Biloxi, MS: Jimmy Buffet, born in Pascagoula, told 40,000 fans and a national television audience how he played his first gig in Biloxi and expressed how the Mississippi Gulf Coast was “close to his heart” – specifically Biloxi and the highway 90 corridor along the coast. He opened his show with “Pascagoula Run” and closed his show with “Down Around Biloxi.”

Golfers or Parrot heads, as Buffet fans are called, can go on a “Pascagoula Run” of their own to play Shell Landing by Davis Love or The Preserve by Jerry Pate. They can go “Down Around Biloxi” and play Sunkist, Windance, The Oaks, or Dogwood – or play Arnold Palmer’s The Bridges, 36 holes at Diamondhead or Pass Christian Isles. On the road to Southern Miss, where Buffet attended college here, you can play the Grand Bear by Jack Nicklaus. 

As Buffet said, the best way to help the Gulf Coast is to come on down and enjoy the Gulf Coast. There is no better place to enjoy courses by Palmer, Nicklaus, Love, Pate and McCumber that has 60 miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline. When you add the 11 Casino Resorts and the incredible seafood and cuisine with the Southern Hospitality – you have a destination with a little something for everyone. “I know of no destination in the country that has such a unique set of amenities as the Mississippi Coast – the golf quality of the Carolinas and the attractions of Las Vegas with the weather of Florida and the food of New Orleans – it’s an awesome combination,” says Kevin Drum, Executive Director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Association.  

For a FREE Golf Package Quote at over 40 hotels, casino resorts or condos go to www.GolfCoast.com/plan-your-trip.  For information go to www.GolfCoast.com or call 866-383-GOLF.

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The PGA Tour Players and Officials at the recent Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic were so impressed with the quality of the golf courses, casino resorts and hospitality – they couldn’t stop the accolades. “If I knew this area was this much fun, we would have come here earlier,” said Mike Stevens, Champions Tour President. “This is the first golf course I played in Mississippi,” says Jody Mudd, “I think great things of Mississippi golf now after my first visit,” says Mudd.  The players and visitors were amazed at how they have never been here and were already acting as advertisements – you will too. “I came here for the media day and loved the golf course and the great casino resorts,” says Loren Roberts, “I really like this part of the country,” says Roberts. “Mississippi’s ‘Golf Coast’ is the kind of place I like, it’s the kind of people I like and it’s got the food I like,” says David Eger, MS Gulf Resort Classic Champion, “I want to be the first to commit to be here next year.”

What are you waiting for? The Mississippi “Golf Coast” has courses by Palmer, Nicklaus, Love, Pate and McCumber and has 60 miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline. When you add the 11 Casino Resorts and the incredible seafood and cuisine with the Southern Hospitality – you have a destination with a little something for everyone. “I know of no destination in the country that has such a unique set of amenities as the Mississippi Coast – the golf quality of the Carolinas and the attractions of Las Vegas with the weather of Florida and the food of New Orleans – it’s a awesome combination,” says Drum.  

For information go to www.GolfCoast.com or call 866-383-GOLF. For a FREE Golf Package Quote at over 40 hotels, casino resorts or condos go to www.GolfCoast.com/plan-your-trip.

 “Mississippi’s ‘Golf Coast’ is the kind of place I like, it’s the kind of people I like and it’s got the food I like,” says David Eger, MS Gulf Resort Classic Champion, “I want to be the first to commit to be here next year.”

Biloxi, MS:  While David Eger fired a 3-under-par 69 on Sunday and edged Tommy Armour III by one stroke at the inaugural Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic to win, the real winner wasn’t David Eger even though he picked up the $240,000 check. The real winner is that the golf world rediscovered why this part of the Northern Gulf of Mexico was called the “Golf Coast” as early as 1927. Thomas Bendelow, who designed some of the earliest courses in America and Olympia Fields in Chicago, built two courses here in 1902. The area had 7 courses in 1927, more than most destinations in the country at that time, and was nicknamed the “Golf Coast.”  It hosted the PGA Tour in the 40’s with Sam Snead winning a play-off in the 1945 Gulfport Open over Byron Nelson.  Nelson won 11 straight after that loss, a record that still stands today. With the addition of courses by Nicklaus, Palmer, Love, McCumber and then Fazio and Pate the past few years – it’s become the “Golf Coast” on steroids. The enthusiasm and love affair the area has for golf was pouring out this week with players like Bob Tway saying, “The fans here kept thanking me for coming here, I told them thank you for having us. I came here for the Habitat for Humanity event at Shell Landing starting in 2006 – so I knew the area loved golf and that they would be excited since I experienced it first hand, so I was looking forward to coming” says Tway. The eventual champion said it best, “Mississippi’s ‘Golf Coast’ is the kind of place I like, it’s the kind of people I like and it’s got the food I like,” said David Eger, “I want to be the first to commit to be here next year.”

