Beau Rivage Resort & Casino

The AAA Four Diamond Aw ard–winning Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, still fresh from a recent multimillion renovation, combines stylish amenities with world-famous Southern hospitality to create the perfect setting for a meeting or incentive retreat on Mississippi’s Gold Coast.

Beau Rivage’s sophisticated meeting venues make an indelible impression on business travelers, from the elegant 17,000-square-foot Magnolia Ballroom to the fully equipped indoor conference center to the picturesque marina deck for outdoor gatherings. A total of 50,000 square feet of function space can accommodate as many as 1,800 people without diminishing the level of personalized attention for which the resort is known. A team of professional planners stays on hand around-the-clock to ensure a smooth event.

Between meetings, guests enjoy a variety of resort activities. Some play golf on the 18-hole Fallen Oak course—a Tom Fazio masterpiece. Others browse through the exclusive boutiques that line the on-site shopping Promenade, or head to the salon and spa for a relaxing treatment. A full-service casino also entertains business travelers, along with a 1,550-seat theater, 11 restaurants, and four nightclubs and bars. Guests happily retire to 1,740 recently renovated rooms and suites, each boasting spacious living areas, writing desks with data port–equipped telephones, and flat-screen TVs. There are no packages available at this time. There are no hot dates at this time. Posted 29 Dec, 2011 by Leatrice Ausmer FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 12/19/2011

Fallen Oak Closes 2011 with Two More Honors from Golfweek Magazine
Respected Publication Once Again Selects MGM Resorts International’s Tom Fazio-Designed Masterpiece No. 2 Casino Course, No. 13 Resort Course

BILOXI, Miss. – In five short years, Fallen Oak has grown into a course that has become an elite golfing destination for not only the game’s legends, but those with a legendary course on their must-play list. Fallen Oak has wrapped up another award-winning year by earning two more honors from Golfweek – the No. 2 spot on the magazine’s Best Casino Courses list for 2011 and the No. 13 spot on its list of Best Resort Courses for 2012.

It is the fifth time the Tom Fazio-designed MGM Resorts International course has garnered praise in each category. It has been selected the No. 2 Casino Course every year since it has been open (2007-2011). Each time, including this year, Fallen Oak trailed only sister MGM Resorts International course Shadow Creek in the list of America’s top 50 courses attached to or affiliated with a casino.

Out of a possible 10 points, Fallen Oak earned a 7.31, holding more than a third-of-a-point lead over its nearest rival.

Among resort courses, Fallen Oak’s parent – Beau Rivage – dropped one place from its 2011 position as America’s No. 12 Resort Course. It debuted at No. 22 in 2009.

With these latest honors, the 5-year-old course garnered its 18th award from Golfweek and 29th national award from golf and lifestyle publications. As happens with virtually everyone who plays Fallen Oak and experiences Fazio’s world-class layout and masterful use of the DeSoto National Forest’s hardwood trees, wetlands, marshes, pecan groves and magnolias, the publication’s raters were as taken with Fallen Oak as the Champions Tour players who visit every spring for the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic.

“Fallen Oak is really incredible, one of the best golf courses I’ve played out here. The shot values are fantastic,” Champions Tour pro and CBS Golf Analyst Gary McCord said. “The way the course is cut out of the trees and the oaks, the second shots are fantastic. It is really a nice facility. You combine this facility with Beau Rivage to stay in; it’s one of the nicest combinations of golf course and hotel that I’ve seen anywhere in the United States.”

Fallen Oak’s and Beau Rivage’s status as one of the top baker’s-dozen golf resorts in the country puts it in elite company – and ahead of top courses such as Sea Island in Georgia (No. 16), Kapalua in Maui (No. 17) and the Greenbrier in West Virginia (No. 33). All three of which play host to PGA TOUR events.

“The goal with Fallen Oak has always been to create a total golf experience that compliments the Beau Rivage experience,” said George P. Corchis Jr., president and chief operating officer of MGM Resorts International’s Regional Operations, which includes Beau Rivage in Biloxi. “These latest honors from Golfweek not only reflect the brilliance of Fallen Oak, but the work of the people who create the experience for our guests. They deserve the credit for helping our guests enjoy such a beautiful course.”

Also enjoying the classic elegance of Fallen Oak are many of the game’s legends who have made the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic one of the marquee stops on the Champions Tour. The event returns to Fallen Oak March 19-25, 2012, with defending champion and Champions Tour Player of the Year Tom Lehman leading a parade of the game’s greatest names to what has become one of the must-play courses on the Champions Tour.

