Mississippi Marvel: Dancing Rabbit’s Azaleas Course Illuminates the Beaten Path

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. - Head Golf Professional Sean Racki simply and accurately depicted the location of Dancing Rabbit Golf Club as, "Off the beaten path."

Depending on which direction you're heading, this Mississippi golf club that has achieved national recognition but is still somewhat shrouded in secrecy can be reached by taking a few roads less traveled.

Traveling southbound on Mississippi Rt. 25 after leaving Starkville, home to Mississippi State University, and eventually turning onto Highway 15 further south to Philadelphia (and we're talking about the city that's home to the Ham Jam Arts Festival and not the Liberty Bell here), there isn't much to see.

The most prevalent landmarks are churches and cow pastures. The real estate is shoddy at best with an abundance of trailers on either side of the road, many accented by multiple rusty, old automobiles in the front yard.

There is even a watering hole/restaurant/live music hall called the Catfish Opry.

Without advanced knowledge, it would be almost impossible to predict the pristine setting that lies in waiting at the conclusion of this backcountry trek.

The modest two-lane highway eventually bends onto a Rt. 16 West, a more modern, multiple lane road, and in the distance stands the Golden Moon and Silver Star hotel and casinos which almost comically appear from the not so crowded landscape.

Just down the road from the dual gambling destinations is the Dancing Rabbit Golf Club at Pearl River Resort, a virtual light at the end of the tunnel.

Azaleas Course in early April

A small but steep hill serves as the entrance to Dancing Rabbit Golf Club and once the ground levels out, you're immediately face-to-face with the club's magnificent, prewar-style clubhouse built with light reddish-orange colored brick and accessed by swinging open a pair of stately, solid oak doors.

The day is perfect with a temperature in the mid-70s approaching the 80s, somewhere between the onset of spring and the beginning of the sweltering summer experienced in this part of the country. The 3,000 or so azaleas that cover the course and provide it with its namesake are in full bloom and immediately grab your attention.

The Tom Fazio/Jerry Pate design which opened for play in 1997 immediately treats its guests to some amazing scenery from the tee box, which continues throughout the round.

The par-72 course which plays around 7,100 yards from the tips is deceivingly long and features a number of elevated tees which sink into sprawling fairways lined with pine trees and sporadically dotted with strategically placed bunkers. The course is well-suited to the existing landscape and didn't require much earth to be removed, pushed around or added during course construction.

"I have worked throughout the United States and traveled to places like England and Scotland and the Azalea Course, the first time I played it, I thought it looked as if the land and terrain were formed so a golf course could be built on it," said Racki who has been with Dancing Rabbit for three years now. "It's the most natural golf course I've ever seen."

The layout is straightforward with generous, landing areas that are inviting for the longer hitter who may sometimes have trouble on more narrow designs. The green complexes are often well-guarded by white sand bunkers and protected by fairly dramatic sloping just off the putting surface. The bent grass greens are big but not overly so.

Racki said this course doesn't demand more out of any one part of a player's game but does require a complete skill set.

"It's fair and is laid out so you'll have to execute all parts of the game," he said. "The course has significant length, it requires you to hit the ball straight off the tee and pin point iron accuracy. It's a true test of the game."

There isn't a hole on the Azaleas Course that you won't enjoy playing but there are a few that were particularly pleasing for a variety of reasons.

The 453-yard, par-4 third begins with an elevated tee shot that sits about 50-75 feet from the green on hole No. 2 and drops down into a dual landing area leaving players with plenty of options.

The eighth hole is rated as one of the toughest on the course and also begins from an elevated tee. The massive fairway is guarded by the largest bunker on the course down the left hand side. This 465-yard, par 4 just might be the most difficult of Azalea's 18 in terms of scoring.

In terms of scenery, the ninth hole is difficult to top. There is a hidden water hazard down the right hand side which should wind up being a backdrop to your second shot to a green surrounded by azaleas, trees and native plants. For pure ambiance and beauty, this hole leads the way.

As a group, the par-3s are a stellar collection. No. 16 is the shortest from the tips at 175 yards while No. 13 stretches to 206 yards as a player hits into a two-tiered, undulating green that is one of the more undulating putting surfaces on the golf course.

