Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2018 - 17

* BY DAN SHEPHERD *
T

he Ozark Mountain
region outside of
Branson, Mo.,
is
home to Big Cedar
Lodge,
the world's more
unique golf destinations. Calling it
just a golf destination is like calling
the Mall of America just a mall,
or the " Purple People Eaters " just a
defensive line. Where else will your
green fee get you golf and entry to
the Lost Canyon Cave & Nature
Trail-complete with waterfalls and
an underground bar?
It's the sum of the parts that
makes Big Cedar a one-of-a-kind
golf resort, as one discovers from
the practice range at Top of the
Rock. To the left, excavation crews
dig up hidden treasures at the
" Cathedral of Nature " sinkhole. To
the right, a towering stone chapel
overlooks the fi rst fairway; behind
it, Table Rock Lake stretches to the
horizon beyond. The setting has
even become a popular wedding
backdrop-PGA Tour Champions
player Scott McCarron and Golf
Channel's Matt Ginella both married
their brides here.
Then there's the clubhouse, too
limiting a label for all it includes
(think retail shops, wine and whiskey
bars, event space and wraparound
decks with marvelous views). You'll
even fi nd a replica of the 1,358pound,
then-world-record
black
marlin that Jack Nicklaus caught
in 1978. It's mounted behind
one of
the restaurant bar in Arnie's Barn.
Yes, that Arnie: Palmer befriended
Bass Pro Shops and Big Cedar
Lodge founder Johnny Morris while
designing the Top of the Rock practice
facility, leading to a 150-yearold
barn in Palmer's hometown of
Latrobe, Pa., being disassembled
and reconstructed here by local
Amish craftsmen.
Top of the Rock may take the spotlight,
but the resort has no shortage
of nature-driven attractions and
amenities: spa, marina, nature park,
horseback riding, shooting range,
fun center and accommodations
ranging from grand lodges to luxury
lakeside cabins.
Long
known for world-class
fi shing, Big Cedar only recently
achieved its status as a top spot for
golf. Leading conservationist Johnny
Morris-the visionary behind the
resort-has been crafting courses at
a rate equivalent to going 100 mph
in a 25-mph zone, with some of
golf's top talent behind his designs.
Big Cedar choices include the course
at Top of the Rock, a nine-hole
mindblower that Nicklaus authored
(imagine arriving at the ninth tee
LOST CANYON CAVE
MO 
T CAME LAKE OF THE 
Located in central Missouri, the
Lake of The Ozarks region was
Missouri's fi rst golf destination.
The area is home to 13 courses
by Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf
and Robert Trent Jones Sr.,
among others.
While there are plenty of great
OSAGE NATIONAL
golf options, the community
is also celebrated for its " Lake
Life " -a nice, post-golf complemngolf.org
ment
for people who enjoy fi shing,
boating, kayaking, paddle
boarding, wave boarding and
more. It's also home to Missouri's
largest state park.
For a complete list of Lake of
The Ozarks' 13 area courses
and resort lodging options, visit
golfi ngatlakeoftheozarks.com or
call 1-800-490-8474.
Fall 2018 MINNESOTAGOLFER
17
http://www.ngatlakeoftheozarks.com http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2018

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