“It’s playable and enjoyable. The average player gets out here and gets tested. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Champions Tour player John Cook said. “That’s what a great architect does – allow you to play the golf course.”

Those legends and the raters 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. 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.


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For More Information:
Mary Cracchiolo-Spain, Beau Rivage
mcracchiolo@beaurivage.com
(228) 386-7134 Posted 29 Nov, 2011 by JJ Waters MGM Resorts International’s Tom Fazio-Designed Masterpiece Has Earned Awards, Accolades From Pros, Media and Amateurs Alike BILOXI, Miss. – Nov. 21, 2011 – Tom Lehman and Hale Irwin have driven its fairways and Ben Crenshaw and Loren Roberts have putted its greens. Nick Faldo and Paul Azinger have made TV memories there and governors and national-championship college football coaches alike have walked through its august clubhouse and enjoyed beverages at one of the best 19th holes in golf.
Not bad company to keep for a course barely out of the toddler stage.
Fallen Oak, Tom Fazio’s Gulf Coast masterpiece, just celebrated its fifth anniversary and the younger of the two MGM Resorts International courses has matured into one of the country’s finest and most acclaimed public-access courses.
“We are delighted to be celebrating this milestone,” said George P. Corchis, Jr., president and chief operating officer of MGM Resorts International’s Regional Operations. “In just five short years, many guests, golfers and legends of the game have had the opportunity to experience Fallen Oak and we take tremendous pride in providing what has become a true golf destination.”
In the process of becoming a must-play destination – much as designer Fazio predicted it would when the course opened in November 2006 – Fallen Oak has earned more than 25 awards from publications ranging from Golf Digest to the Robb Report. The latest honor came from Golfweek, which recently named the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino the No. 13 Golf Resort in the country – the fourth consecutive year it has earned that honor. The awards encompass elements ranging from its stately yet invitingly warm clubhouse to the overall resort experience golfers receive.
In 2008, Fallen Oak’s bar and restaurant was named one of the “Top 50 19th Holes in Golf” by Golf Digest. It received five “shot glasses” out of a possible five for service and mixology, the latter on the strength of its signature Bloody Mary. Sipping one of those while taking in the view from the sunken bar to the 18th green and the forested landscape beyond – a panorama personally inspired by MGM Resorts International President Bobby Baldwin – merely adds to the overall experience.

“As Fallen Oak evolves, it takes on a vastly different look than it did five years ago,” said Fallen Oak General Manager David Stinson. “As is with most things, Fallen Oak has only become better with age.
From the denser vegetation, the speed of the course, to the maturity of the turf, Fallen Oak is even more special now than when it was birthed five short years ago.”
How far Fallen Oak has come can be seen in the events it has played host to during that time: There was the second-annual Governor’s Cup in May 2007, which raised a record $2.75 million for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast. There was the inaugural “Faldo-Azinger Captain’s Challenge” which pitted 2008 Ryder Cup captains Paul Azinger (U.S.) and Sir Nick Faldo (Europe) in a made-for-TV series of challenges that culminated with an 18-hole match at Fallen Oak. That September 2008 Golf Channel broadcast put the camera eye on Fallen Oak for the first time.
It wouldn’t be the last time. A mere 19 months later, Fallen Oak would welcome many of the game’s legends to the Gulf Coast as the course played host to the Champions Tour’s Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. Major champions such as Azinger, Lehman, Bernhard Langer, Craig Stadler and Mark O’Meara, along with the likes of Peter Jacobsen, John Cook, Jay Haas and Loren Roberts, among others, gave Fallen Oak rave reviews for its aesthetics, challenge and overall layout.
“Condition-wise, the strength of the layout, this is easily in the top-five – if not the best course – we play,” Haas said.
“I think the par-5s out here are especially good. It’s not easy to make a great par-5. you can make a hard par-5, but to make one that’s fun to play and still strategic isn’t always simple,” said Lehman, who set the course record with an 8-under-par 64 en route to winning the 2011 Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. “I think the ones out here are pretty good. They look beautiful and they force you to be strategic with your second shots to go for the green in two. I think they’re fun to play and more than anything, that’s a key word for the course for me – it is a fun golf course. Golf is meant to be fun and this is a fun course.”
University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban enjoyed his round at Fallen Oak during the 2010 Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. Yet “fun” wasn’t exactly at the top of the adjective list when Fazio talked about what went into creating Fallen Oak. But when the noted architect described what he thought golfers would get out of a Fallen Oak experience, Fazio said the plot of land he had at his disposal -- on the edge of the DeSoto National Forest – was among the best templates he ever had.
After all, it’s not every day you get 510 pristine acres of wetlands – along with more than 4,000 oaks, magnolias, pines and other hardwood trees framing the fairways, ponds, streams and wetlands – as your canvas. But Fazio added an element not seen on Gulf Coast courses – elevation changes. The complete package of nature mixed with the understanding of a master in how to bring out and enhance that natural element is what makes Fallen Oak the must-play masterpiece it became.


