward Pearl River Resort.
Between the lodging, dining, gaming and two excellent golf courses all on-site at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club, it’s one of the most complete golf destination experiences I’ve had in the South – and one that genuinely exceeded expectations.
We spent two nights at the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino, and what immediately stood out was the sheer scale of the property. The illuminated golden moon atop the resort quickly becomes symbolic of the experience itself – bigger, bolder and more polished than you’d expect if you haven’t been there before.
Between the connected Golden Moon and Silver Star properties, there’s no shortage of things to do once the golf ends. Multiple restaurants, bars, gaming floors, shops and entertainment spaces are spread throughout the resort, giving the entire property an energetic atmosphere without ever feeling chaotic.
And after long days of sunrise photography and 36 holes of golf, one unexpected favorite for me became the heated infinity pool at Golden Moon. I initially headed down expecting to spend most of my time in the hot tub before realizing the pool itself was heated to 90-plus degrees… Absolute heaven after a full day on the golf course.
What stood out most to me about Pearl River was how much there was to do beyond just the golf. Between the resort itself, the restaurants, the casinos and the atmosphere around Dancing Rabbit, it felt like the kind of place where a golf trip could easily turn into a full vacation.
Dancing Rabbit Golf Club
If Pearl River Resort is the hub of the experience, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is the reason to make the trip.
Home to the Oaks and Azaleas courses – both co-designed by Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate – Dancing Rabbit is fantastic.
The pricing was another reminder of the value Mississippi delivers, too. As I touched on earlier, in most major golf markets a 36-hole facility of this caliber – with Fazio/Pate-level courses, this level of conditioning and a full resort experience attached – would likely cost players in the $200-$300 range during peak season. Peak weekend rates at Dancing Rabbit are $109, though.
They like to call the Azaleas course “The Augusta You Can Play,” and while that’s a bold statement, you start to see where it comes from. The land has dramatic movement, the presentation is polished and even without the azaleas in bloom, it’s a genuinely striking property.
The use of elevation stood out right away. It’s not something you necessarily expect in Mississippi, but it defines the experience – especially on the par threes, which are consistently excellent and mostly play downhill from the tee. Add in strong hole layouts, well-placed water features and enough length to challenge even the best players, and both courses deliver a memorable and visually distinctive round of golf.
Both courses share a central clubhouse that feels every bit the part of a Southern golf destination – stately, elevated and beautifully presented. It makes a strong impression when you arrive, and it’s a clubhouse you’re happy to linger in post-round – whether that’s grabbing a quick bite or sitting down for something more substantial.
The Oaks Course
The Oaks at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is often labeled as one of the most underrated courses in the country, and it lives up to that reputation.
Like the Azaleas, there’s a strong use of elevation throughout, highlighted by a set of downhill par threes that are both visually striking and fun to play. Where the Oaks differentiates itself is in how it asks you to navigate the course. The greens are generally a bit smaller, and while there’s still plenty of width off the tee, it feels a touch more target-oriented. You have space, but you still need to pick your lines and execute.
The creeks that wind through the property play a big role in that. They cut through fairways, frame approaches and force you to think through your shots, not just hit them. It’s a course that rewards good decisions as much as good swings.
My most memorable moment of the day came on the par four ninth. After catching an overhanging branch off the tee, I was left with 204 yards in and a second shot that immediately brought to mind holes like the sixteenth at Reynolds Lake Oconee’s Oconee course or the ninth at SentryWorld. A creek works into and down the left side of the fairway before wrapping around and behind the green, shaping the entire look. I hit a 4-iron to about 12 feet – one of those shots that feels right the moment you hit it. I missed the birdie putt, but it was a shot I won’t forget anytime soon.
The Oaks might not get quite the same attention as the Azaleas, but it’s a really strong course in its own right – thoughtful, engaging and one that keeps you locked in from start to finish.
The Azaleas Course
The Azaleas course at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club was the highlight of the trip for me from a golf standpoint and one that also earned a place on my personal Top 100 Courses That I’ve Played list.
