Grand Bear Golf Club near Biloxi, Miss.

Grand Bear golf course is one of the star attractions in Biloxi-area golf. It may not have the novelty of the Mississippi Gulf Coast's two glitzy new courses, Fallen Oak and The Preserve, or the history of Great Southern, but it will always be a favorite of regular golfers here.

A lovely, wooded half-hour drive from the casinos and their crowds, Grand Bear is bordered by the DeSoto National Forest, so only the deer, turkey and occasional wild pig are there to laugh at your chili-dips. Instead of condos and homes, you get cameo appearances by the dark, flowing Biloxi River. The Jack Nicklaus layout rolls and dips through pine and hardwood, with swales, hollows and has more elevation change than usual for this part of the world. It's an idyllic setting, with excellent movement. The fairways are tree-lined and wide, showing off one of Nicklaus' favorite design themes: multiple routes to the green.