Respected publication selects MGM Resorts International’s Tom Fazio-designed masterpiece No. 2 Casino Course and No. 12 Resort Course
BILOXI, Miss. – Dec. 22, 2010 – In a year that firmly established Fallen Oak’s place among the elite golfing destinations in the United States, the MGM Resorts International course wrapped up 2010 by earning two more honors from Golfweek. The respected publication named Fallen Oak the No. 2 Casino Course in the country and tabbed Beau Rivage Resort & Casino the No. 12 Resort Course for 2011.
It is the third time the Tom Fazio-designed course has garnered praise in each category. It was selected the No. 2 Casino Course in 2007 and 2009. Each time, including this year, Fallen Oak trailed only sister MGM Resorts International course Shadow Creek.
On the resort front, Fallen Oak’s parent – Beau Rivage – jumped four places from its 2010 position as America’s No. 16 Golf Resort. It debuted at No. 22 in 2009.
“Ranked among the nation’s best new courses, the Tom Fazio-designed course at Fallen Oak allows visitors to savor a taste of the delicious Gulf Coast golf life,” the publication writes.
The publication also ranked the top 50 courses attached to or affiliated with a casino. Out of a possible 10 points, Fallen Oak earned a 7.36.
“The 4-year-old Saucier, Miss., layout has helped establish the Gulf Coast region as one of the country’s finest golf-and-gaming destinations,” wrote Golfweek Managing Editor/The Golf Life Martin Kauffman.
With these latest honors, the course garnered its 20th national award from golf and lifestyle publications, which were taken by Fallen Oak’s masterful layout that encompasses all elements of the DeSoto National Forest: wetlands, marshes, pecan groves and hardwood forests.
“I had read some things on the Internet about Fallen Oak and having some experience with the Fazio Design group, I expected it to be pretty top drawer,” said Champions Tour player David Eger, who won the inaugural Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic held at Fallen Oak last spring. “I certainly wasn’t disappointed when I got out here. It’s a beautiful piece of property, a beautiful golf course. I would say it’s among the top dozen – if not higher – out here. It’s a beautiful place.”
Fallen Oak’s and Beau Rivage’s status as one of the top dozen golf resorts in the country puts it in elite company – and ahead of elite courses such as Harbour Town in South Carolina (No. 13), Sea Island in Georgia (No. 16), Kapalua in Maui (No. 18) and the Greenbrier in West Virginia (No. 37). All four of those resorts play host to PGA TOUR events.
“This is not an overnight process, but rather a process that shows what can happen when you have great people working on a great property,” said George P. Corchis, Jr., president and chief operating officer of MGM Resorts International’s Regional Operations, which includes Beau Rivage in Biloxi. “We are pleased that Golfweek has taken note of not only Fallen Oak’s brilliance, but what it brings to the overall Beau Rivage experience.”
Part of that experience includes the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic, which enjoyed a robust debut on the Champions Tour in 2010. It returns to Fallen Oak April 1-3, 2011 with a plethora of the game’s legends.
Those legends and the judges from Golfweek marveled at Fallen Oak’s dramatic elevation changes, which Fazio incorporated among the more than 4,000 oaks, magnolias, pines and other hardwood trees that join the ponds, streams and wetlands that frame the course.
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 view of the 18th hole, as well as the majestic live oak that gives Fallen Oak its name. In 2008, 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 Resorts International 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 Resorts International golf experience are $200. To make reservations, call (877) 805-4657 or visit 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, is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International, 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.
About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world’s leading global hospitality companies, operating a peerless portfolio of destination resort brands, including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company has significant holdings in gaming, hospitality and entertainment, owns and operates 15 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has 50% investments in four other properties in Nevada, Illinois and Macau. One of those investments is CityCenter, an unprecedented urban resort destination on the Las Vegas Strip featuring its centerpiece ARIA Resort & Casino. Through its hospitality management subsidiary, the Company holds a growing number of development and management agreements for casino and non-casino resort projects around the world. MGM Resorts International supports responsible gaming and has implemented the American Gaming Association’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Gaming at its gaming properties. The Company has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions for its industry-leading Diversity Initiative, its community philanthropy programs and the Company’s commitment to sustainable development and operations. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company’s Web site at www.mgmresorts.com.
Contact:
Mary Cracchiolo-Spain
Beau Rivage
(228) 386-7134
Brian Robin
Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.
(818) 462-5610