This event was a success long before the first ball was struck on Friday. Players were heard raving about the Monday off site Pro-Am at Grand Bear before they even got to the award winning Fazio Layout, Fallen Oak, where the classic was played. PGA Tour Players/Officials were impressed with the golf history, the quality of the golf, the world class casino resorts, and the legendary hospitality. The Tuesday night Pro-Am Gala with its Cirque Du Soleil theme right out of Las Vegas with a large dose of southern hospitality was a huge hit. “If I knew this area was this much fun, we would have come here earlier,” said Mike Stevens, PGA Champions Tour President. Players were amazed at how they have never been here, but already were acting as walking advertisements for this Riviera of the South along 60 miles of Gulf Coast and dotted with great golf, casino resorts and full of southern hospitality. “I came here for the media day and loved the golf course and the great casino resorts,” says Loren Roberts, “I really like this part of the country,” says Roberts. Jody Mudd said it’s the first course he ever played in Mississippi. “I think great things of Mississippi golf now after my first visit,” says Mudd. Nick Price told his Pro-am partners on Thursday, “When the word gets out on how great this area is and how good the event is you will have an even stronger field next year,” said Price.  That is hard to believe since it had a strong field this year, only lacking Couples and Watson who are both probably marking this on their calendars for next year’s classic.

The Mississippi “Golf Coast” has courses by Palmer, Nicklaus, Love, Pate,  McCumber and Fazio with 60 miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline. When you add the 11 Casino Resorts and the incredible seafood and cuisine with the Southern Hospitality – you have a destination with a little something for everyone. “I know of no destination in the country that has such a unique set of amenities as the Mississippi Coast – the golf quality of the Carolinas, the attractions of Las Vegas, the weather of Florida and the food of New Orleans – it’s a awesome combination and I am glad the contestants and visitors to the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic saw it first hand,” says Kevin Drum, Executive Director of the MS Gulf Coast Golf Association, “I think it’s clear to everyone why we have been called the ‘Golf Coast’ for nearly a century”

For more information go to www.GolfCoast.com or for a FREE Golf Package Quote at over 40 hotels, casino resorts or condos go to www.GolfCoast.com/plan-your-trip. For Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic info and complete transcripts and video go to www.golfcoast.com/champions/.

Two New Courses Since Katrina’s Impact, Golf Tourism Growing and the PGA Champions Tour, This Coastal Resort Destination With 11 Casinos & 60 Miles of Gulf of Mexico Coast Is Back As a Golf Mecca

Biloxi, MS: When Katrina handed the Mississippi Gulf Coast the largest catastrophic event in US history, all area golf course shut down for weeks, months and some for a year. But while people are more important than a game in those days following this event, golf courses proved to be key members of the community and their faculties were used to distribute water, organize and feed first responders and were places of refuge. Also, just days after impact when most in the golf industry questioned their future, golfers could be found sneaking on closed courses with sailboats and couches in the fairways to play a quick nine. Despite the reality of the situation, locals went to golf to get away from the daily grind of recovery and those here to help in the recovery found golf a refuge of normalcy in chaos.  While we in golf always have felt our game was special, those of us on the coast that experienced this event now realized it was true. Golf is not just a game here, it’s a way of life and the people of the coast have loved this game for over 100 years. Golf was introduced here by the railroad who hired Tom Bendelow, the Johnny Appleseed of Golf, in 1902 to build 2 courses to get Chicago travelers on their trains. The area boasted 7 courses in the 20’s making it a golf Mecca in those early days of the game was nicknamed the “Golf Coast in 1926. The area hosted many events in the early years with a partnership with the Western Golf Association and the fact that Olympia Fields in Chicago head pro was also the Biloxi C.C. head pro. It hosted PGA Tour events in the 40’s and golf played a huge role in the areas development as a tourism destination and Golf will play a huge role in the areas growth in the future. 

