Northern Mississippi |
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Accommodations: |
Whispering Woods Hotel |
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Location: |
Olive Branch. Down in the land of cotton, great BBQ and Elvis, you will find some great golf courses. This area of Southwestern Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, so rich in history, features tracks designed by Donald Ross, Ellis Maples, Chic Adams, Hubert Green, Hale Irwin, George Cobb, D.A. Weibring, Clyde Johnston, Don Cottle, Jr., and a whole lot of great local talent. Whispering Woods Hotel was formerly called “Holiday Inn University” during the time period when the company was headquartered in the area. Holiday Inn used to send all their general managers and chefs for training here. It now is a very comfortable hotel and conference center set in the center of 386 beautifully wooded acres and features 181 large sleeping rooms and a dining room. Other activities on the premises are a health club, swimming, fishing, jogging trails, basketball, volleyball and even horseshoes and with the Links of Whispering Woods located next door, how can you go wrong? Cost includes green fees, carts and taxes. |
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Courses: |
The Links at Whispering Woods Originally designed by Clay Harrington in 1979, PGA Tour  ing
Professional D.A. Weibring redesigned this track in 1998. And what a
great job he did! He took a fairly uninspired course and improved the
greens, created large gaping sand traps and improved the general
condition of the layout. With eight lakes, the water hazards come into
play on 10 holes. A huge challenge is the number 1 handicap hole, #7.
This 580-yard, par 5 can be reached in two with a huge drive and fairway
wood into a green protected by a lake on the right. D.A. can reach, but
I sure as heck couldn’t. Don’t leak your approach or you’ll hear splash.Plantation Golf Club Built in 1991 
and designed by William Leather, this course is predominately flat with
gentle slopes and extensive mounding. Well-placed berms and 35 acres of
water framing many of the holes make this course as much as a delight to
look at as to play. The signature hole is #9, a 148-yard par 3 that
requires a short tee shot over a small pond with a mushroom fountain to
a gently undulating green with a backdrop of azaleas. The finishing hole
is 437-yard par 4 featuring a dogleg left fairway with a pond sitting to
the left of the well-bunkered green. Reward yourself or drown your
sorrow with a beverage in the clubhouse.Cherokee Valley Golf Club This housing development club features gently rolling hills and dramatic elevat  ion
changes. Built in 1996 and designed by Don Cottle, Jr., the course
offers tree-lined fairways with generous landing areas, but the eleven
lakes come into play on seven holes. The signature hole is #7, a
155-yard par 3 that requires a tee shot over water to a large contoured
green surrounded by mature trees. A large, scalloped bunker in front of
the green adds visual depth. PGA Touring Professional John Daly holds
the course record of 62. Just try to beat it.
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Prices: |
Five Rounds
& Five Nights Starting at: $695.00 |
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hardwood trees and natural beauty, this course is rated one of the Top
10 Best Mississippi courses. This track plays tougher than it looks.
There is a large ditch that runs through the entire course and if you
don’t calculate your distance correctly, you could visit it many times
throughout your round. The fairways are narrow, and the greens are fast.
There are ponds that come into play on eight holes. The houses lining
this course are absolutely huge, but unfortunately they come with white
stakes and the dreaded OB penalty can kill a good round. The most scenic
hole is #18, a 383-yard par 4, which has out-of-bounds stakes lining
both sides of the fairway. The green has a two-tiered, elevated putting
surface.
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design is very worth the drive. With a variety of terrain, you will find
rolling hills, wooded valleys, steep cliffs, creeks and lakes. The
awards keep coming for this course. In 1995, it received the Top 5
Ranking in “New Places to Play in the Nation”, in 1996, it was voted 2nd
in the state and it currently rated 4 Stars by Golf Digest. The greens
are good-sized and undulating and the water hazards in the form of
lakes, ponds and streams come into play on eight holes. Wait until you
come to #5 and you will wonder will I ever make it to the green. It
measures 614 yards and plays to a par 5 and may be the longest hole in
the state. It features a dogleg right fairway and a stream protects the
front of the green, which is framed by trees.
