Branson/Lakes Area Courses Earn “Top 100 Courses You Can Play” List Honors

(BRANSON, MISSOURI) – Buffalo Ridge Springs and Branson Hills earned top placements in GOLF Magazine’s biennial 2016-17 “Top Courses You Can Play” by state course rankings, determined by a panel of experts who review courses throughout the country.

To determine the best-in-state list – subtitled “The Best Courses Near You” – GOLF Magazine raters scrutinized thousands of courses in numerous categories to yield aggregated numerical ratings.  Buffalo Ridge Springs (No. 1) and Branson Hills (No. 3) took two of the top three positions in Missouri, making the Branson/Lakes Area the go-to destination for upper echelon golf.

“This distinction for Branson/Lakes Area courses helps people understand the high quality of our golf,” says Lynn Berry, Branson/Lakes Area CVB director of communications.  “Buffalo Ridge Springs and Branson Hills are the tip of the iceberg.  Other area courses include LedgeStone, Thousand Hills, Pointe Royale and Top of the Rock, to name some, and there are two more under construction that are scheduled to debut in 2017 and 2018.”

A “Top 100 Public Course” in America upon its debut in 1999, Buffalo Ridge Springs re-opened in 2014 after a nuanced transformation guided by visionary conservationist and owner Johnny Morris with course architect Tom Fazio. Adding new approaches, water features and bunkers, Morris and Fazio redesigned the layout to bring players in close contact with nature, including native grasses, rock outcroppings and free-ranging buffalo from nearby Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.

Along with the Jack Nicklaus-designed Top of the Rock – which Hall of Famer Gary Player calls “the best par-3 golf course in the world” – Buffalo Ridge Springs is a host course each spring for the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge.

The layout at Branson Hills – formerly known as Payne Stewart Golf Club – meshes water, hardwoods and undulating terrain into a scenic, scintillating round. The clubhouse displays museum-like tributes to golfers who established their playing excellence in Missouri, including Payne Stewart and Tom Watson.

The course was designed by Chuck Smith with consultation from Bobby Clampett, currently playing on the PGA Champions Tour and commentating on CBS Sports golf broadcasts.

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