New Owner for Shell Landing Golf Club

The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) Division of Tourism recently announced that Florida-based Azur International Inc. has purchased Shell Landing Golf Club, named the No. 5 Upscale Course last year by Golf Digest magazine in its annual “America’s Top 10 Best-New Courses.”

“Shell Landing adds an integral piece to Azur’s resort, as well as its luxury residential development segments,” said Don Goree, the publicly traded company’s CEO. “In addition, its strategic location in the area of Biloxi – the third-largest gaming market in the U.S. after Las Vegas and Atlantic City – provides the benefit of the region’s newest commerce combined with the stability Gautier has as one of the nation’s oldest communities.”

Carl Crawford, vice president of Shell Landing’s golf course operations, says Shell Landing, given its quality and commitment to excellent service, is at the right place at the right time. "With the new Hard Rock coming in, the great golf in this already popular golf-and-gaming destination is only going to continue getting better and better,” said Crawford.

Officials say 82 percent of the company’s revenue comes from out-of-state players. Crawford says the addition of new golf courses in South Mississippi will enhance business for all. For example, the planned Tom Fazio-designed golf course for Beau Rivage, the luxury casino resort located near Shell Landing, is yet another reason golf aficionados will visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“Golf-and-gaming visitors don’t want to play just one golf course, and the more high-quality options available the more visitors are choosing the Mississippi Gulf Coast for their golf trips,” Crawford says.

Mississippi's Gulf Coast boasts some of the finest courses in the Southeast, including: Shell Landing, the Arnold Palmer-designed The Bridges in Bay St. Louis, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Grand Bear in Saltillo near Biloxi, and others.

“We are excited that Azur International Inc. has demonstrated their understanding of Shell Landing’s quality, as well as South Mississippi’s attraction as one of the nation’s premier golf-and-gaming destinations and retirement choices,” says Craig D. Ray, Mississippi Development Authority Director of Tourism.

Located in Gautier, one mile from the Gulf of Mexico, Shell Landing is an 18-hole, par-72 layout that features the area’s coastal beauty and fine conditioning. With TifSport fairways and TifEagle greens, Shell Landing offers open fairways and ample landing areas that merge into large, undulating greens. More than 70 bunkers dot the rolling terrain – unique to the Gulf Coast, with bayous adjacent to a few holes, and piney savannah land with wild sage and wildflowers weaving throughout.

With rare gopher turtles in the property’s extensive, protected natural habitat, Shell Landing mixes tall pines, marshes, bayous and wetlands with rolling hills to frame a challenging layout that is both fun and challenging.

In addition to Shell Landing’s course, which offers five sets of tees ranging from 5,047 to 7,024 yards, the golf club provides:

· Exemplary personal service
· A top-of-the-line, 25-acre practice facility
· Breakfast and lunch offerings served daily
· A fully-stocked golf shop with brand-name apparel and equipment
· Personal bag service/storage
· Pro-line rental clubs
· A clubhouse surrounded by an elevated deck offering panoramas of the course and environs

Playing fees, which include range balls and golf carts, range from $69-$105, depending on the time of year.

Shell Landing is a 5-iron away from casino resorts, including the Beau Rivage, with its wealth of gaming opportunities, shopping emporium, spa and overnight accommodations. Also nearby are the white-sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, fine cuisine, history and heritage, and other attributes, including the area’s unmatched Southern hospitality. Shell Landing is located three miles from the interstate highway and near the Biloxi-Gulfport International Airport, which serves most major airlines.

For more information about Shell Landing, call 866/851-0541 or visit www.shelllanding.com.

For other stay-and-play options in Mississippi, which includes championship courses designed by Tom Fazio, Mark McCumber, Hale Irwin and others, call toll-free 866/801-8551, or visit www.golfmississippi.org to receive a free Golf Travel Guide and suggested itineraries.