Branson (MO) Golf Destination Places Multiple Courses on State and National Best-Of Lists

Branson Hills

Six of 10 Courses Cited for their Superior Assets by Golf Advisor in annual Golfers’ Choice Awards

(Branson, Missouri) – Six Branson Golf courses rank among the best courses in Missouri – and one among the Top 50 in America – according to Golf Advisor’s Readers’ Choice 2021 Awards.

More than 265,000 golf course reviews were posted on Golf Advisor last year, enabling the NBC Sports/Golf Channel owned media site to compile its 2021 Golfers’ Choice Awards. Branson Hills Golf Club was voted to the “Top 50 U.S. Courses” list, rating No. 36 nationally. Branson Hills and these five Branson courses were voted to “Missouri’s 25 Best Courses” by golfers, including four of the top six:

- No. 1 Branson Hills (Chuck Smith design with Bobby Clampett)

- No. 4 Mountain Top (@BigCedar, Gary Player design)

- No. 5 Buffalo Ridge (@BigCedar, Tom Fazio-Johnny Morris design)

- No. 6 Top of the Rock (@BigCedar, Jack Nicklaus design)

- No. 16 Ozarks National (@BigCedar, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design)

- No. 23 Payne’s Valley (@BigCedar, Tiger Woods / TGR Design)

Founder Johnny Morris’ Big Cedar Lodge golf courses have rightfully been making news for the past several years due to their high quality and marquee designers, and they’re well represented as all five garnered Readers’ Choice distinction. That Branson Hills was voted No. 1 in the state and in the top 36 nationally further showcases the golf destination’s many critically acclaimed playing options.

“Receiving these best-of rankings from golfers is a good as it gets,” said Branson Hills GM/Director of Golf, Dan Davis, PGA. “Nothing speaks more to other players than seeing their peers recommend great places to play.”

Rated the No. 1 course in Missouri by Golfweek every year from 2012-2017, Branson Hills is a brawny layout that marries beauty, undulating terrain, and a wide array of green complex settings to create 18 holes that are filled with drama and exciting shots. It has several tee boxes to choose from, providing options for every level of player.

Big Cedar Lodge having all its courses voted to “Missouri’s 25 Best” speaks to the collective quality of the award-winning resort’s golf amenities. Several of the courses have been named to a variety of best-in-kind lists, including “Top 100 Resort Courses” (Ozarks National, Buffalo Ridge) and “Top 25 U.S. Short Courses” (Mountain Top and Top of the Rock”). Many expect Payne’s Valley, which opened in September 2020, to receive “Best New Course” honors when that list comes out this year, a distinction Ozarks National garnered from Golf Digest upon opening in 2019.

“We’re thrilled that golfers are excited about Big Cedar Golf courses; we’re selling out tee times fast for 2021, and we encourage players to book rooms and tee times at Big Cedar at their soonest convenience,” said Big Cedar’s Matt McQueary, Assistant Director of Golf Sales & Marketing. 

In addition to the six previously highlighted courses, Branson Golf has four other popular playing options. They include Thousand Hills (Bob Cupp design); The Pointe; LedgeStone (Tom Clark) and Holiday Hills. All are open to the public and close to one another.

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