Golf Weekend in Branson

Yes, it's known for being Nashville west, but if the Baldknobbers, Mel Tillis, and company aren't your cup of joe, get out your clubs! There's a variety of courses here, from the highest end (Tom Fazio) to the lowest, and more are on the way.

The best course in the area is Fazio and Troon Golf's Branson Creek, open for 5 years now and always ranked as Golf Digest's top course in Missouri (see my IgoUgo review). A second 18 is slated here soon. The site is beautiful, the course is fair but tough, and the experience is great. It's in season on weekends ( on weekdays) and can go as low as with twilight rates.

The other contender for best course in the area is LedgeStone, at the StoneBridge Village. In the end we passed, but all reviews are good and it comes highly recommended by some friends who play all over the country. Green fees here are (cart included).

If you like scenic, and you don't mind par 3, try Top of the Rock at Big Cedar Lodge. The course is actually east of the Lodge, just off US 65 and north of the intersection with Highway 86. The restaurant there burned down last year, but the course--the world's only Nicklaus designed par 3--takes the same advantage of the site on the bluff overlooking Table Rock Lake. You pay a little for the privilege-- for 9 holes and  for 18 (which means playing the same holes twice). Being a guest at Big Cedar (either at the Lodge or at the Wilderness Club) knocks only off those rates.

Pointe Royale was the first "championship" course in the area (an overused word in my book). Located on the far west side of Highway 76, it's another option for the higher end courses. It features Bent grass fairways and Bermuda greens, and winds through the heart of one of Branson's largest condominium developments. I've stayed, but not played, there, but the course was in fine shape during my visit last summer. For non-guests, green fees are .

Holiday Hills (see my review) is playable, affordable ( at twilight rates), and a touch of an older Branson. Thousand Hills (review here) is pretty, non-standard, and too tight for my taste.

Quick Tips:
If you're in the Springfield area, all these places are little over an hour away. If you're coming in from that direction, consider playing Rivercut on your way down. The high-end option of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board's three courses, this is a bargain at . Designed by Ken Dye, and opened in 1998, it's challenging, pretty, and long (7066 yards from the black tees, 6019 from the whites). The signature hole is the 611-yard 10th (or 533 if you're playing from the white tees), which winds all the way along water on the left.

If you're driving, and it's mid-morning or later, do your best to stay off Highway 76 through Branson. That's the main drag where the majority of theatres, restaurants, and outlet malls are located. The new Ozark Mountain Highroad, Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, US 65--stick to these.

Best Way To Get Around:
Ya gotta have a car. It can be 40 minutes to an hour to move from one side of Table Rock Lake to the other, and the courses (Point Royale, Branson Creek, Thousand Hills, LedgeStone, and Holiday Hills) are spread all over the area. It's an hour from Springfield down to the south end of Table Rock Lake (Ridgedale, where Big Cedar is located) but can be nearly as long from one side to the other.

The premier resort in the Branson area, Big Cedar Lodge opened this partnership with Bluegreen Vacation Club in the late 1990s. Located on the southern end of Table Rock Lake, it's just over an hour from the Springfield airport, but it feels like you've headed a lot further into the country. Having been to other Missouri destinations (such as Lake of the Ozarks), I don't think there's a place in the state that can top it. Rack rates here are pricey, but they work hard to make sure you feel it's worth it.

Three large lodges are complete, with equal numbers of studio and one-bedrooms. There's also a few dozen two-bedroom stand-alone cabins, and three newly finished three-bedroom cabins. The whole complex has a consistent, and nicely executed, wilderness lodge theme, with timber architecture and hunting and fishing decor. I don't hunt or fish, but I'm still comfortable with the design choices. (Your room will certainly have a deer head or two in it, though).

Everything here has been done well: the rooms are spacious, the furnishings luxurious, and the lodges have been situated to give each room's balcony a view out over the lake. The 1BRs have a full kitchen (which we didn't use too much, given how late we finished golfing each day). Each room is provided with coffee, and the cookie lady stops by nightly just after dinner time (they'll be left on your bedstand if you're not in at the time). The staff are helpful and friendly. The lodges have several gas grills outside for use, and each cabin has one on its own private balcony.

I've stayed here a lot for short family trips, but this was the first time I came here for a golf trip. Three of us stayed in a one-bedroom and found it more than adequate. The living spaces are generous, the bathrooms large, and the towels fluffy. It made a great center for our two nights in the area, and is especially close to Branson Creek, the Troon Golf course that is one of the state's premier courses. If you stay at Big Cedar, you can get a 25% discount at Branson Creek, but you MUST book through Big Cedar (we didn't understand that, and paid full freight).

You won't be disappointed with the accomodations here. (A fire at Top of the Rock, the perfectly situated rock home atop the bluff that was a great restaurant, has knocked out the best dining option--it was about 2 miles away with free shuttle--but the on site restaurants are also good.) It isn't in Branson--that's a good 20 minutes away--but nothing in Branson is this nice. Once you're here, you'll won't want to leave.

As the whole country knows, this area has exploded in the last two decades. The Ozark Mountains made this, in many ways, a rather remote area for a long time, but the construction of Table Rock Dam and the resulting lake changed all that. Coupled with Branson's emergence as a national center for country music, it's a major vacationland.

In response, dozens of timeshares and condos have been built in the area. I've stayed at four, including three with a golf course. All do a lot of daily rental business, and all are reasonable places to stay.

Each has a kitchen, living room, separate bedrooms, Jacuzzi, cable TV, etc. That's especially nice if you're travelling with a family. Branson isn't a place to come for fine dining anyway (however, that's improving), which is largely in keeping with its target audience. Decor wise, it's a bit of a lottery, since you're staying in a place that's been decorated by an owner, according to their particular taste.

