Grand Bear Golf Course: how to play Nicklaus's Saucier course today

Grand Bear Golf Course is Jack Nicklaus's 1999 public course in Saucier, about six miles into the De Soto National Forest. Anyone can book it through the club, GolfNow or TeeOff. It plays 7,204 yards and 143 slope from the tips, with no homes on the course. Rates were not posted in October 2026, so call 228-265-9363.

Grand Bear is the strongest course on the Mississippi coast that anyone can play, and the natural partner or substitute for Fallen Oak, its Saucier neighbor. This guide covers access today, what it costs, the layout and tees, and how to fit it into a trip. Rates change; treat every price here as a guide.

Quick facts

• Access: public. Owned by VICI Properties (VICI Golf) since 2017.
• Book: the club (228-265-9363), GolfNow or TeeOff. Booking window not published.
• Rates: no dated card; GolfLink estimate about $170 with cart; directories $65-$150.
• Design: Jack Nicklaus, opened 1999.
• Tips: 7,204 yards, 75.5 / 143 (Grizzly Bear tees).
• Food: Grand Bear Grill & Bar on site.
• Map: Grand Bear, about 57 minutes from downtown Biloxi on our routed estimate.

Access today: who can play and how

Grand Bear was once tied to Caesars and Harrah's Gulf Coast. Since 2017 it has been owned by VICI Properties, and it is a public course open to anyone. There is no membership or hotel requirement.

Harrah's link. Harrah's Gulf Coast still lists Grand Bear among its amenities, and its hotel pages say guests can reserve tee times. A third-party listing says Caesars Rewards members get tier-based green-fee discounts for themselves and up to three guests. No public stay-and-play package was found in October 2026, so the Harrah's link is a discount, not a requirement.

Booking. Book through the club by phone or on GolfNow and TeeOff. The booking window is not published. The club website had a broken security certificate when checked on October 25, 2026, so phone ahead to confirm times and rates. Our Biloxi tee times guide compares booking systems across the coast.

What to ask when you call Grand Bear

Because the rate card is not online, a two-minute call saves surprises. Ask for the green fee on your exact day and time, whether the cart is included, when the twilight rate starts, and whether any tournament or qualifying stage is blocking the tee sheet that week. If you are staying at Harrah's, ask about the Caesars Rewards discount and bring your card.

Grand Bear rates

That range is wide because Grand Bear prices by day and season. As on the rest of the coast, expect spring (March to May) and fall (October and November) to be dearest. Weekday and twilight times are the cheaper way in. Get the number from the shop before you plan a budget around it.

The layout

Grand Bear sits about six miles into the De Soto National Forest. It is a full Nicklaus course in tall pines with cypress wetlands, and the Biloxi River runs along the closing holes. With no homes anywhere on the property, it feels a long way from the casino strip.

Tees

The slope stays high a long way down the card: even the Brown Bear tees at 6,221 yards carry a 134. That is the mark of a course that asks you to hit accurate shots rather than just long ones. The Teddy Bear set at 4,802 yards and 98 slope makes it workable for juniors and beginners.

Championship pedigree

Grand Bear hosted the PGA Tour Champions Rapiscan Systems Classic in 2022, after the event's years at Fallen Oak, and it has hosted PGA Tour Champions Q-school stages since, including a first stage in November 2024. The Rapiscan event has not been played since 2022.

How to play Grand Bear

Pick the right tees. Most golfers who play Windance or The Oaks from the middle tees should start at Brown Bear (6,221 yards). Only strong players belong on Golden Bear or Grizzly Bear.

Expect the forest. Tall pines line the holes and wetlands come into play. Accuracy matters more than length.

Play the morning in summer, the afternoon in winter. Grand Bear is inland, where Saucier's NOAA normals run about 88-90F highs from June to August and lows around 41-42F in December and January. Inland mornings run about 3F colder than the beach, and frost delays are possible in winter. See our guide to winter golf in Mississippi.

Eat on site. The Grand Bear Grill & Bar is at the clubhouse, which matters because the course is well away from town.

The Grand Bear course guide has the layout on the map.

Grand Bear golf course through the year

Grand Bear is in pine country well inland, so its weather runs a little different from the beach. These are NOAA 1991-2020 normals for the Saucier Experimental Forest station, a few miles north of the course:

Spring and fall are the peak seasons on the coast, so they are when Grand Bear golf course times are hardest to get and prices highest. For a cheaper round, try a Monday to Thursday tee time in winter or high summer. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the main risk from August to October, and a storm can close courses for days.

Getting there and where to stay

Grand Bear is in Saucier, north of Gulfport and Biloxi. Our routed estimate from downtown Biloxi is about 57 minutes and 28.7 miles. On the same routed estimates it is about 53 minutes from Scarlet Pearl on the Back Bay, 51 minutes from the Hampton Inn & Suites D'Iberville and 39 minutes from the Hilton Garden Inn Gulfport Airport. Check the route from your own base and leave extra time for your first visit. Our guide on where to stay in Biloxi for golf compares bases.

Grand Bear and Fallen Oak

Fallen Oak, Tom Fazio's course, is also in Saucier and is regularly ranked the top course in Mississippi, but it is open only to Beau Rivage guests. If you are staying at Beau Rivage, playing both makes a strong pair of inland rounds. If not, the Grand Bear golf course is the best you can book on the coast. Our Fallen Oak vs Grand Bear comparison lays out access, price and design side by side, and the Fallen Oak course guide covers the other course.

Who Grand Bear suits

• Good players who want the biggest public test on the coast.
• Groups not staying at Beau Rivage who want a headline round.
• Harrah's guests with Caesars Rewards status, who may get a discount.
• Anyone who wants a quiet, forest round away from the beach road.

It suits less well if you want a posted price before you book, or if your group mostly plays from the forward tees and wants an easy day; Sunkist or Bayou Vista are better for that. See our best golf courses in Biloxi for the full ranking and the Biloxi golf courses guide for every option.

Plan it on the map

Open the Biloxi golf map to see Grand Bear in 3D in the De Soto National Forest, with its tees and drive time from your hotel. The $30 plan places the Grand Bear round on the day that fits your route and pairs it with courses nearby.