Mississippi Gulf Coast golf: how the coast fits together for a trip
Mississippi Gulf Coast golf from Bay St. Louis to Gautier: the course clusters, the casino resorts that unlock golf, the seasons and how to plan the trip.
Open the 3D map of every course →
Mississippi Gulf Coast golf runs along about 60 miles of coast from Bay St. Louis toward Pascagoula, plus a pine-country cluster inland at Saucier and Vancleave. Twelve courses take visitors, four tied to casino resorts. Biloxi sits in the middle, spring and fall are peak, and weekday stays cost far less than weekends.
This guide is the big picture of Mississippi Gulf Coast golf: the areas, which casinos unlock which courses, how the seasons and prices work, and how a trip fits together. Prices were seen in October 2026 and change, so use them to compare and check before you book. Drive times are routed estimates from downtown Biloxi with no traffic.
Quick facts
- Courses visitors can play: 12, from Bay St. Louis to Gautier and inland to Saucier.
- Casino-linked courses: Fallen Oak (Beau Rivage guests only), The Preserve (Palace), Windance (Island View), The Bridges (Hollywood Casino).
- Peak golf: March to May and October to November.
- Cheapest season: winter (December to February) outside holiday weeks and Mardi Gras weekends.
- Hurricane season: June 1 to November 30, main risk August to October.
- Time zone: Central. Main airport: Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT), about 27 minutes from Biloxi.
The coast in five areas
| Area | Courses | Drive from downtown Biloxi | Good bases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inland north (Saucier, Vancleave) | Fallen Oak, Grand Bear, The Preserve | 28-57 min | Biloxi casinos, D'Iberville |
| East (Gautier, Ocean Springs) | Shell Landing | 25 min | Ocean Springs, Biloxi east end |
| Biloxi and Gulfport | Sunkist, Windance, Bayou Vista | 20-41 min | Biloxi casinos, Gulfport beach and airport |
| Pass Christian | The Oaks, Pass Christian Isles | 38-48 min | Gulfport, Diamondhead |
| West end (Diamondhead, Bay St. Louis) | Diamondhead Cardinal and Pine, The Bridges | 47-56 min | Hollywood Casino, Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead |
Inland: Saucier and Vancleave
The two biggest courses on the coast are in the pines north of I-10. Fallen Oak (Tom Fazio, 7,487 yards, 142 slope) is regularly ranked the top course in Mississippi and is open only to Beau Rivage guests. Grand Bear (Jack Nicklaus, 7,204 yards, 143 slope) sits in the De Soto National Forest and is public. To the east, The Preserve in Vancleave is Jerry Pate's full-service course, owned by Palace. Inland nights run about 3F colder than the beach, and winter frost delays are possible.
East: Gautier and Ocean Springs
Shell Landing, Davis Love III's marsh-and-pine course in Gautier, is the east side's value play. Ocean Springs has the restaurants and boutique stays but lost its own 18s: Gulf Hills' 18 closed in 2019 and St. Andrews is closed. See Ocean Springs golf.
Biloxi and Gulfport
Sunkist in north Biloxi is the closest full-length course to the casinos the public can book. In Gulfport, Windance is the well-kept McCumber course, and Bayou Vista, the former Tramark, is the cheapest 18 on the coast at $28. Bay Breeze on Keesler is a military course, and Great Southern on the Gulfport beach closed in 2022.
Pass Christian
The Oaks is the longest public course on the west side (7,006 yards, 140 slope), and Pass Christian Isles, laid out in 1914, is the old, short, cheap one. They sit about 10 minutes apart.
West end: Diamondhead and Bay St. Louis
Diamondhead has two 18s, the Cardinal and the Pine, and the coast's only indoor/outdoor golf academy. The Bridges, Arnold Palmer's marsh course at Hollywood Casino, has the highest slope in the area (144) and is closed on Tuesdays. Our Bay St. Louis golf guide covers this end.
The casinos and the golf they unlock
On this coast the hotel decides part of your golf. Four resorts are tied to courses:
- Beau Rivage (MGM, Biloxi): the only way onto Fallen Oak. Golf is sold with the room, and the resort runs transport to Saucier.
- Palace Casino Resort (Biloxi): owns The Preserve and sells one-night stay-and-play packages with slot and food credits.
- Island View Casino Resort (Gulfport): owns Windance. Its Unlimited Golf package started at $99 with a room, double occupancy, tax extra.
- Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast (Bay St. Louis): The Bridges is on the property. The Golf Package starts at $119 with a night and unlimited golf that day.
Harrah's Gulf Coast guests get Caesars Rewards discounts at Grand Bear but no package. The other big casino hotels, Hard Rock, IP, Golden Nugget, Scarlet Pearl and Treasure Bay, have no golf package we could confirm. Our guide to the casino golf trip matches resorts to groups.
Weekdays beat weekends
Casino hotel rates jump on Friday and Saturday nights, and Saturday is usually the dearest. Prices seen on October 25, 2026 for November dates show the spread: Hollywood Casino was $63.98 on Tuesday, November 10 against $213.98 on Saturday, November 14 and $283.98 on Saturday, November 21. A Harrah's deluxe king was $115 on the Tuesday special rate against $283 on Saturday, November 21. A trip that arrives Sunday and leaves Thursday is the usual value play. Event weeks override the pattern: Cruisin' the Coast in early October is the hardest hotel week of the year.
