MGM MIRAGE¡¦S Tom Fazio-Designed Masterpiece Earns Another Accolade
BILOXI, Miss. ¡V April 16, 2009 ¡V One of the enduring qualities about Fallen Oak, the Tom Fazio-designed course that has captivated golfers since its November 2006 opening, is the fact any guest of the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino can play the challenging and spectacular course. Recognizing this, Golfweek named Fallen Oak Mississippi¡¦s No. 1 Course You Can Play.
This latest honor from Golfweek, recognizing public, resort or daily-fee courses on a state-by-state basis, appeared in the same March 14 edition in which the publication ranked Fallen Oak No. 55 on its prestigious Top 100 Modern Courses. That marked the course¡¦s debut on that list.
Fallen Oak is the only one of Mississippi¡¦s top five Courses You Can Play to appear on the Top 100 Modern Courses list, which recognizes courses designed since 1960.
¡§We are pleased Fallen Oak has been recognized as Golfweek¡¦s Best Course in Mississippi,¡¨ said George P. Corchis, Jr., president and chief operating officer of MGM MIRAGE¡¦s Mississippi resorts, which includes Beau Rivage in Biloxi and the Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica. ¡§It is a tremendous credit to our staff who have worked hard to make Fallen Oak one of the finest golf experiences in the country.¡¨
Beside the fact Golfweek selected Fallen Oak as Mississippi¡¦s No. 1 Course You Can Play, the course was the only Mississippi layout to earn a spot on either the Top 100 Classic (pre-1960) or Top 100 Modern Courses list.
Golfweek¡¦s raters rank the courses using 10 criteria: Routing, Quality of Shaping, Overall Land Plan, Greens and Surrounds, Variety and Memorability of Par 3s, Variety and Memorability of Par 4s, Variety and Memorability of Par 5s, Tree and Landscape Management, Conditioning and what the publication calls a ¡§Walk in the Park¡¨ test, or how memorable the experience is for a golfer.
Fallen Oak¡¦s latest honors came about for many of the same reasons respected publications as Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and the Robb Report, among others brought earlier recognition to the course. Golfweek¡¦s raters were impressed by the way Fazio weaved his holes through the DeSoto National Forest, taking the more than 4,000 oaks magnolias, pines and other hardwood trees and interspersing them with the ponds, streams and wetlands. At the same time, Fazio did this while bringing elevation changes ¡V unique for a Gulf Coast course ¡V to Fallen Oak.
The clubhouse and practice facilities alone put Fallen Oak among the top courses in the region. Built to resemble an Acadian-style Southern mansion, the 12,000-square foot clubhouse houses a 1,000-square foot pro shop and locker facilities. The 70-seat lounge and restaurant features top-level dining and a panoramic views of the 18th hole, as well as the majestic live oak that gives Fallen Oak its name.
Last year, that clubhouse was voted one of the ¡§Best 19th Holes in Golf¡¨ by Golf Digest.
Joining the heralded Shadow Creek as the only golf courses built by MGM MIRAGE for their guests, Fallen Oak is located on a 510-acre tract at the edge of the DeSoto National Forest.
From the moment guests enter the lush and picturesque course through the gated front entrance, they know they are someplace special. With a personal greeting upon arrival, swing tips on the practice facility, exceptional caddy service, on-course food and beverage and chilled scented towels, Beau Rivage guests find a round at Fallen Oak that delivers an experience that is memorable and unrivaled in the region.
Stretching to a hearty 7,487 yards from the back tees, Fallen Oak offers golfers five sets of tees and strategic play options as each hole winds through ever-changing terrain and environments.
Fallen Oak is available exclusively for guests of Beau Rivage. Greens fees for this elite MGM MIRAGE golf experience are $200. To make reservations, call (877) 805-4657 or visit www.fallenoak.com or www.beaurivage.com.
ABOUT BEAU RIVAGE:
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, named one of the top 100 hotels in the continental United States and Canada by Travel + Leisure Magazine, opened on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1999. The property re-opened for business August 29, 2006 following a dramatic $550-million renovation. Beau Rivage is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM MIRAGE?·, the premier entertainment, hotel and gaming company in the world. For more information or to make reservations, call (888) 56-ROOMS or visit www.beaurivage.com.
ABOUT FAZIO GOLF COURSE DESIGNERS:
Throughout his 40 years in golf course design, Tom Fazio and his staff of talented designers have been recognized for creating award-winning courses throughout the United States. No living designer has more credits on Golf Digest¡¦s list of America¡¦s 100 Greatest Golf Courses and Golfweek¡¦s collection of America¡¦s Best. The Golf Digest poll for Best Modern Day Golf Course Architect was discontinued after Tom claimed the award three consecutive times, and he has also received The Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
Contact:
Mary Cracchiolo-Spain, Beau Rivage, (228) 386-7134
Brian Robin, Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc., (818) 462-5610
