Somewhere in the Missouri Ozarks, on the shores of Table Rock Lake, Johnny Morris decided to build a world-class golf resort. He hired Tiger Woods for the flagship course, Coore & Crenshaw for the second, Arnold Palmer and Tom Weiskopf for the third, and Jack Nicklaus for two short courses. Then he opened all of it to the public.
Payne's Valley is the hook — Tiger Woods' first public design, named for Payne Stewart, with an optional 19th hole that drops to a peninsula green in Table Rock Lake. But Ozarks National might be the better round: Coore & Crenshaw walking the Ozark hills, building greens that reward the ground game, keeping everything natural and strategic where Payne's Valley is theatrical. Four genuinely distinct course experiences on one resort. The question isn't whether Big Cedar is worth the trip — it's which rounds to prioritize and how many days to stay.
Dogleg's Pick Courses
Where to Play
In order of conviction. Every course on this list was chosen deliberately.
Payne's Valley
$175+Tiger Woods' first public course design, opened in 2020 and named for Missouri native Payne Stewart. The routing through the Ozark hills is everything you'd expect from a designer with something to prove — dramatic elevation changes, risk-reward par-fives, and a bonus par-3 19th hole that turns a match into sudden death. The finishing stretch is the best Tiger has produced, and the views of Table Rock Lake on the back nine earn every dollar of the green fee.
Ozarks National
$175+Coore & Crenshaw at their most natural — 18 holes that read like they were always there. The routing uses the hills and hollows of the Ozarks without forcing anything, which is the Coore & Crenshaw signature. Bunkers are ground-level and strategic rather than decorative. The greens reward a ground-game player. This is the course that the serious golfer in the group will want to replay.
Buffalo Ridge Springs
$100–$175The original championship course at Big Cedar — an Arnold Palmer/Tom Weiskopf collaboration from 2004 that set the standard for what the resort would become. It plays along the ridgelines above Table Rock Lake with views that rival the newer designs. More traditional resort golf than Ozarks National or Payne's Valley, but well-conditioned and a good warm-up round for the trip.
Top of the Rock
$100–$175Jack Nicklaus's nine-hole par-three course is one of the best short courses in the country — and the only par-3 course on the PGA Tour's schedule (it hosted the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf). Every hole has a view of Table Rock Lake. The caddies know the lines. Play it as an evening round on arrival day or as a morning warm-up. It's short in distance, not in quality.
Top of the Rock — Jack Nicklaus's nine-hole par-3 course is one of the best short courses in the country and the only par-3 course to ever appear on the PGA Tour schedule. Most groups skip it in favor of more 18s. Don't.
Where to Stay
Lodging Picks
Ranging from splurge to smart. Pick based on what the group wants and how much time you'll actually be at the hotel.
Big Cedar Lodge
$$$The resort itself is the right base — Adirondack-style architecture on a ridge above Table Rock Lake, with cabin options that sleep large groups and hotel rooms that are better than they need to be. The property is owned by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, which means the fishing, the woodwork, and the taxidermy are all taken seriously. Walk to the courses. Eat at the resort restaurants. You don't need to leave until checkout.
Where to Eat & Drink
The Right Restaurants
3 picks across the full range — the big dinner out, the post-round decompress, and the morning before an early tee time.
Devil's Pool Restaurant
upscale resortThe signature dining room at Big Cedar, built into the bluff above Table Rock Lake with floor-to-ceiling windows and a menu that takes the Ozarks larder seriously. Order the trout. The wine list is better than it has any business being at a Missouri resort. Reserve ahead — it fills on weekends.
Hemingway's Bar & Grille
casual lakeside barThe lakeside casual option at Big Cedar — a proper bar with a fireplace, solid food, and the kind of outdoor seating that makes you stay longer than planned. Good for a post-round debrief with the group before cleaning up for dinner.
Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum
cultural detourNot a restaurant — but worth an hour between rounds. Johnny Morris built this museum as a genuine natural history institution with Ozark artifacts and a scale that defies its Branson surroundings. Attached to Top of the Rock and free to resort guests. Better than you're expecting.
Beyond the Course
When the Group Needs a Break
All of these are mandatory.
Table Rock Lake Guided Fishing
The lake is the reason Big Cedar was built here, and the bass fishing is legitimately world-class. Full-day guided trips run year-round through the resort's outfitters. If half the group golfs and half angle, this trip works better than most golf trips do for mixed groups.
Book this experience →Silver Dollar City
The Branson theme park that holds up even for adults — 1880s Ozarks theme, genuine craft demonstrations, and an excellent craft beer selection for a family park. Take exactly one evening for it. It's 15 minutes from the resort and the kind of experience you only get in this part of the country.
Pro Tips
Before You Book
Payne's Valley is the bucket-list round, but Ozarks National is the one serious golfers want to replay — book both.
Play Top of the Rock on arrival evening or as a morning warm-up. It's a true 9-hole par-3 but plays like a proper round.
Book lodge rooms or cabins on-site. Proximity to the first tee is worth the premium.
The 19th hole at Payne's Valley is a par-3 tiebreaker with a drop to a peninsula green in Table Rock Lake. Don't leave without playing it.
Silver Dollar City in Branson is 15 minutes away and worth one evening — theme park with genuine Ozark craft demonstrations and decent beer.
Dogleg's Advice
Most groups treat Payne's Valley as the main event and everything else as support. Flip the order: play Ozarks National first while you're fresh and trying to score, then give Payne's Valley the day it deserves with no scorekeeping pressure. And play the 19th hole at Payne's Valley regardless of your score on 18. It's one of the most theatrical moments in American public golf.
What to Know
Go April through October. The Ozarks are legitimately beautiful in fall foliage season (late October), and spring after the rains puts the course conditioning at its peak. Fly into Springfield (SGF) or Branson (BKG) — both are under an hour to the resort. Everything is on-site: golf, dining, fishing, lodging. You genuinely don't need to leave.
Who This Trip Is For
✓ Best for
- →Bucket-list groups checking off Tiger's first public design
- →Mixed-skill groups — four very different course experiences accommodate all handicaps
- →Midwest groups within 4 hours who want a resort trip without flying
- →Groups who want a fishing day alongside the golf
✕ Not for
- →Groups chasing nightlife — this is a resort, not a city
- →International travelers with limited North American golf options
- →Groups who want a wide range of off-course city entertainment
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