MGM Resorts International Tom Fazio-Designed Masterpiece Remains Strong On List of Best Courses Designed Since 1960
BILOXI, Miss. – March 31, 2011 – It stood the test of governors and national champion football coaches, as well as the legends of the game, which it will do again this week at the Champions Tour’s Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. And once again, Golfweek recognized Fallen Oak as one of the country’s best modern courses by rating it 45th on its prestigious list of Top 100 Modern Courses, which ranks courses designed since 1960.
So fierce was the competition among the publication’s elite modern courses that 32 of the top 50 courses – and six of the top 10 — lost places from 2010 and 10 courses fell off the list. Yet, Fallen Oak held its own 10 spots above its 2009 debut of 55th.
While Fallen Oak’s 2011 ranking is a slight drop from its 2010 rating of 41st on the list, its score of 7.34 out of a possible 10 was an increase of more than a quarter-point (.27) from 2009 and a four-hundredths-point increase from 2010.
Golfweek also re-affirmed Fallen Oak’s place as the No. 1 course You Can Play in the state of Mississippi – the third consecutive year Fallen Oak has occupied that top spot. That is the 14th award bestowed on the Tom Fazio-designed masterpiece by the respected publication and the 23rd overall, since the course opened in November 2006.
“The presence of these great champions at Fallen Oak, combined with these latest awards signify how Fallen Oak is a course for every player who wants the complete golfing experience,” said George P. Corchis Jr., president and chief operating officer of MGM Resorts International’s Regional Operations. “That Fallen Oak actually increased in its point total signifies that as the course matures, more and more people understand how special a course this is. We are very proud of what has been accomplished in such a short time.”
Golfweek’s latest honors come right before many of the game’s legends return to Fallen Oak for the second Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. The inaugural event brought not only Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban to test their games at the Pro-Am, but a plethora of the game’s greatest names over the last 30 years. Many of them complimented the newest course on the Champions Tour.
“Condition-wise, the strength of the layout, this is easily in the top-five – if not the best course – we play,” said Jay Haas, a two-time Champions Tour Player of the Year.
Considering it now keeps the same company as a professional tour stop, it’s not surprising that Fallen Oak continues to rank ahead of courses with longer pedigrees as either PGA TOUR host courses or sites of major championships. Looking up again at Fallen Oak are courses such as Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C. (No. 62), Kapalua’s Plantation Course in Maui (No. 77), Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minn. (No. 74), Shoal Creek in Birmingham, Ala. (No. 75) and the site of the 2008 Ryder Cup, Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville (No. 88).
Every one of those courses dropped in ranking spots.
Fazio’s respect as an architect is such that Fallen Oak is one of 24 Modern courses he has on the Top 100 list. That’s an increase of five from 2010 and by far the most of any Modern architect. Fazio’s 26 total courses on both lists (two Classic, 24 Modern) trails only Donald Ross’ 30 among all architects.
What earned Fallen Oak these latest honors are the same elements that brought it to the forefront of players of all levels of skill and experience from the moment the course opened in November 2006. Unique among Gulf Coast courses, Fallen Oak features 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.
Aside from those elevation changes, remarkably true-rolling greens and Fazio’s dynamic design tactics of using the DeSoto National Forest and all its inherent natural elements as a template, the multi-million dollar course features gently rolling terrain and pecan orchards amid the oaks, pines and magnolias.
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 Magazine.
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, is located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The resort features 1,740 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites, 10 restaurants, four nightclubs and bars, a 1,550-seat theatre, an upscale shopping promenade, a world-class spa & salon and Fallen Oak, a Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course. Beau Rivage is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International, one of the world’s leading global hospitality companies. 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. Leveraging MGM Resorts’ unmatched amenities, the M life loyalty program delivers one-of-a-kind experiences, insider privileges and personalized rewards for guests at the Company’s renowned properties nationwide. 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, BZA, (818) 462-5610; brianr@bzapr.com
