BRANSON, Mo. – Despite growing up in the South, I have never been much of a country music fan. Well, except for maybe Willie Nelson and a couple of others. But most of the rock’n roll-y modern stuff? Nah, not for me.
So I was a little surprised when I got a call a few weeks ago from golf industry public relations executive I’ve known for years inviting me on a golf trip to Branson, perhaps second only to Nashville as a mecca of country music. Branson, he informed me, has made itself into something of a golf destination and the tourist bureau, Explore Branson, is trying to get the word out. Hence, the call.
My initial thought was, “Uh, thanks, but no thanks.”
But then the PR exec sent photos of the courses we’d play. Much-ballyhooed Payne’s Valley, designed by Tiger Woods, was No. 1 on the list. There was also a highly-touted Tom Fazio course called Buffalo Ridge, and a Coore & Crenshaw plum called Ozarks National. Then there was a Jack Nicklaus nine-holer, and a 13-hole walking-only course designed by Gary Player.
Best of all, in my mind, they are all mountain courses. I love mountain golf. I lived in the mountains of Virginia for a couple of years and mountain golf is as distinctive and addictive as seaside golf or desert golf or classic parkland golf, like the courses so plentiful and pleasurable here on the East Coast. How had I overlooked the fact that Branson is in the heart of the Ozarks?
Suddenly, I was all in. The Branson folks had only one expectation of me: If I came, I would write about the experience. I had only one expectation as well: If I came, I would write what I actually thought, with no promise of sugar-coated PR puffery.
Agreed.
What Branson has to show off are 10 resort and daily fee courses within 20 minutes of each other, with an 11th course currently under construction. Five of those 10 courses fall under the umbrella of Big Cedar Lodge, the vast, upscale resort and wilderness conservation sanctuary that is the baby of the area’s favorite local billionaire, Johnny Morris, founder and owner of Bass Pro Shops and, since 2017, Cabela’s, previously its competitor in the outdoor sporting goods industry. Morris, who is still very much alive, vigorous and in charge at the age of 75, is a noted conservationist who has seen to it that each of his courses earned certifications from Audubon International.
There were five of us on the trip (six counting the PR exec) -- all writers and publishers from regional print and digital golf magazines and websites. Besides me, members of the group hailed from Florida, Wisconsin, New England and Michigan. Our handicaps ranged from a low of 3 (not me) to a high of 26 (not me). Nice guys and golf geeks, all, ranging in age from 49 (not me) to 72 (me).
Getting to Branson
Unless you’re arriving by private jet, Branson’s small airport (BKG) won’t do you much good. Only Sun Country Airlines has a handful of commercial flights into Branson, mostly from around the Midwest. All others must fly commercial into Springfield-Branson National (SFG), 50 minutes away in the state capital of Springfield, Mo. Even that is a small airport, however, with only 10 gates, smaller even than Lehigh Valley National or Myrtle Beach. And good luck finding a non-stop flight into Springfield. In my case, I flew through Charlotte going to Branson and Chicago (O’Hare) going home.
The long day of traveling improved when we arrived at Big Cedar Lodge and checked into rustic but luxurious one- and two-bedroom cabins. Nice digs – and all to myself. Sunset was fast approaching but there was still light enough to sit in a rocking chair on the balcony and gaze out over the hills and fairways of Payne’s Valley in the distance below.
For dinner, we headed up to the main Clubhouse and Mountain Top Grill, where we ate many meals over the nex t three days. For me, the choice for dinner was easy – I love patty melts so any time they’re on the menu, I usually order it, even when it’s $26, like this one. I didn’t regret my choice.
Monday
First morning, first round, we got right down to business, teeing it up at Payne’s Valley, the course I had most looked forward to playing.
When it opened in 2020, not long after Tiger Woods quite unexpectedly won his fifth Masters, Payne’s Valley was promoted as an homage to the late U.S. Open winner Payne Stewart, a native son of Springfield. Although it wasn’t the first course Tiger designed, it was his first resort or daily fee course open to the public.
As the crown jewel of the five Big Cedar courses, Payne’s Valley is a sight to behold. The scale of it, the way it dominates and flows across the hillsides and valleys around the hilltop Lodge. No surprise, a round at Payne’s Valley is not cheap. In peak season, from mid-April to the end of October, green fees are $350 for Lodge guests and $450 for non-guests. Even at those rates, Payne’s Valley is booked solid most of the year. (Rates.)
