MALLARD POINTE CONTINUES TO IMPROVE

The facility is the newest member of the Mississippi Golf Trail

Mallard Pointe Golf Course and Villas(Sardis,Miss.) has had to overcome a lot since re-opening in June 2022.

Now open a year later,the fun and popular facility is getting better and better on a weekly basis and is the newest member of the MISSISSIPPI GOLF TRAIL.Mallard Pointe,a Bob Cupp design that opened in 2004,is a public facility managed by local Chris Sparks.

Sparks and his team have addressed and made improvements in all areas of Mallard Pointe.It started with the clubhouse,which sits between the ninth and 18th greens and also steps from the east side of the dual 350-yard driving range.The clubhouse got new flooring,a fresh coat of paint and some new counters.The pro shop is fully stocked with everything you need for your round. There are also refreshments,snacks and quick meals available every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Before you hit the course,there is a practice green and a short-game practice area (on west side of driving range).

Cupp’s layout on on the wooded banks of the Sardis Lake is very pleasing to the eye and an overall fun one.When Mallard Pointe opened 19 years ago,Golf Digest listed it as one of its ‘Best Places to Play’ in Mississippi. With lots of work going on daily here,there is little doubt the course will get back to its former glory soon.

The front nine starts out with four consecutive par-4s.All of them are fun starter holes.The third hole features a dog-leg right that plays 289-393 yards, meaning driver may not be the best play here with a giant pond on the right.The fourth hole is longer,straighter and has a wide fairway,allowing for a more grip-and-rip option.

The next set of four holes features a par-3,back-to-back par-5,then the par-3 8th,which may be the easiest on the front nine.No.5 requires lots of accuracy with woods coming into play to the left and behind the green.The first par-5 of the front nine is the sixth,which has water to deal with on the tee shot and approach shot.It plays 605 yards

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CONTINUED from Page 4 from the tips.No.7,which is 496 yards from the back (black) tees,is pretty much a straight hole with no water,but does have out-of-bounds (woods) on the left.

Mallard Pointe features great finishing holes in the form of the 9th and 18th.The ninth hole is listed as the toughest hole on the course (by handicap).Your second shot features a green you’ll be shooting down into with a great view of the clubhouse to your right.Playing the right tees on this hole (as well as the entire course) will make it more enjoyable.From the middle (white) tees,this hole plays just under 400 yards and with two good shots and a two-putt you can leave this hole with a par and have it feel like a nice little accomplishment.

No. 9 green is far left. Also seen — in this great shot from CourseScout Scorecards and Video — is the first tee, a part of the east side of the driving range, the clubhouse and the 18th hole. Part of Lake Sardis provides a great backdrop in this picture.

The entire back nine is on the south side of the property,which borders the northwest side of Sardis Lake.No.10 is a par-5 that is all uphill after the tee shot. Woods protect the hole to the left as it plays 509 yards from the tips and 425 from the front (red)tees.Nos.12-14 feature a cool stretch of holes.From the 11th green,you can see the 12th tee box,12th green,the 13th tee box and the 14th green.The 11th is a straight par-4 that plays 348-461 yards.The 12th is a wide-open par-3 that plays 113-177 yards and the 13th is a par-4 with a dog-leg left,featuring a pond protecting the front left of the green.The par-5 16th has a dog-leg right with mounding to help shots just left of the fairway.There are woods to the right on this hole,which plays 357-574 yards.The second-to-last hole is a drivable par-4 (221-301 yards) playing along the side of the lake.The round finishes with the toughest hole handicap wise on the back nine as the par-4 requires a forced carry over native areas.It plays as long as 457 yards from the tips,but less than accurate or shorter shots can make it feel like a par-5.While challenging,it is also fun.

One of the great things about the design at Mallard Pointe is that if you if can keep your errant shot on the fairway side,a lot of the mounding will help out and get you back in the fairway or very close to it.

There are five sets of tees at Mallard Pointe and the facility will soon be getting a brand-new cart fleet with GPS.

The course features daily-fee play ($45-$52),memberships or stay-and-play options.The villas are located near the 18th green and along the lake.Each villa can house four players.Range balls come in options of small ($4)and large ($8)buckets.There are also special senior rates during the week and twilight and junior rates seven days per week.

Mallard Pointe Golf Course and Villas

Address: 3037 State Park Road (Sardis,Miss.)

Phone: 662.546.4172

Web: www.golfmallardpointe.com

E-mail: mallardpointegolf@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Mallardpointgolfcourse