When people think of Diamond Head, inevitably they think of Hawaii, and rightfully so. This broad, saucer-shaped crater was formed about 300,000 years ago and is visited by over 3,000 people daily. It is Hawaii’s most recognized landmark.
The State of Mississippi also lays claim to a Diamondhead; it’s a city located in an area bordering the Pearl River in Hancock County. Diamondhead is located about 35 miles from Biloxi and 50 miles from New Orleans and is easily accessible from either city. While Diamondhead makes for a nice daytrip from either of these cities, it’s also an area that attracts “snowbirds.” Diamondhead is serious about their golf, as proven by their recently completed 5-year course renovation program. In fact, the entire area would like to become better known to golfers up north as a great Southern alternative for their winter golf getaways.
Although it’s located on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, Diamondhead has some interesting topography, with elevations that rise up to over 100 feet. This makes it the perfect location for a world class golf facility. The Diamondhead Country Club and the Golf Academy of Diamondhead are located in the center of town. The club boasts two 18-hole championship golf courses as well as 10 lighted, state of the art hydra clay tennis courts located down the road at Diamondhead Tennis World. There’s also a marina, 5,400 square feet of meeting and banquet space, a full-service restaurant and the only indoor/outdoor Golf Academy along the MS Gulf Coast run by the state’s top golf instructor.
The menu at Diamondhead Country Club is anything but your typical clubhouse fare. Start with the Crawfish Spring Roll appetizers, loaded with crawfish, trinity cabbage and pepper jack cheese. It’s a savory combination of flavors. From there, choose an entrée from a wide variety of fresh fish and steaks available with different toppings such as Dianne, Amandine or Marsala. A number of seafood platters are also available: shrimp, catfish or fried oysters with French fries and hushpuppies. Or choose from a number of Diner Favorites such as Paneed Veal or Chicken. In the mood for Italian? Try their Shrimp and Scallop Scampi, Parma Rosa Fettuccine or Veal Parmesan. All of these dishes are prepared with the freshest of ingredients and made to order in their kitchen.
The Pine Course was the first course built and opened for play in 1971. The course was designed by Earl Stone and measures 6,769 yards from the longest tees with a course rating of 73.4 and a slope rating of 134. Four sets of tees make the Pines course playable for golfers of all skill levels. The Pine course layout is pretty much a figure eight pattern. Both nines move in a clockwise circle and no two holes play parallel to each other, giving you the feeling the course is at your beck and call. Pine will test your shot shaping ability, requiring you to move the ball both right to left and left to right. Depending on where your tee shot lands, the heavily wooded area may require you to keep the ball under a
Another notable par 4 is number 12, a short par 4 (292 White tees) that is best played with a tee shot down the left side. This hole is all about pin placement. A front pin is going to require a very accurate approach; it’s very narrow and protected by bunkers on either side. A back right pin is tricky too because of all the slope in the green. As you walk off the green, look back towards the tee and take in the Bay of St. Louis in the background.
The second course to be built at Diamondhead Country Club was the Cardinal Course which opened for play in 1979. The course was designed by John LaFoy and plays 6,729 yards from the longest (Blue) tees with a course rating a 73.1 and has a slope of 131. Most golfers will find that the White tees (6,128/71.0/128) are a challenging test. For ladies, the Red Tees (4,950/69.2/118) will prove to be a sturdy test. Five sets of tees provide a comfortable length for golfers of all skill levels.
For me, the most memorable hole on either course is the par 4, 12th on the Cardinal Course. It’s a fairly short (330 yards from the White tees) par 4 with a slight dogleg right. From the tees, the creek that crosses the fairway looks innocent enough and easy to carry, however if I were naming holes, this one would be called “It Ain’t a Creek!” It’s actually a lake that requires a carry of about 300 yards. Hit less than driver off the tee, short of the lake, and you’ll have a nice, easy approach shot that plays slightly uphill.
Memberships to Diamondhead Country Club are available to both residents and non-residents. There are several membership classifications including Individual Golf, Family Golf, Associate Individual Golf and Corporate Golf memberships. Residents can choose to use their own, private cart or pay a cart fee each round. For more information on becoming a Diamondhead Country Club golf member, call (228) 255-3910.