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Dancing Rabbit Golf Club: Azaleas Course: Golf in Philadelphia, Mississippi

Philadelphia, Mississippi

Part of A Public Course, State by State

Golf Digest's 2025-'26 Best in State ranking for Mississippi places Dancing Rabbit Golf Club: Azaleas fifth, labelled "Public" — a figure the ranking page's own embedded data confirms twice over, with rank: 5, displayedFacilityType: "Public" and private: false all agreeing. The four courses ranked above it — Fallen Oak, Mossy Oak Golf Club, Old Waverly Golf Club and Annandale Golf Club — are all labelled "Private"; Golf Digest's own text on the top-ranked Fallen Oak notes it is "available to guests staying at the Beau Rivage MGM resort in Biloxi," a stay requirement the Azaleas does not carry. The ranking page's own introduction adds a caveat: "Mississippi is not a particularly deep state when it comes to top-level golf, but there are certain clusters of public-access courses that make a visit here worthwhile." The Azaleas sits at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club, part of the Pearl River Resort complex operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, on Mississippi Highway 16. Its postal address reads Philadelphia, Mississippi, but the course itself sits on Choctaw trust land in Neshoba County: the U.S. Census Bureau's geocoder returns no Incorporated Place at all for the course's own coordinates, while the same geocoder returns "Philadelphia city" for a point five miles away in the county seat — confirming the null result is a genuine geographic fact and not a tool failure. The operator's own course page states plainly that the Azaleas is "Available to resort guests, club members, and the general public."

  1. Fifth on Golf Digest's 2025-'26 Mississippi ranking, labelled "Public"; Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate, opened July 1997.

  2. Day two: eighth on the same list, also "Public"; usually closed Tuesdays.

  3. A 26-storey tower about a mile from the first tee. No room count published; the operator's own sites disagree.

  4. "Over 500 rooms and a 90,000 square foot casino floor," per the resort's own site.

  5. 140 rooms, free shuttle to the resort, waterpark and clubhouse; breakfast at the clubhouse.

  6. At Dancing Rabbit Golf Club itself.

  7. At Silver Star Casino; the resort's own marketing calls it the best fine dining in the South.

  8. One of the resort's nine dining venues.

  9. The resort's own "family friendly" waterpark.

Getting there

Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN), in Jackson, Mississippi, is the nearest major commercial airport. It sits 71.3 miles from the Azaleas course by road, per OSRM driving directions — a road-network distance, not a straight-line figure. The course fronts Mississippi Highway 16 directly, at the address Golf Digest gives for it: 13541 Mississippi 16, Philadelphia, MS 39350.

The Azaleas Course

Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate designed both of Dancing Rabbit Golf Club's courses. Golf Digest's own description of the site reads: "Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate collaborated on the design of two golf courses… the Azaleas Course, which opened in 1997, and the Oaks Course, which opened two years later." The club's phone number is (601) 663-0011. The club's own FAQ states only that "many tournaments are played on the Azaleas," without naming one. The rates page, dated to 2026 by its own season labels, lists: Mid Season (June 1 – July 31, 2026) Monday–Thursday $59 (replay $30), Friday–Sunday $69, 9-hole $30 weekdays and $35 weekends; In Season (March 1 – November 30, 2026) Monday–Thursday $89 (replay $45), Friday–Sunday $109 (replay $55); Off Season (December, January, February) $65 every day, with the page's own caveat: "Please note there will be limited club hours, tee times, services and one course available for play on most Off Season days." Discounted rates are also available for active-duty military, junior golfers and casino employees with a gaming badge, and $50 golf specials run during the Choctaw Indian Fair and the Neshoba County Fair — each a reduction from the base rate, not a requirement to reach it. The rates page also notes an aerification schedule, without giving exact dates: "Ask about our aerification schedule for June."

