Branson Hills Golf Club

Branson Golf Thriving; Recognized as 2022 Leading North American Destination

Sustained Momentum Forecast for 2023, More Enhancements Set to Debut

By Brian Weis

Branson Golf - home to 10 extremely diverse yet highly complementary courses in the Southwest Missouri Ozarks - had an exceptional 2022 season that included increased visitors, additional best-of honors, and pervasive media coverage extoling the destination's must-visit status.

The flourishing golf travel venue now claims five of Missouri's top-10 rated courses (and three ranked among the top 100 nationally), and five courses hold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary certification for their sustainability and environmental best practices.

Virtually each course in the destination experienced upticks in key metrics, underscoring the increased number of players who are coming to play here.

At LedgeStone Country Club (Tim Clark design), for example, 2022 was the best year for rounds and revenue in the 29 years the course has been operating.

Branson Hills Golf Club (Chuck Smith and Bobby Clampett) realized a significant increase in membership and merchandise sales, and the golf course was in better shape than ever with faster green speeds and improved rough in high-traffic areas. The club recently installed all new wood flooring in the clubhouse, adding a revitalized look to the upscale club.
Area players and golf travelers are choosing Branson Golf for many reasons, not the least of which are the five courses under the Big Cedar Golf mantle - Payne's Valley (Tiger Woods and Johnny Morris), Ozarks National (Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw), Buffalo Ridge (Tom Fazio and Morris), Top of the Rock (Jack Nicklaus), and Mountain Top (Gary Player).

Big Cedar added a caddie program in 2022, as well as a half-way house at Payne's Valley and a tee-side bar at the bonus 19th hole there. This winter Payne's Valley, Buffalo Ridge and Top of the Rock remain open (weather permitting). Ozarks National and Mountain Top are closed from now until Friday, March 10.

The courses at Thousand Hills (Bob Cupp), The Pointe, and Holiday Hills continue to be player favorites and some of the most popular, particularly for local and regional golfers.

"We've entered a new era with our golf destination and once people come here to experience it, they keep coming back due to the high quality of the courses and our after-golf activities," said Lynn Berry, Explore Branson, Director of Communications. "We look forward to welcoming new visitors in 2023."

The blossoming golf haven is made more captivating thanks to the destination's plethora of complementary other attractions. Three superb lakes offer boating and water sports. Astounding museums - Titanic Branson and Ancient Ozarks Natural History - showcase displays not found anywhere else. Also beckoning are hundreds of restaurants and lodging establishments, dozens of live entertainment theatres, an array of outdoor adventure options, and Silver Dollar City (award-winning theme park).

Most of Branson's courses are open year-round. Call to confirm playing availability via the phone numbers below. For those considering booking stay-and-play packages for 2023, reach out sooner than later as the tee times are filling fast and ahead of time due to the popularity of the golf destination.

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Revised: 01/06/2023 - Article Viewed 3,747 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.