OT: favorite golf courses in Mississippi

ADT113

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Nov 17, 2014
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It’s not Augusta, but I loved playing State back in the day. There was a time in the early 2000’s when it was always in great shape. Only issue was the hard greens. I’ve seen some of the highest bounces from wedges on those greens.
They just redid their greens. If you thought they were firm then you should have seen them in august and probably still today. Love that course though. Also, it’s hard to beat Starkville CC. Course is very fun.
 

ADT113

Member
Nov 17, 2014
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Cherokee Valley, Olive Branch
Played in the 6 man at OBCC. Holy hell if some of those greens and pin locations were ridiculous. I don’t know that I’ve ever played greens as firm and fast as those and I’ve played on some fast greens. Almost felt like the US Open. Wouldn’t change a thing about it though especially being a 6 man.
 

Ranchdawg

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Dec 13, 2012
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Grand Bear in Saucier (a Nicklaus course) and The Bridges (Arnold Palmer course) in Bay St. Louis. Grand Bear is a long course with difficult green placement while The Bridges is shorter where you need good tee shots to make your second shot.
 

DesotoCountyDawg

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Nov 16, 2005
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Played in the 6 man at OBCC. Holy hell if some of those greens and pin locations were ridiculous. I don’t know that I’ve ever played greens as firm and fast as those and I’ve played on some fast greens. Almost felt like the US Open. Wouldn’t change a thing about it though especially being a 6 man.
Back Acres CC in Senatobia was that way too. Tight fairways with trees, many holes with domed, super fast greens.

I grew up playing there every weekend.
 

greenbean.sixpack

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Oct 6, 2012
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Damn I loved Leflore CC. Put on some great tournaments there. I would also put Greenwood CC in my top 10-15 for the state. Not because it’s pristine, but it’s fun(it is pristine in the summer, great greens, fairways and rough). Short, risk/reward on par 4s and 5s it just plays how being an average golfer would want to play. Very underrated.
I was being factious and listing the worse courses.
 

FormerBully

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Sep 2, 2022
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I played Old Waverly last fall and I was honestly disappointed, at least for what it costs. I’ll admit, my golf game is more suited to a $50 per round course than a $150 per round course. I’ve played several of the Robert Trent Jones courses in Alabama that were as nice as Waverly, at least to me.
I hate all things Alabama but the RTJ trail is amazing. I wish our state would develop a similar idea. I go the Alabama a few times a year to play different courses on the trail.
 

FormerBully

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Sep 2, 2022
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If you join RTJ as a member, it’s around $50 to join, every course in the RTJ system is half price. The only one excluded is the one below Fairhope on east Mobile Bay. I was just disappointed in Old Waverly, I really expected it to wow me and it didn’t. I’m going to play Mossy Oak soon. My group buys the WTVA Golf card every year which allows us to play each of 8-10 courses just for cart fee. The University course in Oxford was on it last year and it was very nice. Played Tupelo National, the old Big Oaks, last week and the greens were in the best shape of any course in North Mississippi that I’ve seen in a while. Played Lion Hills in Columbus also last week and their greens were pitiful.
Lion Hills is also a strange course. You go from Hills to the flats. Also, they have 5 par fives. I am playing Tupelo National this week.
 

Dawgbite

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Nov 1, 2011
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I hate all things Alabama but the RTJ trail is amazing. I wish our state would develop a similar idea. I go the Alabama a few times a year to play different courses on the trail.
I played the RTJ course in West Mobile about six weeks ago and we were waiting awhile due to frost that morning. I had on a State cap and struck up a conversation with the guy working in the pro shop. He said that RTJ had just bought or taken over their first course in Ms. Maybe they will spread all over. You know that RTJ is owned by the Alabama teachers union retirement fund.
 

retire the banner

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Dec 29, 2022
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Whatever happened to the project to turn the old Colonial Country Club in Jackson into a 12-hole course? Is that still in the works? I think the sweetens cove architect was a part of that project
 

Dawgbite

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Nov 1, 2011
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Lion Hills is also a strange course. You go from Hills to the flats. Also, they have 5 par fives. I am playing Tupelo National this week.
Hillandale in Corinth is kinda like that. You start off a few holes on a bluff and then drop off in a creek bottom for the majority of the course. On 16 or 17 you go back up the bluff on about a 90 degree dog leg right. I get lost on Tupelo National because it’s back and forth over that creek and they don’t have a lot of signs to direct you when to cross.
 

FormerBully

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Sep 2, 2022
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I played the RTJ course in West Mobile about six weeks ago and we were waiting awhile due to frost that morning. I had on a State cap and struck up a conversation with the guy working in the pro shop. He said that RTJ had just bought or taken over their first course in Ms. Maybe they will spread all over. You know that RTJ is owned by the Alabama teachers union retirement fund.
I played that course about two years ago. The guy saw my State hat and went on about Ally Ewing. He got to meet her and was a big fan.
 