Pointe Royale: 158-A Pointe Royale Drive, Branson; (800) 962-4710
This is the oldest of the complexes, I believe, as well as the most extensive. It's also an RCI Gold Crown resort. The development and golf course wind around each other, and there are multi-floor, multi-unit condos as well as separate homes. The 1 bedroom unit we stayed in was pleasant enough, but nothing special. It will probably need updating soon. The rates here were roughly $110 per night in peak season. As a guest, you're entitled to nearly $20 off the standard rate of $65 for 18 holes. If you really want to play this course a lot, guests can play a week of unlimited golf with cart for $200.

Falls Village: 200 Creekside Road, Branson; (888) 318-3111
A Bluegreen Vacation Resort, Falls Village is located on the far west side of Branson. I stayed here in the summer, with a family group, in a combination 1 bedroom/studio combination. The construction is relatively new, and the rooms were in very good shape. The space was oddly divided, with the 1 bedroom almost too large, and the studio a little tight. The 1 BR featured a large screen TV, CD and DVD player, balcony, and very pleasant bedroom with a king-sized bed.

Thousand Hills: 245 S. Wildwood, Branson; (800) 864-4145
Thousand Hills is located in the center of Branson, with condominiums along the edges of the golf course. The 2 bedroom I stayed in was spacious, with a very nice kitchen, well-separated bedrooms, and a large living area. 1 bedroom in peak season start at around $110, and they have units as large as 4 bedroom that sleep 10.

StoneBridge: 50 Stone Bridge Parkway, Branson West; (866) 332-1373
This was probably the nicest of the group, with stone fireplace, well-planned layout, the nicest view of the four, and also the best golf course (rain kept us from playing). Unfortunately, the accompanying timeshare sales pressure was also the most obnoxious. (I got to miss most of it, although my host suffered).

Apparently not affiliated with the national Outback chain, this restaurant/pub/hotel complex offers good steaks and seafood. One of the few places open past 10 in Branson, even on Friday, we had a good meal here. As the name says, the rough-hewn wood construction and decor, and the haphazard layout, are supposed to evoke the Australian backcountry.

Who knows if it's authentic, but it didn't interfere with the food or service. We were all in the mood for a steak after golfing, and the rib-eyes and sirloins were good. There's a short list of American and Australian wines. Branson isn't teeming with terrific restaurants, and you can do a lot worse than this place.

There's music in the restaurant, which ended shortly after we were seated. If you're in the mood to hang around afterwards, the pub in the middle of the parking lot appears to be crowded all the time. We started on the patio but moved into the tiny and cramped downstairs to hear a terrific three piece band covering Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Golden Earring, Tom Petty, and anything else they could kick through. Don't miss the Levee Breakers if they come to your town.

My group doesn't play the highest-end courses very often, but I was anxious to play here. A Tom Fazio/Troon Golf facility, it opened in 2000 to rave reviews and immediately topped Golf Digest's list as the best course in Missouri, a distinction it's never lost.

By the time you get here (it's more than a few miles east of US 65, south of Branson), you realize you're not going to be in the middle of a big traditional golf community. Fazio and company picked out a wonderful piece of property and have made the most of it. Several vantage points on the course are the highest around and give you fabulous views over the layout and miles and miles besides.

I've never had a better course experience. The layout makes beautiful use of the Ozarks terrain and is challenging but fair. None of the holes are compromises--each plays well and asks you to be accurate, but doesn't penalize you if you're not dead perfect. My brothers, who were visiting from major metropolitan areas (one involved in golf for a living), said he'd never played anywhere better. The features that make the Ozarks topography so distinctive are all incorporated here: the rough terrain, limestone bluffs, waterfalls. All the fairways and greens were in tremendous shape. Nobody scored well here, and while I won't say we didn't care about it, it wasn't the only important thing about the day.

At $98, the whole experience, staff included, was definitely worth it. The only thing out of place is the temporary clubhouse, still housed in a large trailer. But from the practice tee on, everything else is done just right. If you play golf and make it to this part of the country, don't miss it.

P.S. You can play here for $75 as a guest at Big Cedar Lodge, but you must have the Lodge reserve your tee time.

Right smack in the middle of Branson, this course does manage to make you forget that for a while. Laid out along a small river valley between two ridges, the course is pretty and well maintained. From many of the holes, you see nothing but the course itself--and the many rocks and trees that line its fairways.

It's a par 64 layout of Zoysia fairways and bentgrass greens, with only one par 5. It's very tight throughout and values straight drives above all. If that's not a regular part of your game, you may find it frustrating and might just want to pass. If you hit the fairway regularly, your enjoyment will go up dramatically.

It's well maintained and popular. The standard fee is $62 for 18, but it's easy to get cheaper rates by teeing off late, early, or using coupons. The carts do include GPS. You can play all day for $69, but after spending more time in the Ozarks woods than we wanted, we passed on that option.

This is the old Branson--a course on the east side of the river built in 1938 by a pro from Chicago who fell in love with the area and the land. It has some neat history, which is showcased in the pro shop and is an enjoyable, unpretentious, and reasonably priced place to play.

The terrain here is relatively flat for Branson. It was expanded to 18 holes and rebuilt about 10 years ago. With the exception of two holes (11 and 12, I believe), the course is traditional, fair, and pleasant. Some holes run through the woods, others are fairly open, and a few have water in play. It's par 68/slope 118 and very playable.

We ended up here on Friday afternoon, looking for a place to play 18 as the sun set. The twilight fee was $29, and we got 16 holes in after teeing off at 4:30pm. We enjoyed it so much that we skipped some other options to come back and play for $29 the next afternoon, figuring we'd be spending the big bucks at Branson Creek to finish up the next day.