If I had any trepidation about Payne’s Valley, it was whether the world’s greatest golfer could design a golf course intended for us recreational hacks. Could Tiger even remember what it’s like not to be able to carry an approach shot 180 yards over a greenside bunker?
It turns out Tiger was plenty prepared. My biggest take away from the round was that Tiger had conceived holes that certainly appeared intimidating and problematic but in most cases were quite user-friendly and manageable. There were bunkers aplenty, for sure, but it felt like Tiger had strategically placed them so as to be more of a visually menacing than they actually were. Plus, Tiger gave most every green an open front for running the ball up.
Despite heavy play, Payne’s Valley was one of the most immaculate, well-conditioned courses I have ever played. Even on the tees on par 3s, it was hard to find divots, and I don’t think I saw a single fairway divot the whole day. (Days later, back home, I watched YouTube videos from the early days of Payne’s Valley and the course wasn’t nearly so well-conditioned back then.)
(YouTube: No Laying Up at Payne’s Valley)
(YouTube: Tiger’s first resort course)
19th Hole
When Tiger got finished, there was enough leftover land for Johnny Morris to envision what Golf.com described as an “insane” par 3 bonus 19th hole. Measuring from 88 to 134 yards, it begins from an elevated tee and plays down to a generous island green. It’s an unforgettable hole to play, but the difficulty of the actual shot takes a back seat to the surrounding rock formations.
After you putt out and climb into your cart, what comes next is an unbelievable drive through rocks and tunnels, across small waterfalls, around hairpin turns, back up to the mountaintop clubhouse. Even though it doesn’t count, the 19th is the most memorable hole.
(YouTube: Payne’s Valley 19th hole)
Niicklaus’ 9-hole, par 3 course
From Payne’s Valley we shuttled to nearby Top of the Rock, where Arnie’s Barn, a 150-year-old structure from Arnold Palmer’s property in Latrobe, Pa., has been transported, reassembled and expanded into a massive clubhouse-restaurant overlooking Table Rock Lake. It is also the site of the Jack Nicklaus-designed 9-hole course, Top of the Rock. If there was an unexpected highlight to the day – indeed, to the trip – it was this course.
Although it’s all par 3s, Top of the Rock is neither short nor a pushover. The holes range from 142 to 202 yards. The elevation changes make Top of the Rock impossible to walk but they also make for some breathtaking views and testy tee shots.
(YouTube: Top of the Rock)
I’ve played a few top-notch 9-hole, par 3 courses, most notably Pine Valley’s 10-hole par 3 short course, designed by Tom Fazio and ranked by Golfweek as the No. 1 par 3 course in America. Golfweek ranks Top of the Rock as No. 8. It is the only par 3 course to be included as a venue on the PGA Champions Tour. If you ask me, Top of the Rock should be ranked higher.
Dinner at Osage
Dinner that night was at one of Big Cedar Lodge’s premier restaurants, Osage, at Top of the Rock, which is, as the name suggests, at the top of a rock (mountain?), with spectacular views of Table Rock Lake. Each evening at sunset, resort guests and diners are treated to a solemn enactment of a military cannon-firing, complete with a loud ka-boom and billows of smoke.
The view from the mountaintop restaurant is nothing short of dazzling, with its commanding view of the lake, the hills and the golf courses below. You’d have a hard time finding a better spot to watch a sunset.
Osage Restaurant, like Payne’s Valley, is not cheap. Of course, if you didn’t gulp at the room rates, or the green fees, you probably won’t blanch at the prices on the menu. Osage earned its reputation as a steak house so I naturally ordered the 8-ounce filet, medium rare. It cost $68. The filet was good -- not $68 good. A Caesar salad was $16. Soup, at $17, felt overly indulgent, so I passed. Wine was $14 a glass. (Osage dinner menu)
Tuesday Buffalo Ridge
In the same way that Steven Spielberg directs big-budget blockbuster movies, Tom Fazio designs big-budget, blockbuster golf courses, among them Buffalo Ridge at Big Cedar. Fazio’s courses take possession of a piece of land -- in this case, more hills and hillsides, jagged rock formations, ponds, creeks, streams, waterfalls and dramatic shifts in elevation.
It opens with a downhill par 5 with a fairway as wide as an eight-lane highway. What follows is a magnificent piece of land and Fazio spares no expense in carving his imprint into the landscape, with his signature sweeping, sloping fairways, dungeon-like fairway bunkers and greens that can make you look like a fool.