Playing it as the general public

The Azaleas Course's own page describes it directly: "Opened in July 1997, The Azaleas Course at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club has long been celebrated as a premier destination for golf enthusiasts seeking a world-class experience. Available to resort guests, club members, and the general public, this course embodies the perfect combination of natural beauty, meticulous design, and exceptional playability." There is no stay requirement, no casino host and no credit line anywhere on the operator's booking pages. The site's "Book Tee Times," "Book The Oaks" and "Book The Azeleas" buttons all resolve to the same reservations page — there is no separate booking engine and no hidden gate behind any of them. That page states: "For golf availabilty inquiries. Please complete and submit the form below... Reservations will only be guaranteed after speaking with one of our representatives directly." Booking is by that form or by calling (601) 663-0011. The rates page's discount categories — active military, junior golfers, and casino employees with a gaming badge — are each an optional reduction from the counter rate that anyone pays; the page states plainly that these rates are "Paid at the golf shop counter. Not part of the golf package offering." Stay-and-play packages, sold separately by calling 1-866-447-3275, are an alternative on top of the walk-up rate, not a requirement in front of it. The only "required" anywhere on the operator's site is the dress code: "Proper golf attire is required. No Denim is allowed."

Day two: The Oaks

The Oaks, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club's second course, ranks eighth on the same Golf Digest Mississippi list, also labelled "Public." It shares the same public booking terms as the Azaleas: no stay requirement, no host, and the same reservations page and phone number. The two courses do not share a closure day, though. The operator's own FAQ states, in full: "Dancing Rabbit is available for golf 365 days a year, the Azaleas is usually closed on Monday and the Oaks on Tuesday for general maintenance." A visitor planning to play the Oaks on day two should avoid a Tuesday, when it is usually closed for maintenance; the Azaleas carries the same caveat for Monday.

The weekend around the course

Dancing Rabbit sits within the Pearl River Resort complex, run by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, alongside two casino hotels and Geyser Falls Water Theme Park. Golden Moon Hotel & Casino is a 26-storey tower about a mile from the first tee. The operator's own sites disagree on Golden Moon's room count, so this guide publishes none. Silver Star Hotel and Casino has, in the resort's own words, "over 500 rooms and a 90,000 square foot casino floor." Dancing Rabbit Inn has 140 rooms in the golf course's parking lot, with a free shuttle to the resort, waterpark and clubhouse; all rooms are non-smoking and breakfast is available at the clubhouse. "Family friendly" is the resort's own description of Geyser Falls Water Theme Park, not of any hotel on the property. For dining, the Club House Restaurant sits at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club itself; Phillip M's, at Silver Star Casino, is — in the resort's own words about itself — "considered the best fine dining restaurant in the South"; Mama 'n' Em is a third dining option on the property.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book a tee time at the Azaleas, and what are the closure days?
No stay, membership or casino-host relationship is required. The Azaleas Course's own page states it is "Available to resort guests, club members, and the general public." Book through the reservations page — all three "Book Tee Times," "Book The Oaks" and "Book The Azeleas" buttons resolve to it — or by calling (601) 663-0011; reservations are guaranteed only after speaking with a representative directly. The operator's FAQ gives the standing closures in full: "Dancing Rabbit is available for golf 365 days a year, the Azaleas is usually closed on Monday and the Oaks on Tuesday for general maintenance."
What does a round cost?
From the club's own 2026 rates page: Mid Season (June 1 – July 31, 2026) Monday–Thursday $59 (replay $30), Friday–Sunday $69; In Season (March 1 – November 30, 2026) Monday–Thursday $89 (replay $45), Friday–Sunday $109 (replay $55); Off Season (December, January, February) $65 every day, with limited hours and only one course available on most Off Season days. Discounted rates apply for active military, junior golfers and casino employees with a gaming badge; $50 golf specials run during the Choctaw Indian Fair and the Neshoba County Fair.
Where is the Azaleas Course, exactly?
At Dancing Rabbit Golf Club, on Mississippi Highway 16, address 13541 Mississippi 16, Philadelphia, MS 39350, in Neshoba County. The course sits on Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians trust land: the U.S. Census Bureau's geocoder returns no Incorporated Place for its coordinates, though the same geocoder correctly returns "Philadelphia city" for a point in the county seat five miles away. "Philadelphia, Mississippi" is accurate as the postal address, not as the course's municipal jurisdiction.
Which course should I play on day two, and is it open that day?
The Oaks, eighth on the same Golf Digest Mississippi list and also labelled "Public." Check the day of the week before booking: the operator's FAQ states the Oaks "is usually closed on Tuesday and the Azaleas on Monday for general maintenance" — the courses close on different days, so a visitor who plans day two around the Azaleas' Monday closure could still walk into a shut Oaks on a Tuesday.