Hardest Public Golf Courses in Mississippi
The hardest public golf course in Mississippi is Grand Bear Golf Course in Saucier, with a slope of 142 and a course rating of 75.0 from the Grizzly tees (7,204 yards). It is a resort course that is open to public play. Some resorts hold the best tee times for hotel guests, so call ahead. Next are Shell Landing (slope 140) and Timberton Golf Club (slope 137).
3 hardest public courses in Mississippi, by slope
Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.
| Rank | Course | City | Access | Slope | Course rating | Tee | Yards | Access checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Bear Golf Course | Saucier | Resort | 142 | 75.0 | Grizzly | 7,204 | Nov 2026 source |
| 2 | Shell Landing | Gautier | Public | 140 | 73.3 | Black - Snapping | 7,024 | Nov 2026 source |
| 3 | Timberton Golf Club | Hattiesburg | Public | 137 | 74.3 | Black | 7,032 | Nov 2026 source |
How this list is built
Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.
Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Mississippi, which ranks every rated course.
Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 77 golf courses in Mississippi have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 6 of them so far.
Resort courses may require a stay or hold tee times for guests. Call ahead before you plan a round.
Mississippi public course FAQ
What is the hardest public golf course in Mississippi?
Of the Mississippi courses Stymie has checked for public access, Grand Bear Golf Course in Saucier has the highest slope rating: 142 from the Grizzly tees, with a course rating of 75.0. Shell Landing is next at 140. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.
Can anyone play Grand Bear Golf Course?
Yes. Grand Bear Golf Course is a resort course that is open to public play. Some resorts hold the best tee times for hotel guests, so call ahead. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against golfn.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.
How is difficulty measured?
By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.
More Mississippi golf
- Hardest golf courses in Mississippi, private clubs included
- Easiest public golf courses in Mississippi
- Every rated course in Mississippi
- All Mississippi golf courses