Loving Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi for golf, casinos and great southern barbecue

Everyone thinks of Florida, the Carolinas or California when wondering where to go for some warm-weather golf. But what if you could play golf in the gentle south, stay at a pretty great hotel where there were lots of entertainment options including casino action and shows and do it all for a price you couldn’t refuse?

I just returned from a few days Gulfport and Biloxi and can tell you, firsthand, Mississippi offers an affordable alternative for warm weather golf with casino action rolled into the bargain.

Mississippi is a narrow state running from just south of Memphis to Jackson with most of the courses clustered in the north and south. Both are distinctly different areas: laid back southern charm, catfish and Ole Miss in the north; Gulf beaches and casino action further south.

Maybe Hurricane Katrina still haunts the minds of those who remember the photos of huge floating hotels blown inland on their sides at Gulfport. I didn’t see any of this as the entire waterfront has been rebuilt with new hotels like the Island View Casino Resort, a very user-friendly hotel.

On this trip, I played and stayed in Biloxi and Gulfport and played Grand Bear, Fallen Oak Golf Club, Windance Golf Club, The Oaks and the private Annandale Country Club, venue for the Viking Classic which unfortunately this year was so wet the tournament had to be cancelled.

Of the courses, Fallen Oak, the Oaks and Annandale are most memorable with Windance and Grand Bear a close second.

In Gulfport, the Island View Casino Resort and Windance Country Club have a great golf combo including rooms where views of the Gulf are spectacular, a casino and a round of golf at Windance designed by Mark McCumber, a beauty with some of the slickest greens you’ll ever experience.

Along with all this, yo’all are treated to the utmost in Southern hospitality and some of the best pulled pork and beef barbecue in the country. www.islandviewcasino.com

Or check into the Grand Biloxi Casino, Hotel & Spa with golf at Grand Bear Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course surrounded by the De Soto National Forest. With the hills and great outdoors and timber-beamed clubhouse, it feels more like you are at a ski lodge. www.grandbiloxi.com

High rollers will like Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, especially as they get to play. at Fallen Oak, a spectacular course designed by Tom Fazio only open to guests of the resort. Special perks include caddy service, plush locker rooms, on-course food and a great glass bar overlooking the fairways where the Bloody Mary’s and prime sliders are impossible to resist. The steaks and yes, sushi at BR Prime in the Beau Rivage, are also outstanding. www.fallenoak.com; www.beaurivage.com