30 (Public) Fallen Oak at Beau Rivage

March 5, 2014

I arrived for my business trip to Mississippi one day early so I could play Fallen Oak Golf Course. It is part of the MGM Resorts private golf clubs and to play it, you have to stay at an MGM property at least one night to reserve a tee time. One thing to note if you are going to be in Mississippi and give it a go - It is approximately 17 miles from the Beau Rivage. Unless you are a high roller, no transportation is provided so you are going to have to find a ride or take a taxi. The taxi ride is roughly $50, so be prepared for the extra expense.

Upon arrival you are met with the closed gates of the private club.

The weather was pretty good on this day. It was very overcast but there was no wind and it was mid-50s. There was also no rain which was good fortune since it had poured the previous two days.  The course was waterlogged for sure and quite a few balls plugged during the round.  There were only a handful of cars in the parking lot and I saw no one out on the course.

The course was also in immaculate condition.  I also noticed they were setting up a good many temporary tarps, spectator stands, and pavilions. In the pro shop, I asked what they were preparing for and was advised they were hosting the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic tournament for the Champions Tour on March 17-23.  Hearing this, I knew the round was going to be a great experience since it was tournament ready.

The new flags that were found on each hole.

After checking in and picking up a logo ball, I made my way to the range. There was another single player here and we struck up a conversation while hitting some balls. Lee is a great guy from North Carolina. He seemed to have as much passion as I do for golf and mentioned playing college golf in his youth. I failed to ask which college. Playing with Lee made the round much more enjoyable and we talked about everything from golf to football to food. Thanks for the company Lee! I look forward to a possible round or two at Pinehurst in November!

The driving range was even very well maintained and manicured.

There is a special area with bunkers that mirror exactly what a player is going to find on the course.

And the course has a great area to practice 60-70 yard shots to a practice green opposite the range.

After warm up and stretching, Lee and I drove to the first tee box. The practice area was nice. The first hole was even better!

A view from the tee box to the #1 fairway.

The first fairway is paralleled by a creek on the left side. Approximately 200 yards down, it turns to the left and follows the creek to the green. There are also bunkers on the left that you want to stay away from.

A look at the #1 green from 110 yards out.

The approach shot to the 1st green is over water. There are also a few bunkers on the right side to be aware of as well.

A look at the #1 green from 75 yards.

As you get closer to the green, you notice it slopes to the left towards the water. The pin position on this hole (and several other holes) was located just behind a bunker on the edge of the green, making a par here even more difficult. This can be a very difficult approach shot and the first hole definitely prepares you for what is going to be a challenging round of golf.

A look down the #2 fairway from the tee box.

 The second drive is a blind shot into a gradual uphill fairway. The fairway turns slightly left once over the hill and slopes down slightly towards the green. The shot here is just to the right of the bunkers, catching the hill, and giving you a straight look into the green.

A look into the 2nd green from 100 yards out. 

The greens are tricky at Fallen Oaks and the second green was my first experience with how tough they really were. There were some greens that gave an illusion of breaking right and would break left. Others looked as if they had a break but rolled straight. There is a reason that the course is rated 76.5 and 142 from the tips, and 71.7 and 138 from the middle where we were playing from.

A look at the #3 green from the tee box.

Hole 3 is an average length par 3 (168 yards from the middle tee box). It is completely over water that butts up almost to the edge of the green. It's a very difficult landing, however, as the green slopes back to the water.

A look down the fairway from the #4 tee box.

Number four fairway is straight for approximately 220 yards before turning right towards the green. The fairway slopes right and the ball can easily roll down into the bunkers along the right side.

A look at the middle of the fairway, just before the turn to the green.

 If your drive slices, or even fades a bit, there is a fair chance you are going to end up in the right side bunker. If you find yourself in there, it is going to be a very difficult task to score a four and make par.

A closer look at the right side, fairway bunker.

A look into the #4 green from 75 yards out.

 The approach to the green can be challenging, especially if you go right. There is a deep bunker on the front right that is going to take par out of the picture most likely.

A look at the flag from below the right front bunker.

Number five is a very long par 4, measuring 488 yards from the tips.

A look down the fairway from the #5 tee box.

A long, straight drive will serve you well here. You want to stay away from the left. The bunkers on the left side, somewhere between 210-230 yards, are deep and unforgiving. Once you hit to the center of the fairway, the fairway turns left towards the green.

A closer look at the left side, fairway bunkers.

I love playing in the south because of all the old oak trees normally found on the courses.

The large oak tree on the right side of the fairway isn't going to come into play unless you slice your shot. I still took a photo of it because I absolutely love the big oak trees found on southeast U.S. golf courses.

A look at the #5 green from 120 yards out.

 The number 5 green is sloped to the left towards the lake on the back left. The best play here is to hit it to the right center and let the ball roll down towards the hole.

A look down the fairway from the #6 tee box.

Number six is an interesting par 5. It slightly doglegs right before turning back left, in a S-type of shape. It isn't a severe dogleg, but the distance of the turns can make your drive or approach shots run out of the fairway, and the placement of the bunkers add an extra challenge to consider.

A look down the fairway at the first turn to the right.

A look from the first turn on the right side of the fairway.

When the fairway turns right, the first thing you will probably notice is the large tree that hangs over the right side of the fairway. From the photo above, you can see my drive drifted right and made for a very difficult second shot.

A closer look at the right side fairway bunker.

At the turn of the fairway, there is a bunker that can be problematic since you still have 250 yards or so to the green.

