Mossy Oak Golf Club

When a golf course melds seamlessly with its surroundings, that’s Nature’s Golf. When environmental preservation and forward-thinking course design come together, that’s Nature’s Golf. When you play Old Waverly and Mossy Oak Golf Clubs in West Point, MS, that’s Nature’s Golf. It’s Southern Golf at its finest.

When most golfers think of golf in Mississippi, they are probably thinking of the Gulf Coast and the Biloxi area. But if you want to experience the best golf in the state, you’ll need to head about four hours north, past Jackson and Hattiesburg, to the little town of West Point, MS. That’s where you’ll find Old Waverly and Mossy Oak, two of the best golf course layouts in the state.

The George and Marcia Bryan family has an ownership stake in both courses and, if the Bryans have any say in it, West Point, MS will become one of the country’s most popular golf destinations. There aren’t many places you can go and play two Top 100 golf courses within a driver of each other. West Point, MS isn’t near any large city – Memphis is the closest and it’s 2 ½ hours away – so it provides a great sense of tranquility and solitude. However, it’s also a convenient location - most major southern cities can be reached by car in less than 4 hours, so you can drive over in the morning and get in an afternoon round.

Mossy Oak is one of the newest courses in the State of Mississippi and was built in conjunction with Toxey Haas, founder of the Mossy Oak brand. The course was designed by Gil Hanse, the world’s top minimalist golf course architect. In true Hanse style, not much dirt was moved to build the course; according to Co-Founder George Bryan, the work could have “been done with a mule and a plow.” However, the dirt that was moved helped to create the ponds you see as you make your way around the layout.

Mossy Oak is built on 180 acres of what used to be the Knob Hill Dairy Farm, complete with rolling terrain and significant elevation changes. One feature I found quite helpful was the guideposts that helped steer you toward the fairway on several blind tee shots. Elevated greens with tightly mowed surrounds make for challenging up and downs if you miss the green.

Two of the course’s more memorable holes are Numbers 3 and 4. Number 3 is a very short par 4 that plays 253 from the White Tees. Long ball hitters can have a go at the green; it plays uphill, so you’ll need to carry the ball about 275 yards off the tee. Whether you go for it off the tee or not, the deep, cavernous bunkers on either side of the fairway are an intimidating sight. Number 3 requires a very accurate approach shot; the green is its plateau. Anything not on the green will either drop off the grid behind the hole or find one of the bunkers. It’s a short but demanding hole!

Number 4 is Mossy Oak’s signature par 3. The hole plays 162 yards from the White Tees and is fronted by a massive bunker that sits well below the putting surface. You’ll need to carry the ball onto the green from the tee to avoid the false front. Find one of the two bunkers in front of the green and par just became a lot tougher!

Another challenging par 3 is the 11th hole. From the White Tees, the hole plays 224 yards and is all carry over water. The green is shallow and finding one of the two pot bunkers in the back can make for an intimidating sand shot with the lake looming in the background. Take a par and run!

Both Old Waverly and Mossy Oak offer accommodations. At Mossy Oak, guests stay in spacious cottages and villas directly on the golf course. Four-bedroom “cottages” give way to a large, spacious common area, each equipped with a giant flat-screen TV, tables for take-out dining, and comfortable furniture, as well as all the amenities you’d find at a first-class hotel.

Old Waverly offers several different options for your stay including two and three-bedroom condos with fully equipped kitchens. It’s like being at home, only you’re at a world-class golf facility.

When it comes to dining, guests have several options. All are located on the grounds of Old Waverly. Murphy's is located on the lower level of the Clubhouse and is a great place to eat a casual lunch, watch the big game, play darts, or just relax with friends.

Cameron's is the perfect place to relax and celebrate the end of the day or the beginning of the evening, depending on how you look at it. Cameron’s is reminiscent of a Scottish landowner's library with its rich warmth complemented by a wide selection of fine cigars and wines as well as your favorite libations. In the event your tastes are a little more discerning and you desire something a little more elegant, The Magnolia Room welcomes dinner guests with a panoramic view of Lake Waverly and the golf course.

The English Garden at Old Waverly provides the perfect setting for afternoon tea, an outdoor cocktail party, or a hearty barbecue feast. The highlight of the garden is the original smokehouse, where superb meats are prepared for even the most discriminating of tastes.

Old Waverly and Mossy Oak offer some tremendous packages that allow you to play both courses and experience everything they have to offer.

Nature's Golf - A truly memorable, world-class experience designed to bring golfers closer to nature.

The Mossy Oak Golf Club in West Point, MS is the result of a golf course working in harmony with its natural surroundings. Not only is this incredible layout a work that is quite beholding to the eyes, it’s a delight to all of those who accept the challenge to play it. Mossy Oak sits on what once was an old dairy farm for about 100 years; complete with two cow ponds and a number of hills, which explains the elevation changes. Those two cow ponds are now stocked with Tiger bass; something else to do if the golf thing isn’t working out for you!

Mossy Oak Golf Club sits across the street from its sister course, Old Waverly, one of the classiest clubs in the South you can play. Old Waverly is a private club but allows outside play for Lodge Guests. Accommodations at the clubs create what is arguably the best golf experience in Mississippi.

