Featured Getaway
Coastal Mississippi a Best Kept Golf Secret— No More!
Award-winning courses, beaches, casinos, year-round play. Part 1 of 3
Words and photos by Alan Hoskins, feature writer
If looking for a great golf destination, you might overlook Coastal Mississippi. Don’ t. Big mistake. Once known as“ The Secret Coast,” Coastal Mississippi is now ranked America’ s best No. 4 golf destination in 2026 by USA Today.
In addition to award-winning golf courses, the coast offers a wealth of amenities, not the least of which is something other destinations can’ t offer— 62 miles of sandy beaches along the Gulf waters that stretch eastward from Gulfport to the casinos of Biloxi and westward to the charming downtown shops of St. Louis Bay. Less than an hour and you’ re in New Orleans.
Grand Bear
But that’ s only the tip of the iceberg. The Gulf region offers great saltwater fishing and inland lakes with freshwater angling. Hunting deer, turkeys, and waterfowl is an easy and popular activity. Mississippi’ s weather allows year-round golf, which is one of the state’ s biggest selling points. So are the ever-popular casinos and exceptional resorts.
Nowhere else in Mississippi can you play courses designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. The Mississippi Aquarium boasts a 360-degree glass tunnel with views of fish over your head and below your feet. An artfully decorated 5.8-acre complex, it offers everything from sharks, dolphins, and alligators to river otters and other outdoor life.
“ There’ s so much to do,” says Mike Jones, the director of Sports and Outdoor Adventures for Visit Mississippi.“ You can saltwater fish in the morning and golf in the afternoon or vice versa.” And casinos beckon at three of the four courses played by our group of golf writers this spring.
“ One thing that is overlooked is the affordability,” points out Jones. Indeed, only one of the four courses we played had green fees in excess of $ 100($ 110), and most were in the $ 65 range, far less than most elite golf destinations.”
Then throw in the South’ s famed southern hospitality( Mississippi is the“ Hospitality State”) and the food.“ Culinary on the coast is incredible,” says Jones. Whether a steak, seafood, or po’ boy at Carter Green Steakhouse at the Island View Casino or White Pillars Restaurant in Biloxi, tasty options abound.
As for golf, courses are carved in among thousands and thousands of mammoth pine and moss-draped oak trees, many of which intertwine with countless lakes, cypress wetlands, and saltwater marshes. Throw in gigantic white sand bunkers, and you have a wealth of photo ops and selfie moments.
Here’ s a brief look at four award-winning courses surrounding Gulfport.
Waterfowl, turkey, deer, and even an occasional alligator add to the lure of Coastal Mississippi golf.
16 JUNE 2026 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE
WINDANCE COUNTRY CLUB – Designed by Mark McCumber in 1986, Windance Country Club in Gulfport has been on Golfweek’ s“ Best Places You Can Play” virtually every year. Carrying a 4-star rating from Golf Digest, it has hosted both the Ben Hogan and Nike