The industry didn’t sit and wait for help even though tens of thousands of trees were toppled on area courses and clubhouses’ were leveled. It began to rebuild almost instantly and instinctively and made plans to improve greens, tees and clubhouses. Most courses are better as a result of this investment and those that lost clubhouses have new state of the art ones now.  Incredibly, it welcomed golf tourism visitor’s months after the storm. Today, just shy of five years after, this region is back on the world stage with the Champions Tour Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic and is back to the vibrant coastal golf get away it was pre-Katrina – maybe better than it was before. It now has 2 new courses since then, one being the Tom Fazio designed host of the Champions Tour and the other The Preserve by Jerry Pate who, ironically, will be playing in the Champions Tour event here. The state has about 1 million golf visitors that spent an estimated $593.5 million in the state yearly pursuing their passion and the coast is the largest golf tourism destination in the state.

For more info go to www.GolfCoast.com or call 866-383-GOLF. For MS Gulf Resort Classic Champions Tour info go to www.golfcoast.com/champions/. For a FREE Golf Package Quote go to www.GolfCoast.com/plan-your-trip.

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Champions Tour A Success On “Golf Coast” Before First Competitive Round Begins

Biloxi, MS: Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic impressed PGA Tour Players and Officials with the quality of the golf courses, casino resorts and hospitality. The Tuesday night Pro-Am Gala was a Cirque Du Soleil themed event right out of Las Vegas, but with a large dose of southern hospitality. “If I knew this area was this much fun, we would have come here earlier,” said Mike Stevens, PGA Champions Tour President. “This is the first golf course I played in Mississippi,” says Jody Mudd, “I think great things of Mississippi golf now after my first visit,” says Mudd.  This seems to be a theme at this week’s event, players and visitors `alike amazed at how they have never been here and already acting as advertisements for this Riviera along 60 miles of Gulf Coast and dotted with great golf, casino resorts and full of southern hospitality. “I came here for the media day and loved the golf course and the great casino resorts,” says Loren Roberts, “I really like this part of the country,” says Roberts.

This event, the first Champions Tour event ever played in Mississippi, was a success long before the first ball was struck on Friday. The Mississippi “Golf Coast” has courses by Palmer, Nicklaus, Love, Pate and McCumber and has 60 miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline. When you add the 11 Casino Resorts and the incredible seafood and cuisine with the Southern Hospitality – you have a destination with a little something for everyone. “I know of no destination in the country that has such a unique set of amenities as the Mississippi Coast – the golf quality of the Carolinas and the attractions of Las Vegas with the weather of Florida and the food of New Orleans – it’s a awesome combination and I am glad the contestants and visitors to this week’s Champions Tour will see it first hand,” says Kevin Drum, Executive Director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Association.

For information go to www.GolfCoast.com or call 866-383-GOLF. For a FREE Golf Package Quote at over 40 hotels, casino resorts or condos go to www.GolfCoast.com/plan-your-trip.  For Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic info go to www.golfcoast.com/champions/. 

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Nicklaus Hosts Champions Tour Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic Monday Pro-Am

 The Jack Nicklaus Designed Grand Bear Golf Club Crowns Tom Wargo Team Winner

Biloxi, MS: The Monday Pro-Am of the PGA Champions Tour Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic hosted by Cellular South had a beautiful day to play Grand Bear Golf Club designed by Jack Nicklaus. The competition will played on the Tom Fazio designed Fallen Oak, but today Jack took his turn to host Champions Tour players like Sandy Lyle, Bob Murphy, David Frost & Bobby Clampett – but Tom Wargo’s team won.

This course is carved out of the Desoto National Forest and it winds around the sandy banks of the Biloxi River in Saucier, Mississippi.  From the lodge style clubhouse to the Grizzly Bear tees – it was a great place for the players unwind with their Cellular South Pro-Am participants and enjoy a “Golf Coast” Mississippi day before playing in the completion.

The Mississippi “Golf Coast” has courses by Palmer, Nicklaus, Love, Pate and McCumber to name a few and has 60 miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline. When you add the 11 Casino Resorts and the incredible seafood and cuisine with the Southern Hospitality – you have a destination with a little something for everyone. “I know of no destination in the country that has such a unique set of amenities as the Mississippi Coast – the golf quality of the Carolinas a and the attractions of Las Vegas with the weather of Florida and the food of New Orleans – it’s a awesome combination and I am glad the contestants and visitors to this week’s Champions Tour will see it first hand,” says Kevin Drum, Executive Director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Association.

For destination golf information go to www.GolfCoast.com or call 866-383-GOLF. For a Golf Package Quote go to www.GolfCoast.com/plan-your-trip.  For MS Gulf Resort Classic Champions Tour info go to www.golfcoast.com/champions/.  

