Five Branson Courses Voted Best in Missouri Including Top Four in State

Destination Shines in ‘Golfweek’s Best’ Annual Rankings

(BRANSON, MISSOURI) – Golfweek rates Ozarks National, Buffalo Ridge, Branson Hills, and Payne’s Valley as the top four courses in Missouri in that order and LedgeStone at No. 7 in its annual compilation of the nation’s finest courses by category. 

Ozarks National (Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw course design) and Buffalo Ridge (Tom Fazio and Johnny Morris) also garnered distinction in the “Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play in America” list that was included in the just-published 2022 Golfweek’s Best compendium, ranking nos. 49 and 82, respectively.

“We’re thrilled that our destination’s golf options are so highly regarded by Golfweek raters,” said Lynn Berry, Explore Branson, Director of Communications. “Considering there are roughly 17,000 golf courses in the United States, to have five of our 10 courses recognized as ‘best-in-kind’ demonstrates why golf travelers should consider choosing Branson for their next getaway.”

To determine the Golfweek’s Best rankings, the media outlet’s international course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them using 10 criteria on a 10-point scale. The raters also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce a cumulative rating for each course, which is then ranked against other layouts.

Branson Hills (Chuck Smith-Bobby Clampett), Payne’s Valley (Tiger Woods) and LedgeStone (Tom Clark) complement Ozarks National and Buffalo Ridge as top-ranked playing options. 

Branson’s five other courses are Top of the Rock (Jack Nicklaus), Mountain Top (Gary Player), Thousand Hills (Bob Cupp), The Pointe, and Holiday Hills. Top of the Rock and Mountain Top are award-winning par-3 courses, a welcome addition in golf trips where players tee up 18-holers in the morning, then add afternoon “short course” rounds. Thousand Hills has often earned “favorite course” status among area golfers, while The Pointe and Holiday Hills provide additional popular playing options. 

The two short courses and Ozarks National, Buffalo Ridge, and Payne’s Valley are amenities of Big Cedar Lodge.

All 10 courses in the destination are located near one another as well as hundreds of restaurants, lodging options, and after-golf attractions. Branson is the No. 3 rated tourism destination in America according to Trip Advisor, a place where live entertainment theatres, lakes, museums, a world-famous theme park (Silver Dollar City), and family friendly activities proliferate.

For more information about Branson Golf, visit www.explorebranson.com/golf, Instagram (@ExploreBransonGolf) or Facebook (@BransonGolf).