It’s easy to see why the Azaleas is often compared to Augusta. The scale is there – wide playing corridors, big greens and a routing that moves gracefully through tall pines and hardwoods across dramatic topography. The layout gives you room visually off the tee, but still rewards strategic positioning and finding smart angles into the greens. The presentation is excellent, but what stood out most was how naturally the holes flow across the property.
We played it in the afternoon, and its momentum just kept building as the round went on. The par threes are a big part of that – especially the thirteenth, which to me was the standout hole on the property. A mid-iron into a massive green with water guarding the front and bunkers to the right, it was as great visually as it was to play. That hole stuck with me enough that I featured it in my Signature Golf Holes series:
Out of curiosity, I used Adobe Firefly in Photoshop afterward to create a rough visualization of what the thirteenth might look like with the azaleas in bloom a few weeks earlier in the spring. If this is anywhere close to reality, I can only imagine how spectacular the entire property would be when everything flowers:
The thirteenth gets a lot of the attention, but the strength of the course is really how consistently good it is.
The routing uses the wild terrain naturally, and the transitions from hole to hole feel seamless with excellent design variety.
For me, this was one of the best overall golf experiences of the entire trip and one I would not hesitate to revisit.
My Favorite Meals at the Pearl River Resort
Maybe my favorite meal of the entire trip came at Mama ‘n’ Em Southern Table & Bar inside the Silver Star Hotel & Casino at Pearl River Resort.
The Redfish Anna is listed at just $28 and featured a large portion of Cajun-spiced redfish topped with an enormous amount of crab meat, all finished with a rich lemon butter sauce and served alongside creamy mashed potatoes.
It wasn’t overly complicated – just a really flavorful, perfectly executed dish that completely hit the spot after a long day on the golf course.
Honestly, it’s one of those meals I could eat over and over again without getting tired of it. I had absolutely no problem joining the clean plate club that night!
Our final night’s dinner was at Phillip M’s, the award-winning steakhouse at the Silver Star Casino. It was a fantastic night for speeches, awards, incredible food and camaraderie to wrap up a wonderful visit to the state of Mississippi.
I cannot recommend the Cowboy Ribeye enough, but it was the Saffron Chowder that I’ll remember most. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been a bit of a picky eater my whole life – trips like this get me to step a little outside my comfort zone, though, and I was certainly glad I did for this meal.
Until Next Time…
Mississippi wasn’t a place I had circled as a must-visit golf destination before this trip. It is now.
What surprised me most wasn’t just the quality of the golf courses – though places like Grand Bear and Dancing Rabbit absolutely deserve more national attention. It was how well the golf, lodging, dining and atmosphere all came together to create a diverse, memorable experience.
One day we’re playing a secluded Jack Nicklaus course carved through the DeSoto National Forest. That night we’re eating world-class seafood in Biloxi, then the next day walking the historic streets of Natchez or laying out beside a heated infinity pool following 36 holes of golf at Dancing Rabbit.
And throughout all of it, the value cannot be ignored. Golf experiences of this caliber regularly cost two or three times more. Instead, Mississippi delivers outstanding public and resort golf, excellent lodging and some of the best meals I’ve had anywhere in the country at prices that consistently shocked me throughout our travels.
At a time when many major golf destinations continue pushing farther into luxury pricing, Mississippi still feels accessible in the best possible way.
More than anything, though, I’ll remember the people.
Whether it was the fellow golf media along for the trip, the golf professionals, restaurant staffs, resort teams, local guides or folks like Greg Brooking proudly showing off their community, there was a genuine sense that everyone wanted visitors to leave loving Mississippi as much as they do.
I certainly did.
If you’re looking for a golf trip that feels a little different from the standard Myrtle Beach, Scottsdale or Florida rotation – one with great architecture, incredible food, real personality and tremendous value – the great state of Mississippi deserves a closer look.
For more on planning your next Mississippi golf trip , check out Visit Mississippi and Play Coastal Mississippi’s websites, linked below:
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