Ozarks National at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri (Courtesy of Big Cedar Lodge)
Location: Hollister, Missouri
Noteworthy: Built in the Ozark Mountains, Big Cedar features three courses by top designers: the team of Coore and Crenshaw, Tom Fazio and Woods. Coore and Crenshaw’s Ozarks National ranks the highest, carved atop the highest elevation with holes hugging the mountain ridges. Payne’s Valley, which opened in 2020 and was Woods’ first resort layout in the U.S., didn’t make it into the 2021 Golfweek’s Best rankings because it was too new and hadn’t received enough votes, is a lock to make the 2022 rankings. The resort is also home to two incredibly scenic par-3 course, Top of the Rock and Mountain Top. The resort was developed by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, and many of the considerable offering of amenities and lodgings feature rustic flares on the shores of Table Rock Lake. And there’s one can’t-miss at the resort: Morris designed a bonus 19th hole at Payne’s Valley, a short par 3 at the base of incredible cliffs that has become a social media darling.
Payne’s Valley at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri (Courtesy of Evan Schiller)
The courses:
- No. 33 Ozarks National, 6.94
- T63 Buffalo Ridge, 6.58
- *Payne’s Valley (not ranked yet)
Ranked course average: 6.76
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