For Golfers playing as a single is both common and most often one of quiet solitude. The “single player” is usually exactly that: a man alone with his thoughts, a scorecard, and perhaps a polite nod from a passing greenkeeper.
However, in the Magnolia State (the nickname for Mississippi), the “single player” concept doesn’t seem to exist. You aren’t a solitary golfer; you are a guest who hasn’t been introduced yet.
My journey through the state took me from the high-stakes drama of a PGA Tour venue to the rustic charm of the Delta, and finally to a world-class masterpiece near the Gulf Coast.
While the landscapes shifted, the theme of “Southern Hospitality” remained the extra club in the bag — one that consistently landed me in the middle of a friendship rather than a bunker.
1Jackson: Playing in the Wake of Giants
My first stop was the Country Club of Jackson. This is a course with a pedigree, serving as the home of the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship. Walking onto the first tee, it was very exciting knowing I was about to play where the golfing gods had been. Though the pros had moved on, the “skeletons” of the tournament remained; the grandstands were still standing, looming over the fairways like silent spectators.
The course itself, a John Fought redesign, is a masterpiece of precision. It demands strategic positioning off the tee to navigate the doglegs and the subtle but treacherous undulations of the Champion Ultra Dwarf Bermuda greens. The signature 16th, a long par-4, requires a brave line to avoid the water, but the real challenge was staying focused while imagining the roar of the crowd from the stands I was hitting past. I was getting carried away!
Yet, despite the professional prestige, there was no elitism. Before I could even reach for my glove, I was swept into a “four-ball” with a group of local lads. Within three holes, the typical transatlantic barriers had vanished, replaced by the universal language of golf banter and friendly side-bets. I wasn’t just a visitor; I was the fourth man in the game.
2Greenwood: The Heart of the Delta
From the manicured tournament conditions of Jackson, I headed to Greenwood Country Club. If Jackson is the “stadium,” Greenwood is the “soul.” This is a classic, traditional club—the kind that will likely never host a PGA event and is all the better for it. It is honest, unpretentious, and impeccably kept.
The layout is a delightful stroll through the Mississippi Delta, where the terrain is flat, but the challenge is found in the narrow, tree-lined corridors and the wind that whips across the fairways. But the golf, as good as it was, took a backseat to the reception. Again, I was immediately “adopted” by a group of regulars.
The competitiveness on the course was fierce but fair, punctuated by laughs that echoed through the pines. The hospitality didn’t end at the 18th green, either, as we soon enjoyed the 19th as well. I was invited out to dinner with the group, where the stories flowed as freely as the drinks. In most parts of the world, a guest is treated with courtesy; in Greenwood, you are treated like a long-lost cousin.
3Grand Bear: A Jack Nicklaus Escape
My final round took me toward the coast to play Grand Bear Golf Course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design located just north of Biloxi. Tucked away within the pine forests of the Riverbend Nature Preserve, it is a cinematic experience—a secluded retreat where no two fairways touch and the outside world feels a thousand miles away.
The layout is a formidable test of skill, weaving through wetlands and towering pines, yet my experience there was defined by a different kind of grace. The club staff, despite the demands of managing such a premier facility, treated me with effortless warmth. In any other state, a greeting might be a quick “hello” before being sent to the tee.
Here, I was treated to stories of the land’s history and the nuances of the “Golden Bear’s” design. From the pro shop to the final putt, it was a level of personal attention that felt uniquely Mississippian.
4The Verdict
International golfers often overlook Mississippi in favour of better-known hubs, but that is a mistake. Nowhere else in the USA have I found a place where the visitor is so vigorously integrated into the local fabric. Whether it’s the secluded beauty of the Grand Bear or the historic fairways of the Delta, the overriding aspect of golf here isn’t the stimp reading or the yardage—it’s the open arms. I came to Mississippi to write about the courses, but I left wanting to write about the people. They don’t just let you play through; they invite you in.
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