Del B Vista

Member
Dec 9, 2010
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The "pre Katrina" Course that was behind Gulfport International
and the 9 hole course that was near the Gulfport PD Shooting range (also pre Katrina)
The course by the airport is still there. Was called Tramark, now it's Bayou Vista.
The one by the shooting range was the Gulfport Par 3. It was 18 holes, but pocket-sized. One of the holes was about 40 yards. Birthplace of the Keystone Invitational Golf Classic. Damn, I miss that place.
 

greenbean.sixpack

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Oct 6, 2012
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The course by the airport is still there. Was called Tramark, now it's Bayou Vista.
MHP (and several other organizations) were camped out on that course in the immediate aftermath of Katrina. I had a cot inside a building on the CRTC (i think we even had generator power), I was in high cotton comparatively speaking.
 

johnson86-1

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Aug 22, 2012
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Dogwood at Grenada. It was a really good course about 10-15 years ago but I don’t think the state budget has been very friendly to those golf courses.
Even then the course was missing a little bit of upkeep. But the fairways and greens were fine. The rough was pretty punishing and lots of areas that would have normally been maintained for aesthetics at a private golf course were let go. But the layout was fun.

I'm sure they could probably be run more efficiently, but the state doesn't do itself any favors with where it puts money into golf courses. Other than land being available, why in the world would you put such a nice course outside grenada? They thought the booming populations of Grenada, Winona, Batesville, and Calhoun City would keep it packed while charging sufficient green fees?

That said, if the state (or is it feds? I assume the damn is a Corps project and they bought up the land it would flood along with a buffer?) would allow water front development on Grenada lake, that could maybe help. I'm sure there are lots of people that would like to have a lake house on Grenada Lake. Water wouldn't be the prettiest, but it'd still be a pretty good draw to be able to have a weekend spot to go fish and ski and swim and have a good golf course to play. Not sure if there is a reason no development is allowed there beyond just typical smart decisions by Mississippi government and/or the federal government.
 

DesotoCountyDawg

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Nov 16, 2005
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Even then the course was missing a little bit of upkeep. But the fairways and greens were fine. The rough was pretty punishing and lots of areas that would have normally been maintained for aesthetics at a private golf course were let go. But the layout was fun.

I'm sure they could probably be run more efficiently, but the state doesn't do itself any favors with where it puts money into golf courses. Other than land being available, why in the world would you put such a nice course outside grenada? They thought the booming populations of Grenada, Winona, Batesville, and Calhoun City would keep it packed while charging sufficient green fees?

That said, if the state (or is it feds? I assume the damn is a Corps project and they bought up the land it would flood along with a buffer?) would allow water front development on Grenada lake, that could maybe help. I'm sure there are lots of people that would like to have a lake house on Grenada Lake. Water wouldn't be the prettiest, but it'd still be a pretty good draw to be able to have a weekend spot to go fish and ski and swim and have a good golf course to play. Not sure if there is a reason no development is allowed there beyond just typical smart decisions by Mississippi government and/or the federal government.
The USACoE doesn’t really allow for lakeside property on any of the 4 flood control lakes. Theres some in Sardis but it has to be at a certain elevation above the flood plain.
 

johnson86-1

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Aug 22, 2012
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The USACoE doesn’t really allow for lakeside property on any of the 4 flood control lakes. Theres some in Sardis but it has to be at a certain elevation above the flood plain.
Which that makes sense but what I remember of Grenada lake it seems like there was a lot of land pretty close to the shore that was above the elevation of the dam? Maybe that was just around the hugh white area? Or maybe my perception was off about how high it was compared to the dam. But if there is land that can be developed where the finished floor would be a foot or two above the height of the dam, that seems like it should be allowed to be developed.
 

Lumpy1055

Active member
Oct 17, 2012
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I play Deerfield quite often. It’s nowhere near top 25 in the state.
Has it gone down hill? It’s been a few years since I’ve played there but was always highly ranked in the state and enjoyable course.
 

Lumpy1055

Active member
Oct 17, 2012
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The real answer is Halifax Holes in Bolton on Mr Kendall’s farm. Such a fun track and great time.
 
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greenbean.sixpack

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Oct 6, 2012
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That said, if the state (or is it feds? I assume the damn is a Corps project and they bought up the land it would flood along with a buffer?) would allow water front development on Grenada lake, that could maybe help. I'm sure there are lots of people that would like to have a lake house on Grenada Lake. Water wouldn't be the prettiest, but it'd still be a pretty good draw to be able to have a weekend spot to go fish and ski and swim and have a good golf course to play. Not sure if there is a reason no development is allowed there beyond just typical smart decisions by Mississippi government and/or the federal government.
And ruin the Natural Beach? I slayed there in the 80s. No telling how many li'l green beans runnin' round Gun-aid-er.
 

HumpDawgy

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Apr 6, 2010
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Back in the day many of the smaller courses in the Delta (and the state for that matter) could make the same boast that OM loves to make...may not have the nicest courses but they never lost a party. Some of the tournaments and accompanying parties they hosted were a ball. Humphreys County CC in Silver City comes to mind.

Definitely some good parties, but unfortunately the tornado tore that course up pretty bad.
 
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johnson86-1

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Aug 22, 2012
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Not a golfer but asking about The Oaks in Pass Christian? Any review appreciated.
Been a while, but it's a good neighborhood course. Tough competition down there with the Preserve, Grand Bear, and Fallen Oak but in other places in Mississippi it would generally be as good or better than the local course. Also a pretty fun course for middling golfers and bad golfers. If you play from the appropriate tees and hit the ball decent, you're not going to feel like you got beat up out there. Not sure if good golfers would find it not challenging enough.
 
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