Ozarks National, Buffalo Ridge Rate as Top Two Public Courses in State by Golf Digest Ranking Panelists

Ozarks National

Ozarks National also Garners Status as one of “America’s 200 Greatest Courses” in Esteemed Biennial List

(BRANSON, MISSOURI) – Golf Digest rates Ozarks National and Buffalo Ridge as the state’s top two public courses in its just-released “America’s Greatest Courses by State, 2021-22” compilation.

Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and Tom Fazio and Johnny Morris, respectively, Ozarks National and Buffalo Ridge are two of five golf courses at Big Cedar Lodge, the stunning wilderness resort in southwest Missouri.

Ozarks National was also rated No. 155 – out of approximately 15,000 total – in the national magazine’s “America’s 200 Greatest Courses,” which was also just released. 

To arrive at its ranking of Best Courses by State and America's 200 Greatest Golf Courses, Golf Digest panelists play and score courses on these eight criteria: shot options, challenge, layout variety, distinctiveness, aesthetics, conditioning, character, and fun.

This latest distinction follows a similar result for Ozarks National from GOLF Magazine via its biennial “Best Courses in Every State, 2020-2021.” Ozarks National ranked third out of five courses listed for Missouri, the only public course that was included.

These aren’t the first top rankings for Ozarks National, which garnered “Best New Public Course in America” upon opening in 2019. Earlier this year – along with three other Branson Golf venues – it was rated No. 1 in Missouri by Golfweek. Buffalo Ridge, Branson Hills (Chuck Smith-Bobby Clampett) and LedgeStone (Tom Clark) joined it to hold four of the state’s top 10 spots, including the top three.

“Branson has long been appreciated as an ideal place to escape for fun vacations and a variety of recreational activities and attractions,” said Lynn Berry, Director of Communications, Branson CVB. “That’s truer than ever now that the golf destination is home to 10 wonderful public courses that are all near one another and hold a number of best-in-kind accolades.”

Branson’s six other courses include Payne’s Valley (Tiger Woods) which opened in September 2020; Top of the Rock (Jack Nicklaus); Mountain Top (Gary Player); Thousand Hills (Bob Cupp); The Pointe; and Holiday Hills.

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