Several in the Magnolia State Rate Among the Nation’s Best
(JACKSON, Mississippi) – The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) Division of Tourism today announces that ZAGAT America’s Top Golf Courses 2009-10 (Sixth Edition) has published its biennial results and several of the state’s courses scored among the best nationwide.
The ZAGAT survey covers 1,149 of the top courses in the U.S, including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Results are based on input from 6,054 reviewers, collectively bringing in more than 640,000 annual rounds.
According to ZAGAT, courses that score between 26-30 points on its 30-point scale rate as “extraordinary to perfection.” Three state courses scored in this highest category – Fallen Oak and both courses at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club (Azaleas and Oaks).
Four other courses – Grand Bear, Shell Landing, The Bridges, and The Oaks (not the Oaks Course at Dancing Rabbit in Philadelphia, Miss., rather, The Oaks in Pass Christian) – scored in the second-highest level, which ZAGAT terms “Very good to excellent.”
One ZAGAT survey respondent called Fallen Oak, which is an amenity of Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi “absolutely first class,” another added that the staff makes players feel “like rock stars.” Beau Rivage is an MGM Mirage Resorts property located overlooking the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Owned and operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is an amenity of the Pearl River Resort in Philadephia, Miss. Located in the state’s Capitol-River region, which is also home to state capitol Jackson, the Azaleas course “hits the jackpot” stated one ZAGAT participant, while another raved about the “mesmerizing layout” by Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate. The Oaks Course was rated “almost as good as Azaleas,” albeit noted that it “couldn’t play more differently” which is the “beauty and genius” of the golf club.
An amenity of Harrah’s Grand Casino Biloxi, Grand Bear was labeled “everything you’d expect from a Jack Nicklaus” design which is n “excellent condition” and features a “gorgeous, homey clubhouse.”
ZAGAT respondents said The Oaks Golf Course in Pass Christian in the Coastal Region of the state is a “test for all levels of experience” and its “new greens are great.”
The Bridges, Mississippi’s only Arnold Palmer course design and an amenity of the Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis, was rated “better than ever” and is a must-play for Gulf Coast visitors.
Last but not least is Shell Landing in Gautier on the Gulf Coast. Players “love this Davis Love III design,” thanks to a “diverse layout” with “excellent service” and the “price is right, too!”
“It is gratifying for Mississippi courses to be so well recognized by discerning players in an esteemed consumer resource publication,” said Mississippi Development Authority Tourism Division Director D. Craig Ray. “ZAGAT is well known for its unbiased coverage and for being a reliable source of insight.”
For more information about these courses or to schedule a visit to Mississippi, call toll-free to 866-801-8551 or go to www.visitmississippi.org
About Mississippi Golf
Attractions contributing to Mississippi’s growing popularity as the preferred golf-and-travel destination include:
* Temperate year-round golf weather in five distinct regions (Pines, Hills, Delta, Coastal, Capital-River);
* More than 145 courses that offer all price points and design varieties;
* World-famous gourmet cuisine, Blues Trail, the mighty Mississippi River, and luxurious casino resorts offering marquee name entertainers and shows;
* Family-themed attractions including parks, lakes, beaches and trails; and,
* History and architecture, including stunning Antebellum Era mansions turned award-winning B&B venues.
Contact:
Dan Shepherd, 703.891.3320
Buffalo Communications, dshepherd@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
