Southeast
Biloxi & Mississippi Gulf Coast
Casino-resort lodging, a hidden gem Tom Fazio course, and championship golf for half the price of Florida — the Gulf Coast's best-kept secret.
Overview
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is the budget-friendly golf trip that nobody talks about — and that is exactly what makes it great. The headliner is Fallen Oak, a Tom Fazio masterpiece built by the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino that routinely appears on best-of lists and plays like a course that should cost twice what it does. Add Shell Landing (Davis Love III design ranked in Mississippi's top 10), Grand Bear (Jack Nicklaus design), The Oaks Golf Club, and Windance Country Club, and you have four to five days of quality, varied golf at prices that make RTJ Trail jealous.
What makes Biloxi unique as a golf destination is the casino-resort infrastructure. The Gulf Coast casinos — Beau Rivage, IP Casino, Hard Rock, Golden Nugget — provide lodging, dining, entertainment, and nightlife that most golf destinations cannot match at any price, let alone at Biloxi's price points. A group can stay at a casino resort for $100-$200/night, eat well, play blackjack or poker after dinner, catch a show, and still have budget left for extra rounds. For groups where not everyone is a golfer — or where the non-golf evening experience matters as much as the morning tee time — this is a perfect setup.
The Gulf Coast also offers beach access, deep-sea fishing, and some of the best seafood in the South. Biloxi's oyster and shrimp heritage means the food is fresh, abundant, and affordable. This is not a luxury destination — it is a fun destination where the golf is better than you expect, the food is excellent, and the value is unbeatable.
Courses · 5
Fallen Oak
Resort (Beau Rivage guests only) · Championship
$175-$275
Best for: The anchor round of any Gulf Coast trip. Tom Fazio's design through old-growth forest is a genuine hidden gem — world-class conditioning in a setting that most golfers never discover.
Insider tip: Fallen Oak is 18 miles from the Beau Rivage but the resort provides a complimentary shuttle. The drive through the pine forest is part of the experience — you feel like you are being transported to a private club in the middle of nowhere. The post-round lunch at the clubhouse is included and excellent. Play it on your freshest day — this course deserves your full attention.
Shell Landing Golf Club
Public · Moderate-Challenging
$55-$89
Best for: Groups who want a top-tier golf experience at a public-course price. Davis Love III's design is strategic and beautiful — ranked in Mississippi's top 10 by Golf Digest.
Insider tip: Shell Landing is the best value on the Gulf Coast. At $55-$89 for a course ranked in the state's top 10, the price-to-quality ratio is extraordinary. The greens average 12,000 square feet with subtle contours — they look flat from distance but are full of hidden breaks. Ask the pro shop about pin positions before you play.
Grand Bear Golf Club
Public · Challenging
$65-$120
Best for: Groups who want a Jack Nicklaus design at a public-course price. The course plays through the De Soto National Forest with a rugged, natural feel.
Insider tip: Grand Bear is a Nicklaus design through the De Soto National Forest, and it feels more like a wilderness experience than a resort round. The course is carved through pine forests with minimal housing or development visible. Bring bug spray in spring and summer. The layout rewards placement over power — position your tee shot for the approach angle, not the shortest distance.
The Oaks Golf Club
Public · Moderate
$39-$69
Best for: Groups looking for a solid, affordable round without resort pretension. Good for mixed-skill groups and a welcome break from championship-level difficulty.
Insider tip: The Oaks is the relaxation round of the trip. The course is manageable for higher handicaps, the pace is usually good, and the live oak setting is beautiful. At under $70, this is where you stretch the budget for an extra round without breaking the bank.
Windance Country Club
Semi-Private · Moderate-Challenging
$49-$85
Best for: Groups who want an additional round without repeating a course. A solid Mark McCumber design with good conditioning and reasonable rates.
Insider tip: Windance hosted Nike Tour events in the 1990s and has championship pedigree that its price does not reflect. The course is in Gulfport, convenient to the casino strip, making it an easy afternoon round after a morning at the beach or pool.
Lodging
Premium
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino
$150-$350MGM property and the premier resort on the Gulf Coast. 1,740 rooms, full spa, multiple restaurants (including Todd English's Nosh), pool, and of course, a massive casino floor. Required for Fallen Oak access. The most polished property on the coast. Golf packages bundle rooms with Fallen Oak rounds.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi
$130-$275318 rooms with a rock-and-roll vibe. Pool, spa, multiple restaurants, and the Hard Rock concert venue for live entertainment. No golf on-property but stay-and-play packages available with area courses. The nightlife and entertainment scene is the strongest on the coast.
