tours. Selected as Gulfport’ s Best Golf course by Quality Business Awards in 2025, Windance received a 95 percent overall quality and a 5-star rating in satisfaction, reputation, service, and quality. Purchased by Island View Casino Resort in 2007, the property underwent significant renovations, including a new lake, state-of-the-art irrigation, native areas, and decorative stonework.
The 4th hole at The Club at Diamondhead in Gulfport is just one of countless shots over ponds and creeks along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.
THE BRIDGES GOLF CLUB – No course has been more aptly named— 21 crafted wooden bridges spanning nearly a mile in length. The only Arnold Palmer-designed course in Mississippi, it sits on the banks of Mississippi’ s beautiful Bay of St. Louis. Operated by the Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast, it’ s ranked among the Top 40 casino courses in the U. S. and Top 10 in the state by Golf Digest and Golfweek. It is also the first resort course in the world to achieve Audubon International’ s Silver Signature status. At 6,900 yards in length, the Bridges sits on 600 acres of moss-draped oak trees, towering pines, beautiful magnolias, and sweeping vistas of saltwater marshes.
One of 21 wooden bridges that makes The Bridges at Hollywood Casino in the Bay of St. Louis one of Mississippi’ s most unique courses. You might even see an occasional alligator relaxing.
THE CLUB AT DIAMONDHEAD – Just about everything one could want in a 36-hole golf club can be found at Diamondhead. In addition to two 18-hole golf courses, there’ s an indoor / outdoor Golf Academy, four swimming pools, eight lighted hydra-clay tennis courts, and a marina with direct access to the Bay of St. Louis. Both courses are built into towering tree-lined fairways. The 6,729-yard Cardinal championship course offers wooded, gently rolling terrain with no parallel fairways and extra-long sand bunkers, while the 6,784-yard Pine course was built with the higher handicapper in mind.
GRAND BEAR – Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Grand Bear in Saucier opened in 1999 to widespread fanfare and near universal acclaim. Named one of the Top 50 U. S. Public Golf Courses by Golfer’ s Choice( GolfPass) as recently as 2024, it’ s been in Golf Digest’ s Top 10 Mississippi courses every year since 2007. Built six miles into the towering pines and cypress wetlands of DeSoto National Forest, no two holes parallel one another, and homes, roads, and other distractions are nowhere to be found— other than perhaps deer, birds, or yes, an occasional alligator.
Marshes, towering pines, oaks, ponds, creeks and immense white bunkers at Grand Bear, Windance, and Diamondhead golf courses provide challenges and an array of color on Mississippi’ s golf coast.( Grand Bear shown here.)
Complete information on each course mentioned here, including green fees, is available online at www. visitmississippi. org / go / golf or at www. coastalmississippi. com. Stay tuned for part 2 offering more Mississippi golf options next month.
TeeTimesMagazine. com TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE JUNE 2026 17