Grand Bear Golf Club Review

Kathy and I are in Gulfport, Mississippi. While the rest of the U.S. is feeling the effects of the cold arctic air, we are on our continuous journey of chasing 70 degrees. However, we are making a quick stop to see our friends and play a round of golf on our way to Texas. One of the many things we enjoy about this RV lifestyle, is the ability to meet up with dear friends we don’t see on a regular basis.

George and Pris fall into that category.

George and Pris were our neighbors when we still owned our sticks-n-bricks in Pensacola, FL. Actually, they were the best neighbors EVER! Whenever we hit the road, they were the ones who made sure things were going OK with our home. They kept the lights on, collected our mail, and made sure the lawn was maintained. Basically, they ensured our home looked occupied whenever we were away.

They have since moved to Gulfport, MS, which is closer to their family. So a stop in Gulfport along our route to south Texas was a no-brainer. During an afternoon playing video golf with us, George kept telling me that we need to play Grand Bear Golf Club while in the area. He told me that Grand Bear is a great course that was deep in the woods and you feel like you left the city miles behind.

Well of course I made a tee time for us before we were done playing our first round of video golf, and the next day we were standing in the parking lot at Grand Bear.

It was a cool, sunny day with very low wind. Perfect for a great round of golf. We were very excited as we entered Grand Bear club house. The giant log cabin propelled us into the deep woods. It looked like a great place to hang out after a round of golf and have a beer with some friends. A wide open space with giant windows.

As you walk down the hallway to the golf counter, the walls are lined with design sketches of the course holes by Jack Nicklaus. We commented on both the beauty and design of the art. These sketches reminded us that golf course architecture is an art that balances the natural landscape with the strategic challenges of the game.

We were greeted at the Pro Shop by Whitney. She was very pleasant and made our check-in smooth. She was full of information regarding the layout of the course and where to meet the starter. We couldn’t help but notice how neatly displayed all the golf necessities were.

Heck – we haven’t stepped onto the track and we are already very impressed with Grand Bear. We paid $60.00 dollars to play golf with a cart and complimentary balls on the range.

While loading our clubs from our car, the starter, Seth, met us at our car and told us he would be looking for us after we were done in the clubhouse to take us to the first hole. He also informed us we would be able to get on the course early if we wanted since there was a 20-minute gap between our tee time and the one before us. We took him up on his offer – and off we went.

When Kathy and I finished enjoying the beautiful clubhouse we made our way to the driving range to hit a few balls. Did I mention they were included? Seth met us there, and took us to the first tee.

From the very first tee we could see this was an awesome course. Special. From tee to green, Grand Bear is a well-cared for, beautiful, golf course. And on top of all this beauty, the course layout was amazing. I can only imagine how much better this course would be in the middle of the golf season.

The more we played the deeper we disappeared into nowhere. Grand Bear has done an impressive job of incorporating the woods, wildlife sanctuary, and bee-pollinating areas into a multifunctional landscape. There was nothing around except nature and golf. We loved it.

George was right….this is a great course. 

There were bathroom houses on both sides of the course. And Linzey, the beverage cart girl, made her way around the course plenty of times to make sure we had everything we needed. 

I know the words I have used are: impressed, awesome, great, and love without even telling you about the tee boxes, fairways, traps, water, or greens, but simply said….

They all were in great shape.

As I stated earlier – the course layout is excellent. It has a great variety of holes, and we both found ourselves using every club in our bag. I must admit there were a lot of strategic and heroic shots to be played on this course.

And it is what I would expect from a private course – yet Grand Bear is a public course.

Based on our golf scorecard, we give Grand Bear Golf Club a Birdie.

Kathy and I can’t wait to get back out and play Grand Bear again. With plenty of tee box choices, the course is set up for every skill level. Grand Bear will challenge any pro, yet it uses the course layout to change the course enough that it will not overwhelm the beginner.

If you are going to play golf in the Gulfport area, don’t put your money on any other counter before you play Grand Bear Golf Club. You will love every hole.

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By: Marc Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course:  Grand Bear Golf Club

Type: Public/Resort

Date Played: 18 February 2025

HOLE	PAR	SCORE	COMMENTS
1 – Tee Time Availability	4	4	We had no problems getting the tee time we requested.
2 – Cost of Green Fees	4	4	Comparable to other courses in the area.
3 – Condition of Tee Boxes	4	4	Good condition and well marked.
4 – Condition of Fairways	5	4	Wide and well-manicured, dormant Bermuda turfgrass which provided tighter lies and faster conditions for our fairway drives. There were no roads or homes or anything else along the fairways to distract us from our round.
5 – Condition of Greens	4	4	Putting was a challenge with the speed of the greens, but rolled true with no bumps or spike marks.
6 – Length of Course	5	4	7204 yards from the “Grizzly Bear” tees/tips; 4802 yards from the “Teddy Bear” tees/forward.
7 – Hazards	4	4	Bunkers in fairways and protecting some holes. Most bunkers aren’t horribly steep and all are well groomed. Cypress wetland areas do come into play from time to time
8 – Starter/Marshal	3	2	Seth was friendly and offered us insight on tricks of the track.
9 – High Handicap Friendly	3	3	Mid-and high-handicappers stand a fighting chance with five sets of tees to choose from.
OUT	36	33
10 – Practice Area	5	4	Short game practice area, as well as putting and driving range with complimentary range balls.
11 – Locker Rooms	3	3	Both men’s and women’s locker rooms, that are spacious and clean.
12 – Pro Shop	4	4	Has a fully equipped golf shop. Everything you would need to play a round of golf.
13 – Location	4	4	Not as close to the touristy coast as others, but easy to find. Once you arrive at the road that takes you to Grand Bear you are treated with a 6-mile winding road through the Desoto National Forest.
14 – Rental Equipment	4	4	The golf carts were clean and had GPS. You can rent clubs as well.
15 – Food Cart	4	3	Linzey was wonderful. She made several stops to make sure we had snacks and drinks during our round.
16 – Restaurant/Club House	4	4	Gorgeous clubhouse that is a luxurious log cabin. The clubhouse features a full bar, and grill with patio seating overlooking the 18th green.
17 – Parking	3	3	Spacious parking area.
18 – Customer Service	5	4	OUTSTANDING! From our first encounter, we felt welcomed. The entire staff helped to make our golf experience at Grand Bear a memorable one.
IN	36	33
TOTAL	72	66	PLAYER: Marc F.  ATTESTED BY: Kathy F.