Mid-Range
IP Casino Resort Spa
$100-$2001,088 rooms on the water with a marina. Multiple restaurants, pool, spa, and casino. Slightly lower rates than Beau Rivage with a more laid-back atmosphere. Good value for groups who want the casino-resort experience without the premium pricing.
Golden Nugget Biloxi
$90-$175340 rooms with a boutique feel for a casino property. Excellent steakhouse (Vic & Anthony's). Heated pool. Smaller and more intimate than the mega-resorts. Good for groups of 8 or fewer who want a more personal experience.
Budget
Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort (D'Iberville)
$80-$150Newer property just north of Biloxi with competitive rates. 300 rooms, pool, multiple restaurants. Slightly less convenient to the beach but often the best room rate on the coast. Casino is smaller and less crowded — some groups prefer that.
Hampton Inn Gulfport
$90-$140Non-casino option for groups who want a quiet, reliable hotel. Complimentary breakfast. Near Windance and convenient to all courses. The practical choice for groups where the casino scene is not a draw.
Dining
Mary Mahoney's Old French House
$$$Creole Seafood
Biloxi institution since 1964, housed in a building from 1737. The bread pudding is legendary, the gumbo is among the best on the Gulf Coast, and the atmosphere is Old South elegance. Private dining available in the courtyard. This is the big group dinner.
Half Shell Oyster House
$$Seafood / Oysters
Gulf oysters every which way — raw, chargrilled, Rockefeller, and Bienville. Multiple locations on the coast. Consistently excellent and reasonably priced. The chargrilled oysters with garlic butter are the signature. Walk-in friendly for groups.
Vestige (Ocean Springs)
$$$-$$$$Contemporary Southern
James Beard-nominated restaurant in the artsy town of Ocean Springs, 10 minutes east of Biloxi. Chef Alex Perry's tasting menu is remarkable. The most sophisticated dining on the Gulf Coast. Small space — book early for groups of 6+.
The Blind Tiger
$$Seafood / Southern
Located in the historic district of Bay St. Louis, 30 minutes west. Worth the drive for the shrimp po'boy and the charm of Bay St. Louis's Main Street. Casual, fun, and the kind of place where you lose track of time.
BR Prime at Beau Rivage
$$$$Steakhouse
Upscale steakhouse inside the Beau Rivage. Prime steaks, tableside preparations, and an extensive wine list. Private dining available. Convenient for groups staying at the Beau Rivage who want a splurge night without leaving the resort.
Pro Tips
- 1
Book the Beau Rivage golf package to access Fallen Oak — the package bundles the room with a round at a discount over booking separately. Fallen Oak is the reason to come to the Gulf Coast for golf, and it requires a Beau Rivage stay.
- 2
Play Shell Landing on your first day to calibrate. It is affordable, well-conditioned, and challenging enough to sharpen your game before Fallen Oak. Save Fallen Oak for day two or three when you are playing your best.
- 3
Set a casino budget and stick to it. The casinos are fun but they are designed to keep you playing. Agree as a group on a nightly limit — the money you do not lose at the tables buys an extra round of golf.
- 4
Drive to Ocean Springs for at least one dinner. The town has a completely different vibe from the casino strip — artsy, walkable, with excellent restaurants (especially Vestige). It is 10 minutes east and worth the trip.
- 5
Consider flying into New Orleans (MSY) and adding a night in the French Quarter to the front or back of your trip. The 90-minute drive is easy, and the combination of New Orleans + Biloxi golf is a trip people remember.
Sample Itineraries
weekend getaway
3 daysDay 1: Arrive at GPT, check into Beau Rivage, afternoon at the beach or pool, dinner at Half Shell Oyster House, casino evening. Day 2: Morning round at Fallen Oak (shuttle from Beau Rivage — the main event), lunch at the Fallen Oak clubhouse, afternoon at the spa or beach, big group dinner at Mary Mahoney's, casino night. Day 3: Morning round at Shell Landing (25-min drive), lunch in Ocean Springs, depart.
full trip
5 daysDay 1: Arrive, check into Beau Rivage, afternoon round at The Oaks ($50 warm-up), dinner at Half Shell Oyster House, casino evening. Day 2: Morning round at Shell Landing, afternoon at the beach, dinner at Vestige in Ocean Springs. Day 3: Morning round at Fallen Oak (the headliner), lunch at the clubhouse, spa or free afternoon, big group dinner at Mary Mahoney's, casino night. Day 4: Morning round at Grand Bear (Nicklaus design through the forest), afternoon deep-sea fishing charter or Bay St. Louis exploration, dinner at BR Prime at the Beau Rivage. Day 5: Morning round at Windance, lunch and depart — or drive to New Orleans for a bonus night.
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