Essential Golf: A passion for the Game

Take a Golf Break in Mississippi

Golf vacations in Mississippi start on one of 140 courses created by some of the biggest names in the sport. Legends like Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer and Jerry Pate lend their experience and insights to signature course designs all throughout the Magnolia state, from the rolling hills in the north to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

With year-round golfing weather, the courses and resorts in Mississippi can accommodate the needs and budgets of every level of golfer, from the casual player to the seasoned professional, such as those who trek to the state every fall for the Sanderson Farms Golf Tournament at the Country Club of Jackson. This year will mark the tournament’s first as a standalone PGA TOUR event.

Pros also like to frequent Fallen Oak, a Fazio design exclusive to the high-end Beau Rivage Resort on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This course boasts a challenging, yet beautiful, 18-hole, par-72 championship layout. In order to play like a pro at this bucket list course, you must be a guest of the Beau Rivage.

Further north in Choctaw, the Dancing Rabbit Golf Club features two courses: the Oaks and the Azaleas. Superbly designed by Fazio and Pate, Dancing Rabbit’s 36 holes are open to the public and nestled quietly among ancient pines and hardwoods.

In the northeast corner of the state, Mossy Oak provides golfers with an immersive outdoors experience as they play their way through a winding 18-hole course accentuating the Mississippi Black Prairie’s natural landscapes. The public Scottish-links style course is located across the street from its invitation-only sister course, the prestigious Old Waverly Golf Course.

This article first appeared in the PGA TOUR June-November 2019 issue, which can be read here.

See also: Plan a Golf Holiday in Mississippi

Five Best Golf Courses in Georgia