(YouTube: Buffalo Ridge)
True, there are people who hate those kind of courses, which they argue are just too much, too over the top. Those people tend to like more subdued, walkable courses, and they regard Fazio as the worst offender when it comes to excesses. Personally, I like Tom Fazio courses, including this one. So do plenty of other golfers, based on the rankings of Fazio’s many courses in magazine Top 100 lists. Fazio courses have a familiar sort of Fazio feel. Buffalo Ridge is no exception.
Fazio was also impressed by the piece of land he was given to work with. Right there on the Buffalo Ridge website, there’s a quote from Fazio: “This property at Buffalo Ridge is even grander than what anyone can imagine. I’m shocked…Every time I come here is am amazed.”
That night for dinner at the Mountain Top Grill, I opted for lighter fare – crab cakes and a Caesar salad. Let’s just say I’ve had better crab cakes but it was still a good call.
Wednesday
The third of our Big Cedar courses was Ozarks National, a Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design that was named Best New Public Course in the country by Golf Digest in 2019 and Best You Can Play in Missouri by Golfweek in 2020. LINKS magazine includes it as one Coore & Crenshaw’s 10 best public courses.
Coore & Crenshaw are among the most revered and in-demand architects working today (along with Fazio, Tom Doak and Gil Hanse). Closer to home, Coore & Crenshaw designed Hidden Creek GC at the Jersey Shore; elsewhere, they are responsible for a slew of top-rated courses, including Cabot Cliffs, Sand Hills, Streamsong Red and three at Bandon Dunes)
Given those successes, if you had told me going in that I would rank their course third among the three Big Cedar courses we played, I might have been skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, Ozarks National is absolutely top-drawer. Set among imposing limestone formations, boulders and enormous sinkholes, the course skips across mountain ridges, providing yet more stunning views and vistas. Really, there is not a bad view on the course.
(YouTube: Ozarks National)
After three comfy nights in the Payne’s Valley Golf Cottage at Big Cedar Lodge, we checked out Wednesday morning before we headed for Ozarks National. Next stop, after golf, the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel. Located between historic downtown Branson and modern, waterfront Branson Landing, it’s an alternative lodging option for those not staying at Big Cedar.
As nice as the Big Cedar Lodge cabin was, the room at the Hilton was hardly a step down. My top-floor room with a picture window view turned out to include a living room, kitchenette, bedroom, and two bathrooms, one with a hot tub and walk-in shower. I don’t believe I have ever had a hotel room with two bathrooms.
That night, we ate at the Hilton’s restaurant, a steak house called Level 2. Again, at the recommendation of the chef, I went for the filet mignon. This 9-ounce filet was in a different league from the one two nights ago. Melted in my mouth. It was, no exaggeration, one of the best steaks I’ve ever eaten. (Level 2 dinner menu)
Thursday
On our final day of golf, we set out for nearby Branson Hills Golf Club. After three days playing the resort courses at Big Cedar, Branson Hills felt more like a first-class but ordinary daily fee golf course. There’s nothing ordinary about it.
(Course video)
Designed by Chuck Smith and former PGA Tour player/CBS broadcaster Bobby Clampett, Branson Hills opened in 2009 as Payne Stewart Golf Club, as a homage to the native son. Back then, before they started building courses at Big Cedar, Payne Stewart GC/Branson Hills was ranked as the No. 1 Course in Missouri by Golfweek for seven straight years. While it’s not cheap (in-season peak rates are $160), it’s certainly cheaper than the Big Cedar courses.
Like every course we played, the personality of Branson Hills’ is a function of the topography, which is, after all, the Ozarks Mountains. The Ozarks, with a peak elevation of about 2,500 feet, are much smaller mountains than the Rockies (14,400 ft.) or even the Blue Ridge Mountains (6,600 ft.). The Ozarks are more on the scale of the Poconos (2,500 ft.).
Overview
Until this golf trip, I knew almost nothing about this part of the country. I’d passed through once or twice but I had no sense of the place. I’d watched every episode of Ozarks, the popular Netflix series, but, truth be told, that show is filmed outside of Atlanta.
On this five-day trip, I got a better look. I liked the place and the people. Branson is as Middle America as it gets. Although Branson is only minutes from the Arkansas state line, it didn’t feel like the Deep South, where I lived for the first 25 years of my life. And much to my surprise, I got through the trip without having to actively avoid country music.
The golf was great. I wouldn’t call Branson a full-blown golf destination on the order of, say, Pinehurst, Myrtle Beach or Bandon Dunes. But Branson has a six-pack of wonderful courses and another four or five that won’t disappoint. Big Cedar Lodge and Top of the Rock were, well, top of the rock.
