Old Waverly Golf Club (West Point, MS on 06/16/18)

After our round at Mossy Oak we made the two minute drive back to Old Waverly, where we stayed the night before. The condo we stayed in was located on the 10th hole, so it was pretty convenient to everything at the resort!

While Mossy Oak is a newer addition to the Mississippi golf scene, Old Waverly has been at the forefront for 30 years. During those years it has consistently showed up on the list of top courses in the state. The course’s claim to fame is that it hosted the 1999 US Women’s Open, so it has a fine pedigree. It was designed by Jerry Pate and Bob Cupp, and I’ve found that you really cannot go wrong when Bob Cupp is involved!

We got our boxed lunch orders and darted to the 1st tee. And on the 1st tee, you’ll see that Old Waverly isn’t going to be anything like Mossy Oak! While the setting at Mossy Oak is open, Old Waverly oozes of Southern charm. Straight ahead from the 1st tee you see an inviting, tree-lined hole with a lake up near the green. Off to the right is the dramatic 18th hole and behind you is the stately clubhouse. That was quite a bit to take in while trying to scarf down my chicken tenders!

To me, Old Waverly was one of those courses that got better as the round went along. Besides the 1st, which looked great from almost every angle, the opening holes aren’t anything too exciting. They are fine to play, but unless you have a photographic memory you won’t remember them after your trip.

However, beginning on the 6th hole the course started to draw me in with its looks! The 6th is the shortest par-4 on the course, playing only 331 yards. It doglegs right and the fairway runs out so you’ll just want to get a layup club into the short grass. What makes the hole so beautiful is a small creek that cuts across the front of the green. The approach needs to carry that creek, a stone wall and a bunker to find the surface. Maybe it was the sunlight at the time, but the 6th had such a great look when my group played it, partly because of some fresh, red mulch!

The 7th also has some visual flair! It is a 180 yard par-3 that plays uphill about half a club. The green is framed by trees and you basically fire your tee shot up that same creek, that looked so good on the previous hole. There are some small waterfall features and a bridge hidden in the tall grass.

The 9th hole heads towards the eye-catching clubhouse and much of the back nine has a good look because of all the water in play. The 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, and 18th circle around a lake while the 14th and 15th feature water hazards of their own. Throw in some sand and that red mulch and Old Waverly was easy on the eyes!

From a scoring perspective, I found Old Waverly fairly player friendly if you could manage your misses. I know I hit my share of ugly shots and somehow didn’t lose a ball until the 18th. We played the blue tees which are 71.8/139/6496. I chopped it around the front nine without much problem and hit some timely straight shots on the back, which helped immensely.

The back nine is the most interesting nine and would make for some good tournament golf! The back is highlighted by the lake holes and many different scores are in play. There are probably five holes where a two or three shot swing could take place. Typically there was just trouble on one side so even someone who is not playing well could scramble around if needed to stay in contention. Lots of ways to make a score here!

After getting a taste of the lake when playing the 10th through the 12th, you head back by the lake to play the final two holes. The 17th is a 181 yard par-3 with a green complex that creeps out into the lake and the 18th is the #1 handicap. The 18th is 385 yards of terror for a fade player! The hole doglegs left along the edge of the lake so two draws are the preferred shots. You can find a golf ball out to the right but some bunkers are waiting to gobble up the fan out that way. Even if you hit the fairway the water gets into your head on the approach, even though it really shouldn’t come into play with a decent strike. It is a fun hole to finish on, that is for sure!

Conditions at Old Waverly were very nice, just like what we found at Mossy Oak. I’d say the greens here were a touch quicker and again all I had to do was get the ball started on line. The fairways were cut short and the ball sat up in the rough for the most part. Most everything was on the firmer side. The only oddity regarding the maintenance were some edges around the bunkers that appear to have been hit too hard with the mower. I know nothing about maintaining a course but I’m guessing all the undulation around the edges of a bunker can make it tough to judge just how short is too short. It looked like someone had a bad day with the mower, however that didn’t impact play.

In case you couldn’t tell, I ended up enjoying Old Waverly a ton! Full disclosure, I hit more good shots here than I did at Mossy Oak so that could have something to do with me liking it more. Or, maybe it was the twilight green fee and not having to take a forecaddie. I’m sure all those things influenced my serotonin levels during the afternoon round at Old Waverly! Like usual though, you’ll have to play both courses yourself to see which one you like better.

#1 (339 yard par 4):