“Again, you can call it hype, you can call it grand marketing, you can do all that. But eventually, with anything of quality, you can only go so far with hype. You have to have substance and the substance is here,” Fazio said. “It’s the kind of golf course you have to come and see because it’s that special.”
The special course that is Fallen Oak joins the heralded Shadow Creek as the only golf courses built by MGM Resorts International for their guests. 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 are $200. To make reservations, call 877.805.4657 or visit www.beaurivage.com. Posted 09 Dec, 2010 by Concierge Elite Murakami Strengthens Company's Position as Market Leader with Focus on Western Territory

LAS VEGAS - MGM Resorts International expands its role as a market leader in the Group Sales industry with the addition of Gary Murakami as Director of Regional Sales. Based in San Francisco, Murakami will focus his efforts on the entire western region of the United States from Colorado and New Mexico to Alaska and Hawaii.

"Gary's background and skill set reflect the caliber of talent we have developed throughout our Regional Sales Network," said MGM Resorts Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Richard Harper. "We are confident Gary's efforts will continue to support our leadership position in the meetings and conventions industry."

A 15-year, seasoned hospitality sales executive, Murakami is responsible for securing group bookings and raising awareness for MGM Resorts, as well as developing and maintaining key customer relationships. He most recently served as Director of Sales for The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco managing a sales team targeting the group, leisure, and business travel markets. In addition to his more than nine years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Murakami's sales background also includes key positions with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in the group, leisure and business travel segments.

An active member in the global meetings, events and travel industry community, Murakami has held a variety of leadership director roles with Bay Area Business Travel Association, a regional chapter of the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) for the past 10 years. He also served in Board of Director roles with the Northern California Chapter of Professional Convention Management Association for the past several years.

Murakami holds several industry-recognized certifications and designations. He most recently earned the Global Leadership Professional (GLP) designation and certification, a master's level executive education program developed by the NBTA Foundation in conjunction with The Wharton School. In addition, Murakami holds a designation as a Certified Corporate Travel Executive (CCTE), designed specifically for business travel management professionals through NBTA and Cornell University, and a Corporate Travel Counselor (CTC) certification from The Travel Institute.

Murakami earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles Posted 08 Oct, 2008 by Maureen Wooten MGM MIRAGE'S Tom Fazio-Designed Course Is Ranked Third
Among First-Time Courses; 29th Overall

BILOXI, Miss. - The list of honors that Fallen Oak has earned for its beauty, playability and overall experience just increased with the golf course's debut inclusion in the prestigious GOLF Magazine "Top-100 Courses You Can Play" list.

The Tom Fazio-designed MGM MIRAGE course checked in at No. 29 on the biennial list of elite courses that don't require a country club membership to play.

"The feedback from our course evaluators about Fallen Oak is that it's the Southern equivalent of Shadow Creek," said Joe Passov, GOLF Magazine's Architecture and Course Rankings Editor. "It's just such an extra-special property, with gorgeous landscaping and unusually rolling terrain for that part of the country. It's basically tantamount to a first-class, private-club experience that is open to guests of the resort. It's obviously something special. To crack the Top-30 courses you can play in its very first year of eligibility means it has an awful lot going for it."

Fallen Oak was one of 11 courses making its debut on the prestigious list. Of the 11, only highly acclaimed Chambers Bay in Washington and Erin Hills in Wisconsin were ranked ahead of Fallen Oak. It is one of three courses in Mississippi on the Top 100 list and the second-highest casino course on the list, behind big sister Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas, which was No. 13.

"While Shadow Creek was hewn from an absolutely barren landscape, this 7,487-yard layout flaunts its natural attributes, from the rolling terrain to its streams, lakes and wetlands," Passov writes in GOLF. "The Southern mansion clubhouse adds greatly to the Gone With the Wind ambience, but it's the individual holes that lift Fallen Oak from merely 'pretty' to 'pretty great.'"