The bunker in the center of the fairway, just in front of the green.

As the fairway slopes up towards the sixth green, there is a final bunker to cause problems. If you have a decent backspin on your shot, there is a chance your ball can land on the edge of the green and roll back the bunker pictured above.

A look down the fairway from the #7 tee box.

Number seven can be a tricky hole. If you hit your drive far enough, you have a straight look into the green and the water is taken out of play. It is only 330 from the tips and 305 from the middle tees, so it is possible to drive this par 4 if you are a very long hitter. However, as pictured below, if you are an average hitter, your second shot is going to be a tough shot over water, with a steep sloping edge of the green that runs into either water or a bunker.

A look into #7 green from 130 yards out.

A look at the #8 green from the tee box.

Number eight is the second par 3 hole of the front nine. Like hole #3, it is a hit across water. However, to get to the pin, you have to clear water and some very deep bunkers in the center and left side of the green. There is green that sticks out to the right of the bunkers, but it is going to likely leave you a putt of more than 40 feet depending on the pin placement.

A look down the fairway from the #9 tee box.

Number nine is a slight dogleg left. Bunkers come into play on the right side of the fairway. Past the bunkers, there is a sever slope that runs down into the lake. Depending on the height of the rough, your ball may stop just short of the water.

A closer look at the right side fairway bunkers.

A look into the #9 green from the fairway.

There is plenty of green to land on at #9. But, if you end up in that right side bunker, you are looking at a six foot hill to get up and over before putting.

A look down the fairway from the #10 tee box.

Number 10 fairway runs uphill, back downhill, and again uphill to the green. There are also smaller hills through the middle of the fairway that are going to create many challenging second shots. You can see some of these in the photo below.

A look into the #10 green from 150 yards out.

The #11 tee shot is a blind tee shot. You just have to trust yourself to hit it straight and put your faith in the golf gods to give you a fair roll.

A look down the fairway from the #11 tee box.

The 11th fairway has some larger hills that run along the right side, and house several deep bunkers. If your ball is along the right, you will also have partially obstructed views to the green as seen below. The play is definitely to the left side of the fairway, which will give you a straight shot into the green.

A look into the #11 green from 175 yards out.

My photos of #12 all turned out blurry unfortunately, so we will skip to #13.

Number 13 is a long par 5 (575 yards from the tips) that doglegs left at 200-220 yards. If you can cut the corner, it is going to make your second shot much easier, and is going to shorten the hole, making for a very possible GIR.

A look down the fairway from the #13 tee box.

A look at the turn and the slope up to the #13 green.

As the fairway slopes gradually uphill, both sides are dotted with bunkers. Just like every other bunker, these are fairly deep and going to make par a very difficult number to record.

A look into #13 green from 120 yards out.

As you approach the green, you notice the front edge slopes sharply downhill into a deep bunker. Again, the pin placement is behind the bunker and on the edge, making for a very difficult landing zone.

A look back down the #13 fairway from the green.

One thing that struck me as we made our way around the course is that as we got to the green, I would look back down the fairway and see just how difficult, but beautiful, the golf course really was. Lee pointed out to me that a lot of top notch architects build their courses in a similar manner. They view the course from the green to tee instead of the other way. It makes sense and I will probably read about it in some of the golf course architect books I have picked up.

A look at the #14 green from the tee box.

Number 14 is a tricky par 3. It is downhill to a very hilly green. The left half is surrounded by a large bunker. If the wind isn't blowing, it is a great chance to pick up a stroke as long as you don't go right. The right side of the green slopes fairly steeply back to the fairway and can easily take away a GIR.

A look down the fairway from the #15 tee box.

Number 15 is a massively long par 5, measuring 604 from the tips. The fairway turns right at about 300 yards, still leaving a lot of grass between you and the gree

A look into the #16 green from 200 yards out.

Another bunker that slopes sharply down into several green side bunkers is your reward for finally reaching the green at number 15.

A look down the fairway from the #16 tee box.

Number 16 is a dogleg right. It isn't particularly hilly, and the bunkers are only going to come into play if you slice. In my opinion, #16 is probably the easiest hole on the course.

A look into #16 green from 60 yards out.

Number 17 is a long par 3, measuring 240 from the tips. It also runs slightly up hill, making it an even longer shot. The bunker on the left side is probably not going to come into play. The bunker on the right, however, runs right next to the edge of the green. 

A look at the green from the #17 tee box.

The 18th hole is very picturesque as it takes you home. The fairway gradually slopes down and left towards the green. There are bunkers the follow the left midsection of the fairway before giving way to a lake. The green is flanked on the left and right by bunkers, and further left by the lake. The namesake of the golf course, Fallen Oak, is also found on the right side of the fairway, just before the turn to the left.

A look down the fairway from the #18 tee box.

A closer look at the bunkers along the left side of the fairway.

A look at the fallen oak from the fairway.

A look at the fallen oak from the cart path. 

 The fallen oak isn't a completely fallen tree. A large branch on the right side of the tree fell to the ground years ago. I was advised by the staff that it wasn't any recent storm, such as Hurricane Katrina, that caused the large section of tree to fall to the ground.

A look into the green from 150 yards out.

All in all, I think Fallen Oak is ranked appropriately at #26 on the public list. I am surprised it hasn't found its way onto the top 100 in the U.S. I think it can compete against any of the courses ranked 90-100 on that list.

Overall, it is definitely worth a play if you find yourself on the gulf coast of Mississippi.