Giving some of the legends of the game a preview of what awaits them when they tee it up next month in the Champions Tour's Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic, Golfweek rated Fallen Oak Golf Club at No. 41 on its prestigious list of the Top 100 Modern Courses.
The 2010 rating is a 14-place jump from Fallen Oak's debut rating in 2009 on the list of courses designed since 1960, the cutoff date between the publication's Classic and Modern lists. The respected weekly also selected the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino 16th on its 2010 Top 100 Golf Resorts. That represents a six-spot jump from the Tom Fazio-designed course's 2009 debut ranking on that list.
"Fallen Oak debuted on the 2009 Golfweek's Best Modern list at No. 55 and arguably is underrated there; it certainly is among the top 3 of the 40-plus Fazio courses I've ever played," wrote Golfweek Senior Writer Bradley Klein.
One honor Fallen Oak didn't need improving upon was its top spot among Golfweek's state-by-state listing of the Best Courses You Can Play. Once again, Fallen Oak was ranked the No. 1 public access course in the state of Mississippi.
These are the latest honors bestowed on a course that since its November 2006 opening, has vaulted onto everyone's must-play list as a destination course. It will be a destination for many of the game's greatest names from April 26-May 1 for the inaugural Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic.
"We are certainly proud of the fact that more and more people appreciate the unique experience that a round of golf at Fallen Oak offers," 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. "The improvement in Fallen Oak's rankings certainly demonstrates the course offers a complete golf experience. And we know that when they arrive this spring, some of the game's greatest players and greatest names will feel the same way."
Fallen Oak received a score of 7.3 out of a possible 10, an increase of more than a quarter-point (.27) from 2009.
Once again, Fallen Oak surpassed several courses that have hosted either PGA TOUR events or major championships. That lofty list includes Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C. (No. 50), Kapalua's Plantation Course in Maui (No. 62), Shoal Creek in Birmingham, Ala. (No. 69), Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minn. (No. 74), Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind. (No. 78), Valhalla in Louisville, Ky. (No. 88), the site of the 2008 Ryder Cup and Oak Tree in Edmond, Okla. (No. 91).
Speaking of Fazio, his Fallen Oak design is one of 19 Modern courses the noted architect has on the Top 100 list. That's the most of any Modern architect and second behind the legendary Donald Ross (who had 24) 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 views 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 (ranked No. 10 on Golfweek's Best 100 Modern 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 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.