WILLIE L. SIMMONS JR.

“A Southern Golf Stroll”
By Willie L. Simmons Jr.

Mississippi is the proud home of courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer, Davis Love III, Mark McCumber, Jerry Pate, Bob Cupp and other distinguished golf architects. Their exceptional courses have been hailed among the finest by golf professionals, instructors, course architects and golf publications.

Golf Mississippi is divided into five regions, based on geography and topography. They are The Hills Region, The Delta Region, The Capital/River Region, The Pines Region and the Coastal Region. All public, semi-private, military, resort and private golf courses as well as lodging and golf packages, are listed within their respective regions. This article is a result of my play in the Capital/River Region.

Above: Dancing Rabbit Golf Club

Mississippi is the third largest gaming destination in North America. The award winning Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is the crown jewel of Pearl River Resort & Casino. Set among the region’s towering pines and stunning oaks, Dancing Rabbit is a shining example of exceptional landscaping and imaginative design. It is a masterpiece from renowned course creators, Tom Fazio, and the great, Jerry Pate.

Legend

According to its website: Built upon the ancestral lands of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is a celebration of their rich culture, as well as their perseverance. The Golf Club commemorates one of the most popular assembly grounds on the ancient Choctaw tribal lands named for its location on the banks of the Big and Little Dancing Rabbit Creeks not many miles distant from the Club House. In the Choctaw language it is BOK CHUKFI AHITHAC, “The creek where rabbits dance.”

It is ironic that in September of 1830 the Tribe was stripped of its dominion over its ancestral land by a treaty forced on them at the site. The old Choctaw nation was removed to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.

A hardy remnant remained. Clustered in small communities the spirit of the Choctaws suffered many dark years on the land that once was theirs. But the spirit was not dead. Gradually tribal members began to regain control of their lives. They recovered some land, including the parcel where the clubhouse sits on the headwaters of Wolf Creek (Neshoba Bok).

With its stunning natural beauty–well kept, spacious, open and gracious–Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is both a world-class resort and a lasting monument to the Choctaw ideal.

Above: The Azales Course layout

Dancing Rabbit Golf Club features two championship golf courses, The Azaleas (1997) and the Oaks (1999). Both stunning courses are 7,000 yard masterpieces carved out of the dramatic valleys, ancient pines and hardwoods that define this ecological wonderland.

Above: The Oaks Course layout

Dancing Rabbit offers all the charm and challenges of a world-class golf destination. It would be hard to imagine a place in America that does it better than Dancing Rabbit Golf Club, affording guests the atmosphere to enjoy a delicious post-round meal at the Clubhouse Grill. A very delicious and tasty steak dinner at the Clubhouse Grill was a pleasure to enjoy following my round at the Oaks Course. I also dined on a delectable five star breakfast prior to playing the Azaleas Course. It satisfied me and provided an abundance of energy for the round.

Above: The Oaks at Dancing Rabbit

Phillip M’s restaurant in the Pearl River Resort Casino provides a delicious variety of dinner options that everyone who visits the region should try. For course ratings: I would give the lodgings at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club five stars. Dancing Rabbit Golf Club has hosted three Southwest Athletic Conference (Historical Black Universities) Golf Championships.

Above: Country Club of Canton (Canton, Mississippi)

Olly Thomson, PGA Professional and Director of Golf at the Country Club of Canton, briefed me on the history of this course. Semi-Private, it opened in 1923, and today offers some of the best golf in Mississippi, complete with its postage stamp size greens, and a picturesque park-like setting. It is located amid 1,000-year-old trees (pines and majestic oaks) and a stunning 22-acre lake. With its famous Southern hospitality, golfers will quickly fall in love with The Country Club of Canton. After playing the course, should you need to lodge overnight, I recommend the Hilton Jackson Hotel, located in Jackson, Mississippi. The superb accommodations will provide a restful stay.

Above: At the 2013 PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farm’s Championship Pro-Am at Annandale Golf Club (L-R) Willie Simmons Jr., Janet Leach, Dan Reardon and Wesley Bolyard.

Having an enviable opportunity, I played in the 2013 PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farm’s Championship Pro-Am at Annandale Golf Club (est. 1981). It is played on a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, located in Madison, Mississippi.

The Pro-Am was sponsored by Trustmark Wealth Management. Excellent hospitality and cuisine were provided during this affair. Participating in the Pro-Am team selection process and also playing in the Pro-Am competition at Annandale Golf Club was first time experiences for me.

As the old saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait.”—I celebrate my 83rd birthday anniversary on August 15, 2013. Pro-Am teams consisted of four amateur golfers and one PGA professional golfer. The 1st place and winning team had a score of 22 under par 50. Our team had a score of 15 under par 57, which, tied for 23rd in a field of 52 teams. So, there you have it. Good thing I had a bountiful breakfast.

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