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Three Champions Tour Players Had To Get Through Arnold Palmer Designed Course First To Qualify

Biloxi, MS: The open qualifier for the PGA Champions Tour Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic completed play today at The Bridges Golf Club at Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis.  The field consisted of many recognizable PGA Tour names.  “This must be the toughest tour in the world to play on” said Chris Altese, PGA Director of Golf at The Bridges.  “It is hard to believe you would have players of this caliber competing in an open qualifier.”  Rod Spittle and James “Big Daddy” Mason took two of the three qualifying spots both posting 4 under par 68s to lead the field on this Arnold Palmer layout – one of the many courses dotted along this area nicknames the “Golf Coast.”.  Jay Don Blake, Terry Burke, and Robin Freeman all shot 2 under par 70s in the perfect but breezy conditions and played off for the last remaining spot in this week’s Champions Tour field.  All three players made par on # 10, a 352-yard par four, which continued the play off to # 17, a demanding 426-yard par four.  All players struck perfect tee shots down the middle of the fairway.  Blake and Burke both missed their 20 foot birdie attempts while Freeman center cut his 8 foot birdie putt to move on to the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic field.

The Mississippi “Golf Coast” has courses by Palmer, Nicklaus, Love, Pate and McCumber to name a few and has 60 miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline. When you add the 11 Casino Resorts and the incredible seafood and cuisine with the Southern Hospitality – you have a destination with a little something for everyone. “I know of no destination in the country that has such a unique set of amenities as the Mississippi Coast – the golf quality of the Carolinas a and the attractions of Las Vegas with the weather of Florida and the food of New Orleans – it’s a awesome combination and I am glad the contestants and visitors to this week’s Champions Tour will see it first hand,” says Kevin Drum, Executive Director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Association.

For destination golf information go to www.GolfCoast.com or call 866-383-GOLF. For a Golf Package Quote go to www.GolfCoast.com/plan-your-trip.  For MS Gulf Resort Classic Champions Tour info go to www.golfcoast.com/champions/.  For a complete results of the Monday qualifier go to: http://gulfpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gulfpga10/event/gulfpga1029/contest/1/leaderboard.htm.

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Biloxi, February 17, 2010:  While Mardi Gras celebrations are all over the Gulf Coast this week – the golf industry is celebrating golf tourism bookings being up for spring season.  Golf tourists as far away as Europe are booking tee-times and rooms at area hotels this spring at a pace of 12% ahead of last year. Consumer’s behavior has changed and they are booking so late, this increase could grow.  A recent Golf Digest study found that golfers take 60% more trips and travel 62% more days than the typical affluent traveler and they took an estimated 14 million golf vacations & spent an estimated $22 billion on travel. Based on sustaining that 12% increase, this could mean 3200 more room nights and an additional 2.6 million in economic impact.

When golf visitor’s travel to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, only 20% of those expenditures is on golf, but 80% is spent on rooms at area hotels, dining at area restaurants, transportation at the local airport and entertainment including gaming.”Golf provides a tremendous economic impact and its impact is felt far beyond the golf course,” says Kevin Drum, Executive Director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Association, “Also – golf visitors come from farther away and stay longer than the typical visitor and are an attractive demographic because they are committed to golf tourism even when the economy isn’t doing well,” says Drum. 

The Coast Golf Tourism Partnership, managed by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Association, has over 40 hotels, casinos, condos and golf packagers as associate members. The lodging partners work together with the 14 area golf courses which fund it to increase golf tourism’s economic impact with the support of county and state tourism officials. The golf partnership produces the Official Golf Package Planner of the MS Gulf Coast, the Official Gulf Coast Golf Trail Guide and distributes over 100,0000 yearly under the trademarked brand “Golf Coast” Mississippi. This, combined with attending 16 golf consumer shows in the Mid-West, drives golf visitors to the partnerships web site – www.Golfcoast.com.  This effort has earned the golf partnership over 40 awards for their efforts including “Tourism Promotion of the Year” from Governor Haley Barbour in 2005. “The entire Gulf Coast benefits from golf tourism visitors and our association’s goal has been to increase golf’s economic impact,” says Mike Buckley, President of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Association, “this is a clear sign its working,” says Buckley.  

For more info on the Coast Golf Tourism Partnership or to request a FREE Golf Package Planner or a FREE Golf Package Quote go to www.GolfCoast.com or call 228-374-GOLF.