increased to 18 stories. An additional 246 rooms were eventually added in 1960, with the opening of the Olympic Wing, joining the existing Seahorse Wing. Groundbreaking for the tower eventually took place on October 20, 1962. It was designed by Milton Schwartz, and the opening was pushed back because of design changes. The tower eventually opened in May 1965. It had 510 rooms, bringing the total room count to 960. At 21 stories, it was among the tallest buildings in Nevada. The tower was originally known as Diamond of the Dunes, and was later called the North Tower, following the addition of the South Tower. Construction of the latter began on July 26, 1978, part of a $100 million expansion and remodeling project. The 17-story South Tower was topped off on April 12, 1979, and was opened that December. The second tower was designed by Maxwell Starkman and included 464 rooms, for a new total of 1,282. Golf course The Dunes opened its Emerald Green golf driving range in November 1961. The Emerald Green golf course debuted in 1964, and had its formal opening in April 1965. Since then, the resort was sometimes known as the Dunes Hotel and Country Club, reflecting its golf amenities. The Emerald Green measured 7,240 yards, making it the longest course in Las Vegas. It stretched south from Flamingo Road to Tropicana Avenue, occupying roughly 80 acres along the eastern edge of I-15. Riddle bought the site from banker Jerry Mack and Mel Close, bringing the resort a total of 163 acres. The Emerald Green's closure in 1993 left the Desert Inn as the only other Strip resort with a golf course. At the time, the Emerald Green had seen an average of 65,000 golfers each year, second only to the Las Vegas Municipal Golf Course. It was especially popular among celebrities. The Emerald Green site is now occupied by parts of Park MGM (opened in 1996) and CityCenter (2009), as well as T-Mobile Arena (2016). Sultan and neon sign The Dunes originally featured a 30-foot-high sultan statue above its entrance. The fiberglass statue was created by sculptor Kermit Hawkins. The sultan's turban included a diamond that lit up at night, and which was actually a car headlamp that had been put in place. In 1964, the sultan was moved to the edge of the golf course along I-15, serving as an advertisement to motorists.