Mississippi Gulf Coast golf by season
| Season | Months | Beach highs | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak spring | Mar-May | 69-83F | Best golf, windiest months, highest green fees; spring break and Easter (Mar 28, 2027) weekends |
| Summer | Jun-Sep | 87-90F | Storms on 9-14 days a month, low golf rates, dawn tee times, summer aerification |
| Peak fall | Oct-Nov | 69-79F | October is the driest month; Cruisin' the Coast in the first full week of October |
| Winter value | Dec-Feb | 60-63F | Mild and cheapest; non-overseeded bermuda is tan but playable; Mardi Gras weekends fill hotels |
Temperatures are NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Biloxi. Most coast courses are bermudagrass, and many let it go dormant from about December to March rather than overseed. Courses that tier rates are cheapest in summer and winter: Windance is $90 in December to February and July to August against $110 in peak months, and The Preserve is $175 in summer and winter against $250 in spring. More in our guide to the best time to golf in Biloxi and, for August to October trips, hurricane season and Biloxi golf.
Getting there and getting around
Gulfport-Biloxi International (GPT) is the obvious airport: about 27 minutes from Biloxi and 10 from Gulfport, with Delta to Atlanta, American Eagle to Charlotte and Dallas/Fort Worth, United Express to Houston, Breeze and seasonal Sun Country. New Orleans (MSY) has far more nonstops and is about 119 minutes from Biloxi on I-10. Mobile (MOB) is about 81 minutes. See flying into Gulfport-Biloxi.
Many groups drive. Routed drive times to Biloxi run about 2 hours from New Orleans, 2 hours 45 minutes from Baton Rouge, under 6 hours from Birmingham, about 7 hours from Atlanta and Memphis and about 7.5 from Houston. Our drive to Biloxi golf trip guide lists the routes.
Once there, rent a car. I-10 runs 5 to 8 miles inland and is the fast road; US 90 along the beach passes every casino but is slow with lights. I-110 links the casino strip to I-10, and US 49 runs north from Gulfport toward Saucier.
How a Mississippi Gulf Coast golf trip fits together
A good Mississippi Gulf Coast golf trip has one base, three or four rounds and short drives. Choose the hotel first if you want Fallen Oak or a casino package, then fill the other days from the nearest cluster. A central Biloxi base reaches the inland and east courses in under 30 minutes; a west-end base suits The Bridges, Diamondhead and The Oaks. Compare bases in where to stay in Biloxi for golf and every course in our Biloxi golf courses guide.
Coming from the east? The Alabama coast is next door; our Gulf Shores golf trip guide covers that side.
Plan it on the map
Open the Biloxi golf map to see every course and golf hotel on the coast in 3D, with drive times between them. The $30 plan builds a day-by-day trip that keeps each round close to your base and your weekend nights cheap.
Courses in this guide
Questions golfers ask
Where is the best base for Mississippi Gulf Coast golf?
Biloxi suits most groups because it sits in the middle, about 20-30 minutes from Sunkist, Shell Landing, The Preserve and Fallen Oak. Groups playing The Bridges, Diamondhead and The Oaks do better in Bay St. Louis or Diamondhead at the west end.
When is golf season on the Mississippi Gulf Coast?
Golf is year-round. Spring (March to May) and fall (October and November) are the peak seasons, summer is hot and cheaper, and winter is mild with beach highs around 60-63F and the lowest hotel rates outside holidays and Mardi Gras.
How far apart are the Mississippi Gulf Coast golf courses?
The coast runs about 60 miles from Bay St. Louis toward Pascagoula, and the Saucier and Vancleave courses sit 20-35 minutes inland. From downtown Biloxi, routed drives run from about 20 minutes to Sunkist to about 56 minutes to The Bridges.
Which casinos have golf courses on the Mississippi coast?
Beau Rivage is the only way onto Fallen Oak, Palace Casino Resort owns The Preserve, Island View owns Windance, and The Bridges is on the Hollywood Casino property in Bay St. Louis. Harrah's guests get Caesars Rewards discounts at Grand Bear but no package.
What airport do I fly into for Mississippi Gulf Coast golf?
Gulfport-Biloxi International (GPT) is about 27 minutes from Biloxi, with Delta, American Eagle, United Express, Breeze and seasonal Sun Country service. New Orleans (MSY) has more nonstops and is about two hours west by I-10.
Is the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Central Time?
Yes. Biloxi, Gulfport and every coast town are on Central Time, the same as New Orleans and Mobile.
Do I need a car for a Mississippi Gulf Coast golf trip?
Close to essential. The courses are spread along the coast and inland, and only Fallen Oak has resort-run transport for Beau Rivage guests. Rental counters at GPT include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and National.
Keep reading
PlanningBiloxi golf rates: every course's green fees by season, with the dates they changeBiloxi golf rates for every course on the Mississippi coast: peak, winter, summer and twilight green fees and the dates seasons change, as seen October 2026.6 min read
CoursesBiloxi golf courses: every course you can play on the Mississippi coastBiloxi golf courses compared: 12 courses visitors can play, from $28 Bayou Vista to Fallen Oak, with par, length, slope, access and rates seen October 2026.9 min read
TipsBiloxi tee times: how far ahead each course books, and how to get good times in springBiloxi tee times course by course: booking windows from 7 to 365 days, online systems each club uses, cancellation rules and spring tips, seen October 2026.6 min read