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Harrah's
Casino Tunica
By
Tim Baines
Great
golf, great food, great history, great
gambling and great music. It's a tough
combination to beat when you're looking
for a reasonably priced vacation this
winter.
And
while it may not be quite warm enough
for you to strut around in your Speedo,
the winter weather in Tunica, Mississippi
is warm enough to give you an opportunity
to try out one of its wonderful golf
courses, with recent improvements
making them even more impressive.
Just
30 minutes south of Memphis (yep,
Elvis is still alive and well, in
spirit, anyways, at Graceland), Tunica
is the South's Casino Capital, with
nine world-class casinos, so there
are plenty of pleasant distractions
after your golf round.
"Tunica
is a great vacation, you're getting
all of the elements of the southern
experience," says Claire Pittman,
public relations manager for the Tunica
Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We
average 15 millions visitors a year
and our goal is to bring in new visitors."
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| Harrah's
Guest Suite |
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| Harrah's
Paula Deen Buffet |
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| The
Links at Cottonwoods |
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| Tunica
National |
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At
the centre of the excitement
is Harrah's Casino Tunica, formerly
the Grand Casino Resort Tunica,
which recently finished a $45-million
renovation, including the addition
of the Paula Deen Buffet (Deen
is a Food Network star).
"The
grand opening was truly an exciting
event and the excitement hasn't
left the building since that
day," says Ricky Busey,
acting GM of Harrah's Tunica.
"From hotel check-in to
our interactive gaming floor
to our innovative and delicious
new dining outlets, we are delighted
to provide our guests a complete
and unique entertainment experience.
Harrah's Tunica is a premier
entertainment experience with
options for everyone.
"We
are proud to be able to offer
the first-ever Paula Deen Buffet,
a Scottish Links-style golf
course, a sport shooting range,
three hotels, one indoor and
three outdoor swimming pools,
an RV park, a 2,500 seat event
centre, and a convention center
with 40,000 square feet of meeting
and banquet facilities."
Of
interest to poker players is
the World Poker Tour stop at
Harrah's Jan. 20-Feb. 9.
The
Links at Cottonwoods, owned
by Harrah's, was voted a Top
40 Casino Course by Golf Digest.
In the past year and a half,
$250,000 has been sunk into
course improvements. During
the current off-season, you
can grab a round, including
cart, for as low as $49 and
tax.
Stan
Genty, course architect with
Hale Irwin Golf Design, put
together a plan to return the
layout to its original design,
removing trees.
"We
have removed 90% of the originally
planted 2,500 trees and added
60 acres of native grasses to
provide players a true links
golf experience," says
Matt McNeil, Cottonwoods' director
of golf. "Removal of the
trees opens the course up to
brisk winds rolling across the
unprotected Mississippi Delta.
The winds partnered with our
water hazards and sand bunkers
make pars at the Links at Cottonwoods
a premium."
River
Bend Links, designed by
Clyde B. Johnston, features
lakes, sand and grass bunkers
and strategically placed mounds.
You may see deer, fox or wild
turkey in your day on the course.
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More
than 110 mature trees have been added
to Tunica National, according
to the course GM, former PGA Tour
player Bob Wolcott. "The trees
that are new to the course are having
a profound effect," he says.
"They lay out a border and frame
many of the holes, providing a nice
backdrop to the greens."
Named
by Golf Digest in 2007 as one of the
best golf courses in the country not
owned by, but nearby a casino, Tunica
National features an 18-hole public
course, six-hole Par 3 practice course,
a circular driving range and a Golf
Training Academy. The Mark McCumber-designed
course is in its sixth season is challenging,
but with the changes, golfers are
able to better judge their approach
shots. A $25-million project will
also put a community around the golf
course, with 600-700 new homes and
600 apartments/condos planned.
"If
people haven't played our three golf
courses, I'd invite them to experience
the championship level courses,"
says Webster Franklin, president and
CEO of the Tunica Convention and Visitors
Bureau. "For visitors who've
played in Tunica, I invite them to
come again to be amazed at the differences."
There's
plenty more to do on your trip to
Tunica. With a rich history of blues
music in the area, the Mississippi
Blues Trail winds through Tunica.
Legends such as Son House, the father
of folk blues, and James Cotton are
saluted with markers. Within the next
two years, the Visitors Center will
be converted to a Blues Visitors Center.
Also, the BB King Museum is in Indianola,
1 1/2 hours south.
And
you can check out the RiverPark Museum,
an extensive, one-of-a-kind interactive,
interpretive centre that showcases
the legend and the life of the Mississippi
River and its history. From the Tunica
RiverPark's architecturally stunning
new overlook, you'll enjoy a view
of "America's River" up
close.
If
you're on a budget, winter is a good
time for a visit. "From November
to February, you may have to bring
a jacket, but the golf courses are
open," says Pittman. "But
there are some great deals. Hotels
run promotions and you can get a five-star
room for $40 or less from Monday to
Thursday. Their goal is to fill up
rooms. It goes up on weekends when
they have a 100% occupancy rate."
If
you're looking for a place to stay,
golf or just want more details on
Tunica, visit www.TunicaMiss.com.
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