Hickory Hill at Hickory Hill Country Club

Hickory Hill Country Club sits in Gautier, a small city on Mississippi's Gulf Coast between Pascagoula and Ocean Springs. Designed by Earl Stone and opened in the mid-1960s, the course occupies rolling terrain characteristic of the coastal plain region, where modest elevation changes and stands of native pine and hardwood trees shape the playing corridors. Stone, a regional architect active across the Gulf South during this period, routed the layout to work with the natural land forms rather than impose dramatic earthwork on the property.

The course reflects the practical design sensibilities common to many Southern country clubs of its era: tree-lined fairways that reward accuracy off the tee, small to moderately sized greens with subtle contours, and strategic bunkering that protects approach angles without overwhelming the average member's game. Water features appear on several holes, typical of low-lying coastal Mississippi sites where drainage and natural wetlands influence routing decisions. The layout provides a straightforward test of golf that emphasizes course management and consistent ball-striking over length.

Hickory Hill serves as the social and recreational center for Gautier's golfing community, maintaining the traditional country club model of member play, family activities, and local tournament hosting. The club has weathered multiple Gulf Coast hurricanes over the decades, requiring periodic restoration work to the course and facilities. It remains a fixture in the region's modest network of private clubs, offering members a familiar parkland-style layout shaped by both Stone's original design intent and the realities of coastal Mississippi's climate and landscape.