Shell Landing Golf Course

Review & Rating of Shell Landing Golf Course Gautier, MS

Designed by Davis Love III, Shell Landing Golf Club leverages 120 acres of diverse topology and is currently ranked as one of the top five courses in Mississippi as well as rated 4 stars by Golf Digest.  From our perspective, Shell Landing can by characterized by heavily contoured greens, big sweeping bunkers, natural areas and marshland, superb conditions, tree lined fairways, and several excellent and fun holes.  If you want to score well here you need to pick the right set of tee boxes, play strategically (take some risks or play conservative and lay up), and deploy some precise approach shots to the greens.  Once you're on the green carefully study and manage the speed and breaks to avoid three putts.    

Over the years, Shell Landing Golf Club has won several awards and accolades including: listed as #6 in Golf Digest's list of the Best Golf Courses in Mississippi and added to their list of the Best New Courses in 2002; and Shell Landing was named the #5 Best New Upscale Public Course in America and the only one in the top 5 located in the South.

Some of our favorite Shell Landing Golf Club holes included:

• #1 a 413 yard par 4  with an easy carry over a natural area, a sharp dog leg left around four bunkers, and a challenging approach to a green with a natural area across the front and a pond on the left side
• #3 which is a fun 555 yard par 5 with a wide landing zone off the tee box with 2 right side bunkers and a fairway that takes a slight right past  a huge left side bunker and heads to a green with a pond in the front and 4 big backside bunkers
• #6 is a bear from the tips – a 412 yard par 4 with a long carry over a marsh to a landing zone then  left followed by a shot past 3 fairway bunkers to a back to front sloping green with left and right bunkers
• #17 and #18 are fantastic finishing holes – a 193 yard par three that’s all carry over a marsh and creek to a green with 3 back bunkers and 18 is a 439 yard par 4 that dog legs right between big left and right side bunkers leading to a raised green with a left side bunker

The fairways at Shell Landing Golf Club range from tight to wide and forgiving if you can avoid the fairway bunkers strategically placed in your landing zone.   Either dense forest, ponds, or marshland border all of the fairways – miss the fairway and the thick playable first cut and you’re lost.  When we played the fairways were in near perfect condition and very scenic with trees, red bark, pine cones and pine needles, and a variety of native fauna lining both sides. It’s peaceful, serene, and beautiful.

The green complexes are challenging with a combination of bunkers, marshland, or ponds guarding them – putting a premium on your approach shots!   They were in perfect condition, ran true and around a speed of 9 or 10. The greens were soft and held the ball well.  The challenge is being able to read and manage the slope, contour, ridges, spines, and slope.

The 65 bunkers were also in perfect condition with soft, fluffy, and thick sand that is a joy to hit out of.  The bunkers range from some small pot sized bunkers to some huge monsters. There are also a couple long waste bunkers you’ll need to avoid.

Bottom line – a great layout, challenging but fair, superb conditions, and a joy to play.

Read more about the fantastic courses and stay and play options we enjoyed on our Mississippi Golf Vacation