FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 4/17/2009

Golf Digest Lists America's 100 Greatest Public Courses, Fallen Oak Debuts at No. 19

MGM MIRAGE’S Tom Fazio-Designed Course Captures Prestigious Honor
In Biannual Ranking of Country’s Top Courses You Can Play

BILOXI, Miss. – Adding to a lengthening list of awards that reflects the respect golfers and the golf media have for its combination of aesthetic charm and golfing challenge, Fallen Oak captured perhaps its most prestigious honor to date – a spot in the top 20 of Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.

Fallen Oak made its debut on the elite list of all-access courses at No. 19, a lofty position for a course that has only been open since November 2006.

“When we built Fallen Oak, we did so with the intention that people would recognize and appreciate what kind of a special place it is,” 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. “This latest honor is one that we are very proud of because it reflects the positive feelings golfers have for Fallen Oak and how they recognize its unique and special qualities.”

The honor was the second time in a month the nation’s golf media honored the Tom Fazio-designed course. Last month, Golfweek placed Fallen Oak at No. 55 on the publication’s Top 100 Modern Courses, a list chronicling every course designed since 1960. It also named Fallen Oak the No. 1 “Course You Can Play” in the state of Mississippi.

For the biannual Golf Digest list, the publication’s course raters took into account seven evaluation categories: Shot Values, Design Variety, Resistance to Scoring, Memorability, Aesthetics, Conditioning and Ambience. Those scores, which come from panelists rating each quality on a 1 (Unacceptable) to 10 (Absolutely Perfect), are averaged in each category, with those in Shot Values doubled.

It’s the third time in as many years Golf Digest has recognized Fallen Oak. Last year, the publication honored Fallen Oak’s stately, Southern Mansion-style clubhouse as one of “America’s Best 19th Holes in Golf.” Two years ago, the publication selected Fallen Oak as the No. 2 Best New Public Course $75 and Over.

On this latest list, which comes out every two years, Fallen Oak finds itself in some elite company. Of the 18 courses ranked ahead of it on the America’s Greatest 100 Public Golf Courses list, 16 of those are ranked on the publication’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, the oldest and most respected rating list for golf courses and their architects.

Among the courses ranked below Fallen Oak at No. 19 are three courses that have hosted professional or top-level amateur major championships: Torrey Pines (No. 64), which hosted the 2008 U.S. Open, Pumpkin Ridge in North Plains, Ore. (No. 79), which hosted a U.S. Amateur and a U.S. Women’s Open and Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace, MD (No. 81), the host course for the McDonald’s LPGA Championship.

Fallen Oak also debuted ahead of Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. (No. 37), which has corralled a U.S. Open and the top spot on many lists since its opening in 2007.

Not surprisingly, the course raters were impressed by Fallen Oak’s dramatic elevation changes – unheard of for a Gulf Coast course – and more than 4,000 stately oaks, magnolias, pines and other hardwood trees, interspersed with ponds, streams and wetlands.

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 nation. 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 that earned its status as one of the “Best 19th Holes in Golf” 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.

Joining the heralded Shadow Creek, which was ranked No. 8 on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses and No. 41 on the publication’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, 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 Fallen Oak 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.

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For More Information:
Mary Cracchiolo-Spain, Beau Rivage
mcracchiolo@beaurivage.com
(228) 386-7134