This winter we visited three wonderful golf destinations on the Gulf of Mexico. Mobile, Alabama, Biloxi, Mississippi and Lake Charles, Louisiana all offer great golf at affordable prices. Fresh seafood and off the course activities were a plus, as well.
Southern Alabama/Mobile Bay
Southern Alabama and the Mobile Bay area is one of my favorite travel destinations. The historic Battle House Hotel in downtown Mobile is the perfect place to stay when you visit Mobile.
The Battle House was originally built in the early 1800’s and Andrew Jackson made this his home, while fighting the British. It has been remodeled several times over the years. Today the Battle House is an elegant southern belle wearing her years well and exuding her charms with the flavor of a more gentile era. 
Magnolia Grove is one of the stops on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Crossings and The Falls courses are both 18-hole championship caliber. The short course is a blast to play and just right for an emergency nine, or to enjoy with the whole family.
During your stay in Mobile we recommend a visit to Wintzell’s Oyster House. It is one of the local favorites for excellent seafood recipes and, of course, oysters on the half shell.
While Mobile sits on the northwestern edge of Mobile Bay, the Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa is on the eastern shore of the bay in Point Clear, Alabama.
Point Clear was a strategic Confederate fort on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay during the Civil War. To honor its heritage the hotel staff fire a canon shot every afternoon as a salute to its military history.
The hotel sits on the beach and early evening strolls are made perfect with a stunning sunset over Mobile Bay.
The Lakewood Club at the Grand Hotel is another of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail facilities. They have two 18-hole, Perry Maxwell designed championship courses, The Dogwood and the Azalea. The Dogwood Course will host the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in September.
Watch this video with the Director of Golf at the Lakewood Club, Niall Fraser. He has been involved with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, since the very beginning and was involved in the construction. http://back9report.com/robert-trent-jones-golf-trail-with-niall-fraser/
Biloxi
The Gulf Hills Hotel and Conference Center in Biloxi, Mississippi, offers another step back in time and still adheres to strict adherence of southern hospitality.
Gulf Hills first opened during prohibition and had an interesting beginning. The hotel was built in 1927 by a development company from Chicago and was funded by mob money to be a hideout for the infamous Al Capone. It also helped that the hotel’s back door was on a convenient waterway from the Gulf, which made it easy to transfer illegal hooch from boats onto nearby railroad cars for shipment north.
In the 1950’s Elvis Presley became enamored with the hotel and would spend several weeks every summer here. In fact, one of the suites is named in his honor.
Speaking of the suites, they are spacious and comfortable, more like an apartment, than a hotel room.
The Gulf Hills Hotel sits adjacent to the Gulf Hills Golf Course and makes for the perfect buddies’ golf trips, or girl’s golf getaways. The course was recently purchased and renovated, with an April first opening date scheduled.
If you want a little night life with your golf, Biloxi is home to ten casinos that provide every type of wagering possible, plus big name entertainment.
Biloxi is also loaded with great golf and Gulf Hills Hotel can arrange golf packages to Grand Bear, Shell Landing and The Preserve to name just a few of the ten courses near Biloxi. Fallen Oak is operated by the Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino and annually hosts the PGA TOUR Champions for the Rapsican Systems Classic in March.
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana sits in the extreme southwestern corner of the state and is home to two large casinos, the Golden Nugget and the L’Auberge. The Contraband Bayou Golf Course was designed by Tom Fazio and is operated by the L’Auberge. 
The Country Club at the Golden Nugget opened six years ago and will be hosting the Korn Ferry Tour’s Lake Charles Championship later this month. The course was over-seeded this winter with rye grass and we found it to be lush and in perfect condition.
While in Lake Charles we chatted with the Country Club at the Golden Nugget’s Director of Golf, John Hurt, as well as, Steve Niemann the Tournament Director for the Lake Charles Championship.
They told us more about the course and that the entire community is excited to have the Korn Ferry Tour visit Lake Charles.
In addition to the two courses at the Golden Nugget and L’Auberge, Gray Plantation, Frasch Park, Mallard Cove and the National Golf Club of Louisiana are nearby to offer additional opportunities to enjoy a round of golf during your stay in Lake Charles.
The Gulf Coast suffered through violent hurricanes and an unfortunate oil disaster, but has rebounded and is better than ever. It has maintained its sense of history, but revels in the modern day needs of every travel enthusiast.
For golfers it is an extremely enjoyable area with an abundance and variety of courses, plus the quality and quantity of top-shelf accommodations available make it a must-visit destination.
Next time you are planning a golf trip, consider the Gulf Coast in Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana.
For more information visit: https://rtjgolf.com/, https://www.gulfcoast.org/, https://www.visitlakecharles.org/