Passov, who oversees the list, is one of the most recognized golf and travel writers in the country. Besides GOLF Magazine, he handles ratings for Zagat's and has written for numerous publications, including the Robb Report.

"With Fazio's design, the natural beauty of the terrain and MGM MIRAGE's commitment to service, we knew Fallen Oak would be a special place," 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. "To be recognized as one of the nation's top courses so soon after opening is quite an honor. We are both proud and pleased, because we know the course will only continue to improve as it matures."

The award marked the third time in the last four months Fallen Oak has received recognition from golfers and the golf media.

In January, Golf Digest selected Fallen Oak as the No. 2 Best New Public Course $75 and Over. In March, Golf Digest recognized Fallen Oak's lounge with a panoramic view of the 18th hole as one of the "Top 19th Holes in Golf."

Last year, Golfweek Magazine selected Fallen Oak as No. 2 among its prestigious 25-course list of Best Casino Courses for 2007.

Fallen Oak was also mentioned as one of the must-play golf resorts in the 2007 Robb Report's "Best of the Best" issue and has been featured or prominently mentioned in such publications as Golf Digest, Golfweek, LINKS, T+ L Golf, US Airways Magazine, Golf for Women Magazine, GolfSouth Magazine and Golf Vacations Magazine.

And from the moment it opened on Nov. 6, 2006, Fallen Oak has impressed players and writers alike with its 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 undulating 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.

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 MIRAGE golf experience are $200- $300. To make reservations, call (877) 805-4657 or visit [url]www.beaurivage.com[/url].


For More Information:
Mary Cracchiolo-Spain, Beau Rivage
[email]mcracchiolo@beaurivage.com[/email]
(228) 386-7134 Posted 07 Oct, 2008 by Concierge Elite FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 10/7/2008

Beau Rivage Employees Donate $309, 400 to 94 Charitable Organizations in Mississippi

BILOXI, Miss. " Beau Rivage employees have raised $309,400 for 94 charitable organizations in Mississippi through the employee-funded, nonprofit MGM MIRAGE Voice Foundation. Since the Voice Foundation launched its first employee giving campaign in 2002, more than $1 million has been raised by Beau Rivage employees for charitable programs in Mississippi.

The MGM MIRAGE Voice Foundation serves as an outlet for our employees to get involved in shaping and supporting our community by making financial contributions to the charities that are near and dear to their hearts, said George P. Corchis, Jr., president and chief operating officer of MGM MIRAGEs Mississippi resorts, which includes Beau Rivage in Biloxi and the Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Miss. Even in these challenging economic times, our employees set a new record and donated 33 percent more than last year.

The MGM MIRAGE Voice Foundation provides employees the opportunity to make direct contributions or divert a portion of their paycheck to charitable organizations. Employees have options for their donation including: 1.) selecting a charity of their choice, providing it operates where the employee lives; 2.) an Employee Emergency Relief Fund, which helps fellow employees facing unexpected emergencies; 3.) the United Way; or 4.) the Voice Foundation Community Fund, which provides grants to charitable organizations selected by a group of MGM MIRAGE employees who are members of the Community Voice Council (CVC).

The agencies to receive the most employee donations in 2008 include St. Judes Children Research Hospital, Humane Society of South Mississippi, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Gulf Coast Womens Center for Non Violence, Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Mississippi.

The 2008 Voice Foundation Community Fund will award $93,459 in grants to the following recipients: American Red Cross ($10,000), Back Bay Mission ($10,000), Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast ($10,000), de lEpee Deaf Center ($10,000), Hope Haven of Hancock County ($10,000), Make-A-Wish ($10,000), Memorial Hospital ($5,000), Mental Health Association of Mississippi ($10,000), Points of Light/Hands on Network ($10,000) and Visions of Hope ($8,459). CVC members are selected to serve based on their level of community involvement and workplace experience. Members attend monthly meetings, review grant applications, recommend amounts and agencies to be funded and conduct follow-up visits with local organizations to ensure that donations are used wisely.

Beau Rivages parent company, MGM MIRAGE, absorbs all administrative costs for operating and managing the Voice Foundation including the creation and dissemination of the request for proposals for the grant funds and the actual distribution of the monies. As a result, 100 percent of every dollar pledged by employees goes directly to the charitable organization. In order to qualify for funds, organizations must have an IRS nonprofit status and cannot be political in nature.