Located on the Mossy Oak property is the official practice facility of the Mississippi State University men’s and women’s golf teams. The facility is separate from Mossy Oak Golf Club and includes five target greens on the range, short-game training areas with bunkers and a 16,000 square foot putting green cut in the shape of the State of Mississippi. Inside the 6,400-square foot MSU team clubhouse, you’ll find men’s and women’s locker rooms, players’ lounges, coaches’ offices, an indoor putting center complete with a SAM PuttLab training system, as well as exercise and conference rooms. There’s also 2,400-square feet of indoor hitting bays equipped with two Trackman swing and ball flight analysis systems.

The Bryan family partnered with Toxey Haas, founder and CEO of the outdoor lifestyle brand Mossy Oak to create the golf club. To design the course, the two hired Gil Hanse, the world's leading minimalist golf course architect and mastermind behind the 2016 Olympic Course in Rio de Janeiro.

In true minimalist fashion, Hanse didn’t move much dirt in creating Mossy Oak; the truth is, he didn’t need to. In fact the majority of the dirt that was moved was done so to create a 7.5-acre irrigation lake. All of the bunkers you encounter as you make your way around the layout use sand that was taken from local riverbeds. One look at the bunker that fronts the 4th green, and you’ll realize that filling these bunkers took a lot of work!

Hanse has done a phenomenal job of creating a world-class golf experience at Mossy Oak. He has created a course that showcases the local Mississippi Black Prairie surroundings and follows the natural contours of the rolling terrain, all the while preserving the local habitat. A lot of the water used in irrigating Mossy Oak is reclaimed through gravity. Native areas are outside the scope of maintenance and are not irrigated and the fertilizers used are all organic, slow-release. The club is committed to not overwatering.

Depending on your game, Mossy Oak can play anywhere between 7,212 and 5,530 yards; ladies will have an enjoyable round from the Red Tees at 5,089 yards. Choose the yardage that best fists you game, and you’re sure to enjoy yourself.

Memorable Holes

Hanse’s bunkers take center stage on the par 3, 4th hole. From the Blue Tees the hole plays 173 yards; slightly longer when you factor in the fact that it’s uphill. The green is large and features a lot of slope and undulation. The front left bunker sits about 8 ft. below the putting surface making up and down that much tougher. As you look around from the 4th tee box, you get a great panoramic few of the course.

Many players will find favor with the par 4, 10th hole. Although the scorecards states 282 yards from the Blue Tees, it plays closer to 250 yards, making it a true risk/reward opportunity for many golfers. Carry the trees on the right if you want to have a chance of making the green off the tee. You’ll find after playing the hole a few times that the necessary line off the tee is a lot further left than you think. And don’t be fooled by the false front on the green. Better yet, hit something less than driver off the tee, leave a makeable chip shot and walk away with birdie. Water is a lot more prevalent on the back nine and comes into play on no less than five holes. Two water holes immediately come to mind; the monster par 3, 11th and the demanding 18th.

From the Blue tees, Number 11 plays 224 yards, most of which is carry over a lake. However there is a bailout area short and left. There’s a lot of undulation in the green, and the three bunkers left of the green see a lot of play. Walk away with a par (or better) and consider it a success.

Of the two lakes on Number 18, the first one really shouldn’t come into play; it’s less than a 150-yard carry from the Blue Tees. If possible, play down the right side of the fairway to have the best look into the green. Should you leave yourself a shot at the green, you’ll have about 160 yards to a long, angled green protected on the left by a lake and a bunker. The putting surface slopes back to front, so leave yourself below the hole if possible.

Last Word:

Mossy Oak is a course you will never get tired of playing. The Mossy Oak experience is best done walking the course with a caddie; forecaddies are required if you choose to take a cart. Trust me, caddies are well worth the investment at Mossy Oak.

Although many of the tee shots at Mossy Oak are played to wide open fairways, don’t let this lull you into a false sense of security. You still need to be in the proper position in the fairway in order to hit and hold the green. You’ll face a number of blind shots both off the tee and on your approach and several false fronted greens can leave you scratching your head. But what sets Mossy Oak apart from other Mississippi golf courses are the green complexes. The majority of greens are elevated; several require knowledge of where to hit it on the green in order to not have it roll off and past you. All greens putt true and fast with subtle undulations.

Mossy Oak is not exactly a course that you are going to stumble across by accident. The best way to attract golfers to a destination that is off the beaten path is to offer the best golf opportunities money can buy. Old Waverly and Mossy Oak do just that, and although the golf courses are completely opposite in style and feel, they complement each other to no end. This could very well be the answer to putting West Point, MS on the map as a golf destination.

Lodging is now available on property at Mossy Oak. These brand new, luxurious cottages are located on the tenth fairway and offer spectacular panoramic views of the golf course. Each cottage has a spacious common area with a giant flat screen TV, mini fridge, microwave, wet bar area, coffee station and complimentary wireless Internet. Off of the common area are four separately keyed bedrooms, each with two queen beds. Guests have the option of renting either the entire cottage or individual bedrooms. Lodging is also available at Old Waverly. More cottages and a permanent clubhouse are part of the long-range plan at Mossy Oak, in fact construction of the clubhouse has already begun.

Old Waverly and Mossy Oak Golf Club are set in the tranquil Mississippi Black Prairie and are staffed with some of the nicest people you will ever meet, anywhere!