The finishing stretch of 15-16-17-18 is varied both in length and topography. No. 17 is a 527-yard, par 5 with a creek meandering down the right hand side to catch wayward tee shots and then slicing into the middle of the fairway to bring a forced carry into play for some players on their second shot.

The eighteenth is a classic finishing hole with water coming into play on the right hand side of the green. Players are actually confronted with an uphill tee shot before the hole dips dramatically toward the clubhouse.

Overall the course is both challenging and spectacular, leaving little doubt as to why it has garnered so much critical acclaim for national publications.

Racki shared the typical reaction of a visitor to the course.

"It always meets or exceeds expectations," he said. "Two things that I hear most often are that people are amazed about the condition of the bent grass greens this far south and they're surprised by the natural terrain and weren't expecting the undulation and the hills."

Awards and Accolades

Most recently the Pearl River Resort which encompasses the two golf course (Oaks and Azaleas) received the Silver Award distinction in Golf Magazine's list of premier resorts.

Dancing Rabbit's Azaleas Course ranked No. 34 in Golf Magazine's list of Top 100 Courses You Can Play, finishing ahead of such layouts as Torrey Pines (South) which will host this year's U.S. Open, Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club, host of an annual PGA Tour event and a duo of ultra-expensive Las Vegas layouts, Wynn Las Vegas and Cascata.

Golf Digest put Azalea among its list of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses and also rated it as the second best course in the state of Mississippi, behind private Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point.

Flattering Comparison

Golf Magazine may have given the Azaleas Course its most noteworthy compliment to date, calling the east central Mississippi course the "Augusta You Can Play" in its 2008 Masters Preview Section.

While they aren't as green or nearly as sacred as the grounds at Augusta National Golf Club, Dancing Rabbit's gem definitely creates a similar atmosphere. The azaleas and pines are plentiful but not as striking and prevalent, the undulation is consistent but not nearly as severe and the clubhouse is grand but not awe inspiring.

But with all that said, just being in the same neighborhood is an accomplishment and it's hard to imagine a place in America that does it better than Dancing Rabbit.

"I've been to Augusta several times, and it's honestly a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Racki. "It (Azaleas Course) wasn't designed to mimic Augusta but it does have some of the characteristics. We're honored just to mentioned in the same breath. I should say, deeply honored that we're even on the radar."

Choctaw Heritage

While the hundreds of acres that make up Dancing Rabbit Golf Club aren't sacred in the same way the grounds at Augusta National Golf Club are, there is a different sort of legacy being honored here.

Translated from Choctaw, the grounds are literally translated "the creek where rabbits dance." The club was built on the ancestral lands of the Mississippi Band of the Choctaw Indians and the course serves as a celebration of their rich culture, as well as their resolve.

It is ironic that in September of 1830 the Tribe was stripped of its dominion over its ancestral land by a treaty forced on them at the site. The old Choctaw nation was removed to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.

The golf club prides itself as a lasting monument to the Choctaw ideal.

The Oaks and other attractions

While the Azaleas Course is the more celebrated course at Dancing Rabbit, The Oaks is no slouch. Opened in June 1999, The Oaks shares the Azaleas' coveted A4 Bentgrass greens and is also opened to the public and resort guests.

Pearl River Resort also features a universe of exciting choices. There are two Vegas style casinos, the Silver Star and Golden Moon that feature hundreds of slot machines, poker tables and other premium gaming options. The Resort has over 1,000 luxurious hotel rooms, 16 restaurants, two buffets, The Geyser Falls Water Theme Park (open in May), 11 lounges and bars and a full-service spa & salon.

If you go

Philadelphia is located in east central Mississippi, about an hour and a half drive from the capital city of Jackson. For out-of-state travelers, Jackson is the closest airport.

The Pearl River Resort is about 350 miles from Atlanta, Ga., 205 miles from Birmingham, Al., 245 miles from New Orleans, La. and 210 miles from Memphis, Tn.

The Resort is now offering a Clubhouse package which includes stay in one of eight luxurious guest rooms with whirlpool bath in the elegant, plantation-style clubhouse, 18 holes of golf, a private golf cart for commuting between the Dancing Rabbit Golf Club and Silver Star Hotel & Casino, use of the practice facility and hot breakfast at the Clubhouse Restaurant.

For more information on Dancing Rabbit Golf Packages call 1-888-DRABBIT ext. 37210 or visit www.dancingrabbitgolf.com.