Mississippi Gains Recognition from Golfers as the Nation's Most Popular, New Destination
From Staff Reports
JACKSON, MS (Aug. 19, 2002) -- The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) Division of Tourism today announces that golf-tourism revenue has increased 60 percent the past two years, the result of the state's growing status as the country's most popular, new destination by avid golf travelers.
Attractions contributing to Mississippi's growing popularity as the preferred golf-and-travel destination are:
• Great year-round weather and direct flights from major carriers;
• More than 155 courses that offer all price points and design varieties in five distinct regions;
• New and existing courses designed by top golf course architects that garner national recognition;
• More affordable courses than other comparable U.S. golf destinations;
• World-famous gourmet cuisine, blues music, and luxurious casino resorts offering star-studded shows;
• Family-themed attractions offering everything from parks and beaches;
• Widespread acclaim from the annual PGA Tour golf tournament held in the state capital, Jackson; and,
• History and architecture, including stunning Antebellum Era mansions turned award-winning B&B venues.
A free Golf Travel Guide is available to travelers by calling 800.927.6378.
"Golf travelers are discovering Mississippi offers much more than great golf," says Robert J. Rohrlack Jr., the MDA's Executive Director. "Visitors tell us they love complementing unique golf experiences in Mississippi with trips to our new casinos, our world-famous music, our delicious restaurants, and our heritage, history and architecture."
The state's five, diverse topographical and cultural regions are:
• The Delta - birthplace of the Blues and comprised of Northwestern flatlands;
• The Hills - home of gently rolling, Northeastern landscapes;
• The Pines - located in the Central-East part of the state and blanketed with quiet forests;
• The Capital/River - with its winding waterways and rich history in the state's Central-Southwest; and,
• The Coastal - located in the South and featuring the Gulf of Mexico's sparkling water and beaches.
Golf-course architects represented in Mississippi are Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Davis Love III, Jerry Pate, Tom Fazio, Arthur Hills, and Hale Irwin. Representative golf courses are Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, host of the 1999 U.S. Women's Open won by Julie Inkster; award-winning Dancing Rabbit at Pearl River Resort and Casino in Philadelphia; and the Nicklaus-designed Grand Bear Golf Club in Gulfport near Biloxi.
Currently a dozen new golf courses are being developed and will open in the near future.
"We've experienced tremendous golf-tourism growth the past two years as people begin to understand the golf-destination diamond we are," says Rohrlack. "We have committed the resources necessary to inform the public and invite people to experience Mississippi's great golf."
Mississippi Development Authority Retains PR Firm to Optimize State's Growing Golf Tourism
JACKSON, MS (Aug. 14, 2002) -- The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) Division of Tourism today announces it has retained Vienna, Va.-based Buffalo Communications, the leading golf-and-tourism publicity and media-relations company in the industry, to capitalize on the momentum generated by the growing number of golf travelers discovering the state's many attractions.
"We've experienced tremendous golf-tourism growth the past two years, and working with Buffalo Communications will help us continue this upward trend," says Robert J. Rohrlack Jr., the MDA's Executive Director. "We have committed the necessary means to ensure that avid golf travelers are aware of Mississippi's growing reputation as a premiere golf destination which also offers attractions for the entire family."
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Buffalo Communications, a division of Billy Casper Golf, which operates or owns more than 30 golf courses and country club properties nationwide, is creating and implementing a comprehensive, external communications program to present Golf Mississippi to the golf-and-travel trade and consumer media. Buffalo is strategically positioning and securing editorial coverage to let avid golf travelers know the details of Mississippi's multiple, affordable golf-and-vacation attractions.
Mississippi's golf-tourism revenue has increased substantially the past two years. This is a result of convenient airline access as virtually all major carriers serve the state, and Mississippi's growing status as the country's most popular, new golf destination by avid golf travelers.
The state features luxurious casino resorts and world-class entertainment, great year-round weather, and five, diverse topographical and cultural regions which offer distinctly different golf-travel opportunities:
• The Delta - birthplace of the Blues and comprised of Northwestern flatlands;
• The Hills - home of gently rolling, Northeastern landscapes;
• The Pines - located in Central-East Mississippi and blanketed with quiet forests;
• The Capital/River - winding waterways and rich history in the state's Central-Southwest; and,
• The Coastal - located in South Mississippi and featuring the Gulf of Mexico's sparkling water and beaches.
Representative golf-course architects in Mississippi include Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Davis Love III, Jerry Pate, Tom Fazio, Arthur Hills, Mark McCumber, Hale Irwin, and Bob Cupp. Many of their in-state designs have earned "best-of" status from top, national golf publications.
A free-by-request, one-stop-shopping Golf Travel Guide providing suggested itineraries and contact information is available to golf travelers by calling 800.927.6378.
About Golf Mississippi
Mississippi is America's most popular, new golf destination. Some of the game's greatest names have sculpted masterpieces across the state. In addition, the state offers historical architecture, world-class entertainment, fantastic restaurants, sparkling casinos, and perfect beaches that appeal to avid golfers and families alike. For more information and to receive a Mississippi Golf Guide, call 800.927.6378.
