COURSE REVIEW

Mississippi's Dancing Rabbit a lucky charm for golfers

By Jason Scott,
Senior Writer

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (May 7, 2004) -- You've probably heard about 36-hole Dancing Rabbit Golf Club by now.

It has gained national fame among golf circles. Golf Magazine ranks the Azaleas course at Dancing Rabbit among the nation's top 100 public courses and Golf Digest gives both the Azaleas and the Oaks 4 ½ stars.

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But there are still a number of golfers sold on the idea that there couldn't be a world-class golf resort in the middle of nowhere Mississippi. Well, if you're smart, book your next ticket to the state capital of Jackson and drive 1 ½ hours northwest to the real capital of Mississippi golf. It will be a trip you'll never forget.

Dancing Rabbit is just one of the many entertainment options of Pearl River Resort, a two-casino mega-resort on the land of the Mississippi Band of the Choctaw Indians. The Indians are a federally recognized, self-governing tribe of 8,300 members living on or near the reservation.

Since the opening of the Azaleas in July 1997 and the Oaks in June 1999, the two Jerry Pate/Tom Fazio designs have taken off in stature. The courses got their name from the treaty that was signed in 1830 between the U.S. Government and the Choctaw Nation.

The treaty was named for the two creeks chosen as the treaty ground. Bok Chukfi Aahitha means "the creek where rabbits dance" in the Choctaw language.

The treaty forced the tribe to give up the last of their original homeland, some 20 millions acres, but allowed them to stay in Noxubee County.

It took more than 160 years, but luckily for golfers, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club became a reality, not something of myth or Indian lore.

The Azaleas

Why does the Azaleas get the most recognition? Simple. The 7,128-yard course walks a fine line toward greatness.

It's one of the most tame Fazio courses you'll ever play, considering how difficult he builds his green complexes. The elevation changes are subtle, yet constant. The greens are big, but not so overbearing that they offer up four-putts. The trees are omnipresent, yet out of play. There are no virtually no forced carries off the tee, yet a handful of streams demand precision on the second shot.

It has an elegance and style that some courses try to manufacture with bulldozers but can't. The reddish soil adds a splash of color to the green fairways and landscaped flowerbeds and waterfalls.

The Oaks

Now here's the interesting part. Most golfers swear that the Azaleas is toughest course on the property, yet the Oaks' 136 slope rating from the blues blows the Azaleas' 130 out of the water.

The 7,076-yard Oaks has a similar feel to the Azaleas - the grand white birch trees, the forgiving fairways - but it will probably gobble up more balls. The second shot on the 536-yard fourth and the tee ball of the 446-yard seventh are two of the scariest shots at Dancing Rabbit. But they are offset by two drivable holes, the 327-yard eighth and the 322-yard 10th.

Where to Stay

It doesn't really matter where you stay. Both the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino and the Silver Star Hotel & Casino are right across the street from one another and connected by a enclosed moving sidewalk.

The Golden Moon offers 571 rooms, including 112 suites and 32 VIP suites, spread among 28 floors. The 496-room Silver Star, which boasts 84 suites, is the cornerstone of the resort. It has bigger meeting facilities (30,000 square feet to 11,600 square feet), and more slot machines (3,000 to 1,7000) and table games (75 to 53).

Both offer spas - the Silver Star caters to Oriental, Swedish and therapeutic massages - and indoor pools and workout centers.

But for golfers, the best experience will be staying in one of the cozy suites located on the second floor above the pro shop in Dancing Rabbit's plantation-style clubhouse.

The rooms are small, but each has a verandah overlooking the course. There's also an upstairs lounge with a TV, where a group of golfers can gather and collect their post-round winnings (or losses). Shuttles can take players to the nearby casinos for dinner.

Just downstairs at a piano in the lobby, John Daly has been known to show up unannounced and start jammin' his favorite country western tunes.

Off the Course

Dancing Rabbit Golf Club One Choctaw Trail Philadelphia, MS 39350 (888) 372-2248 or (601) 663-0011 dancingrabbitgolf.com Pearl River Resort P.O. Box 6048 Highway 16 West Choctaw, MS 39350 (601) 663-0233 pearlriverresort.com

Gambling is the most popular after-golf activity but certainly not the only one. Just don't stay up too late sitting at the blackjack tables. You might miss your tee time the next morning. Or worse yet, lose next month's rent check.

With all the money gamblers have dropped into the casinos within the last five years, Pearl River has grown at an exponential rate.

Nightly shows bring in the country's best musicians, magicians and dancers.

If you're not a golfer or you've brought the family, the Geyser Falls is one of the most modern water parks in the world. Covering 15 acres, it features 12 major waterslides, including a 6-story freefall speed slide, a wave pool, a continuous river and Backsplash, a unique waterslide. Clearwater Key looks more like Florida with its eight acres of white sand beaches. There's a reason the park looks like a Disney World transplant. The designer company, Utah's Michael Lee Design, also built Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Epcot Center.

The Lake Pushmataha Recreational Complex, located just west of the water park, is in the developmental stages with plans for another 250-room hotel, an 180,000 square-foot-fitness center, and a 10,000-seat amphitheater. Down the road, another golf course and RV park could be included.

Where to Eat

Although the Silver Star probably has the headline restaurant, Phillip M' s, the Golden Moon's Eclipse Grill serves up great steak and seafood. Ventana's Mexican menu is Silver Star's newest hotspot. The Galaxy Restaurant might have the best seat in the house, since it's located atop the "Moon" in the Golden Moon's highest floor. At dinner, the Star-tacular light show in front of the casino splashes lights from laser beams and 25-foot flames around the hotels.

Between the two hotels, there are 11 restaurants and 10 lounges.

The Verdict

I rarely dump such praise on a resort, but Dancing Rabbit is one of the best 36-hole complexes in the country. It has it all - nice accommodations, good food, great nightlife and most importantly, memorable, yet playable golf. And because it's in Mississippi, the cost is half the price of most comparable big-name resorts in North and South Carolina and Florida.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.