Forbes Ranks Branson (Missouri) No. 4 in its 'Top 10 Best Places to Travel Now During the Pandemic'

Destination's 10 Golf Courses and Other Activities Enable Safe Recreation and Social Distancing

By Brian Weis

Both the golf industry and Explore Branson - the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the town and surrounding area in the southwest Missouri Ozarks - reported better than expected numbers in 2020, a trend that has continued into 2021. Now Forbes is doing the same.

It recently published its "Top Ten Best Places In America To Travel Right Now And Avoid The Pandemic," and Branson is ranked No. 4 in the country. To compile this list, Forbes overlaid more than half a dozen maps and criteria like the CDC COVID Data Tracker, the Harvard-Brown COVID Risk Level Map, and TripAdvisor reviews, including current case counts, population density, average weather, public health guidance, proximity to outdoor activities, and drive times from at least two major American metropolises. It also looked at new cases per 100,000 people, 7-day rolling averages, total cases, and total deaths to assess the current coronavirus infection risk relative to historical trends dating back to the beginning of the pandemic.

That Branson fared so well in the Forbes' compilation was an inspiring reinforcement, given that the study results mirrored state and regional trends and case numbers. The destination is known for its lakes, live entertainment theaters, family friendly atmosphere, and increasingly its rising-star golf destination. Golf plays a key role in Branson's safe Forbes' rating, given there are 10 courses, all of which provide inherently safe havens simultaneously enjoying recreation with friends whilst practicing social distancing.

"This list of best places to safely travel couldn't come at a better time for Branson," said Lynn Berry, Director of Communications, Branson Convention & Visitors Bureau. "With the weather becoming more pleasant by the week, our world-class golf destination, incredible hotels, resorts, restaurants and many other attractions are well-suited to provide guests with fun, safe, and memorable experiences."

Branson has a variety of exceptional golf courses that are close to one another, hold critical acclaim, and offer great restaurants, lodging, and after-golf diversions. The newest - Payne's Valley by Tiger Woods - is brand new and just recently opened for its first full season. Four other Branson courses are rated among the top 10 in Missouri - Ozarks National (No. 1), Buffalo Ridge (No. 2), Branson Hills (No. 3), and LedgeStone (No. 7). Additionally, Ozarks National and Buffalo Ridge were honored as "Top 100 Courses You Can Play in America," ranking nos. 64 and 83, respectively (out of roughly 13,500 U.S. playing venues).

Thousand Hills (Bob Cupp design), The Pointe, and Holiday Hills complete Branson Golf's roster of 10 courses, and each has earned appreciation for their playability and value.

For more information about Branson Golf, visit www.explorebranson.com/golf or www.facebook.com/bransongolf

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Revised: 03/24/2021 - Article Viewed 9,569 Times

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.