Ocean Springs golf: the east-end courses and where to stay

Ocean Springs golf means two full public courses within about 20 minutes: Shell Landing in Gautier, a Davis Love III layout through marsh and pines, and The Preserve in Vancleave, Jerry Pate's full-service resort course owned by Palace Casino. The old Gulf Hills 18 closed in 2019 and St. Andrews is closed, so plan around the two that are open.

This guide covers the east end of the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Ocean Springs to Gautier and Vancleave: the courses, what has closed, and the hotels that put you closest to the first tee. Prices were seen in October 2026 and change by season and day.

Quick facts

• Open full-length courses: Shell Landing (Gautier) and The Preserve (Vancleave).
• Closed: St. Andrews Golf Club (Ocean Springs); the Gulf Hills 18 (closed October 31, 2019).
• Unclear: a rebuilt nine-hole executive course at Gulf Hills; call ahead.
• Price range: The Preserve $150-$250 all-inclusive; Shell Landing does not post rates.
• Best value base: Hampton Inn Biloxi/Ocean Springs, from $80 on a weekday.
• Time zone: Central.

Ocean Springs golf courses compared

Drive times are free-flow router estimates without traffic.

Shell Landing Golf Club, Gautier

Shell Landing is the value pick of the east end, a Davis Love III course through marsh and pines with water on many holes. It usually costs well under the casino courses.

The course has five rated sets:

• Snapping: 7,023 yards, 73.8 / 134
• Leatherback: 6,531 yards, 71.2 / 129
• Hawksbill: 6,010 yards, 69.2 / 119
• Gopher: 5,551 yards, 66.6 / 115
• Sea Turtle (women): 5,047 yards, 68.6 / 112

Most visiting groups will be happiest on Leatherback or Hawksbill. Rates are not posted online. A GolfLink estimate put the round at about $99 with a cart, and an older directory listed $55 weekday and $65 weekend, which may be out of date. Members get an 8-day booking window; the public window is not published. Call 228-497-5683 or book on the club's site. Our Shell Landing course guide has more.

The Preserve Golf Club, Vancleave

The Preserve is the most polished all-inclusive round on the east side. Jerry Pate built it on protected wetlands and pine savanna just north of I-10, with a conservation focus. It is owned by Palace Casino Resort, but anyone can book.

The rate includes tax, cart, Visage GPS, range balls, water and bag service. The 2026 rate page:

Twilight starts at 2 PM during daylight saving time. A same-day replay is $100 for 18 or $75 for nine, and there is a 48-hour cancellation policy. Palace golf sales (1-800-725-2239 ext. 2460) build one-night stay-and-play packages with slot and food credits; package prices were not published. See the Preserve course guide and our Palace Casino golf package guide.

What closed: Gulf Hills and St. Andrews

Ocean Springs used to have more golf. Two names still appear in old directories:

Gulf Hills Golf Club. The 1927 course on Fort Bayou, the original Jack Daray 18, closed in late October 2019 when funds ran out. Shareholders approved a sale on condition that the buyer keep at least nine holes, and GolfPass describes a redesigned nine-hole executive course from 2020 and a driving range added in 2021. A Facebook page and a Yelp listing updated in October 2026 list hours, but we found no tee sheet, website or rate card, so the nine is unconfirmed. Call ahead, and do not plan it as an 18-hole round. The Gulf Hills Hotel, next door, still operates.

St. Andrews Golf Club. GolfPass lists it as closed for business and Yelp's page is marked closed. No booking site or tee sheet was found, and no closure date was published. Old directories still show a phone number and a $50 green fee; ignore them.

For the full story of the coast's lost courses, see closed golf courses on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Where to stay for Ocean Springs golf

Weekday rates are for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, and Saturday rates for November 21 unless noted, before tax and typical rather than quoted.

• Hampton Inn Biloxi/Ocean Springs is the practical east-side base at I-10 exit 50, with free breakfast. Its two-bed rooms have doubles rather than queens.
• Gulf Hills Hotel is a restored 1927 golf-resort hotel on the bayou. The Love Me Tender Suite sleeps eight ($333 on a November weekday), and a MIDWEEK15 code gave 15% off Sunday to Thursday stays through December 31, 2026. It has a cocktail lounge but no restaurant.
• The Roost is a highly rated boutique hotel in walkable downtown Ocean Springs. Most suites take two guests, so it suits couples more than groups.
• Palace and Golden Nugget are on the east end of the Biloxi strip, handy for both courses, with casino nights. Palace owns The Preserve.

Our where to stay in Biloxi for golf guide compares every base, and Gulfport vs Biloxi vs Ocean Springs weighs the towns.

Adding rounds beyond the east end

From an Ocean Springs base, Sunkist Country Club in north Biloxi is 18 minutes from the Hampton Inn. It is short and friendly, $79 Monday to Thursday or $59 from 2 PM. Fallen Oak is only for Beau Rivage guests, so an Ocean Springs stay does not get you on; you would need to move to Beau Rivage for that night.

After golf in Ocean Springs

Downtown Ocean Springs, on Washington Avenue and Government Street, is a walkable district of galleries, shops and restaurants about 15 minutes east of the casinos. Vestige (a tasting menu, book well ahead) and Desi Vega Steakhouse are the big-dinner choices. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art and Davis Bayou, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, fill a rest day. Avoid the Peter Anderson festival weekend (November 7-8 in 2026) unless you are coming for it, when about 100,000 visitors fill the east end. See where to eat in Biloxi and things to do in Biloxi.

Our Gulf Shores and Biloxi golf trip guide pairs the coast with Alabama.

Plan it on the map

Open the Biloxi golf map to see Shell Landing, The Preserve and every east-end hotel with drive times between them. The $30 plan builds an Ocean Springs trip day by day, with weekday Preserve rates and dinner downtown.