Mississippi golf courses named to Golfweek’s annual top-100 list
(JACKSON, Mississippi) – The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) (www.visitmississippi.org/golf.aspx) announces Fallen Oak and Dancing Rabbit Golf Club (Azaleas) have once again been named to Golfweek’s prestigious “Best Resort Courses” list.
Fallen Oak, an amenity of Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, landed at No. 16 on the list, which also featured iconic names such as Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and TPC Sawgrass in the top 20.
Dancing Rabbit’s Azaleas Course at Pearl River Resort in Choctaw was ranked No. 94, while the Oaks Course at Dancing Rabbit was included in the “Next 100” Resort Course ratings, along with another renowned Mississippi layout, Grand Bear Golf Course in Saucier.
To produce the list, Golfweek annually sends out hundreds of course raters to survey thousands of courses on the basis of 10 criteria, including routing, conditioning, variety and memorability of holes. The list appears online and in Golfweek’s 2014 “Ultimate Guide to Golf Course Living and Great Escapes,” which hit newsstands last week.
“Accolades such as these are further proof that Mississippi is a must-visit golf destination,” says Mississippi Tourism Director Malcolm White. “Golfers have come to love our year-round golf weather, wide variety of outdoor activities, our ‘True South’ hospitality and cuisine and, of course, the superb collection of world-class courses and resorts in five distinct regions.”
Fallen Oak is a Tom Fazio design that sits adjacent to the DeSoto National Forest and annually plays host to the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic, a PGA Champions TOUR event that has been won in recent years by major champions Fred Couples and Tom Lehman.
Dancing Rabbit’s Azaleas and Oaks courses are owned and operated by the Mississippi Band of the Choctaw Indians and were created by Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate. The courses combine to roll out more than 14,000 yards on an immaculate 700 acres of land.
Grand Bear, a Jack Nicklaus Signature course, is an amenity of the Grand Casino Biloxi with more than 7,200 yards that meander along cypress wetlands and the red-clay banks of the Big Biloxi and Little Biloxi Rivers.
For more information about these courses, or for special stay-and-play package deals, visit www.visitmississippi.org/golf.aspx or call toll-free 1.866.801.8551.
About Mississippi Golf:
Attractions contributing to Mississippi’s growing popularity as the preferred golf-and-travel destination include:
• More than 170 courses offering a variety of price points and designs from world-class architects such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Jerry Pate and Tom Fazio
• Year-round golf weather with temperate conditions throughout five distinct regions — The Hills, The Delta, The Capital/River, The Pines, The Coastal
• Home to two annual PGA TOUR events: The Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic of the PGA Champions Tour, played at Fallen Oak in March and the Sanderson Farms Championship of the PGA TOUR, played at Annandale Golf Club in October.
• Third-largest gaming destination in North America, featuring exciting gaming, upscale shopping, live entertainment, luxurious spas and internationally acclaimed golf courses
• Birthplace of blues, rock ‘n roll and country music. Mississippi Blues Trail and Country Music Trail markers are placed at key sites around the state to honor musicians and give visitors insight into the state’s diverse musical heritage
• World-famous, authentic southern cuisine offering savory barbecue, fresh seafood and French-Cajun delicacies
• A busy calendar of more than 400 unique events scheduled throughout the year
• A host of non-golf activities including boating, fishing, bird-watching, hiking, biking, hunting, camping and more
For more information, visit www.visitmississippi.org or call toll-free 1.866.801.8551.
Contact:
Gary Trask, 978.228.0314
Buffalo Communications
gtrask@billycaspergolf.com
Dan Shepherd, 703.891.3320
Buffalo Communications
dshepherd@billycaspergolf.com
