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Destination golf and breathtaking views await in Branson
W
HEN YOU THINK OF GOLF TRAVEL DESTINATIONS , the Show Me State might not readily come to mind .
But maybe it should , thanks to world-class golf in Branson , one of Missouri ’ s premier getaways nestled in the Ozarks .
JANET GLASER ( BIG CEDAR )
UNIQUE LANDSCAPE
Honoring the late Missouri native Payne Stewart , Payne ’ s Valley opened last fall as a public-access course designed by Tiger Woods ’ TGR Design firm and has been sold out daily since opening . Its wide fairways and large greens have made the course an enjoyable stop for amateurs playing the area ’ s showcase of top course layouts by such golf luminaries as Gary Player , Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw , Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus .
Big Cedar Lodge , touted as “ America ’ s Premier Wilderness Resort ” and developed by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris , is home to Payne ’ s Valley , along with Ozarks National ( Coore and Crenshaw ), Mountain Top ( Player ), Buffalo Ridge ( Fazio ) and Top of the Rock ( Nicklaus ). The collection of courses at Big Cedar cements its stated goal as the country ’ s next great golf destination in a town long recognized as a mid-America entertainment mecca .
“ The beautiful Ozark Mountains create a unique landscape for our golf courses ,” said Matt McQueary , assistant director of golf sales and marketing at Big Cedar Lodge . “ The different designs by some of the biggest names in golf offer unique courses that look and play very different from one another . With five dramatically different courses , Big Cedar has a golf course for every type of golfer .”
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