California Country Club
My Review
To get to California Country Club in California, Missouri, you take Highway 50 west from Jeff City for about 25 miles. The course is on a gravel road just north of the city of California. How often do city folk get the opportunity to drive on a gravel road, where your car leaves a huge plume of dust in its wake? Ahhhh, the little pleasures of life. California Country Club is just what I had in mind when I decided to play every course in our great state. It is small/medium town Missouri at its finest, except that is is large enough to attract the large franchises, like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, etc. I can always tell a small town has lost its small-town mystique when they have a sushi restaurant. And, that they do. Back to the course. CCC is a great little course with large, beautiful greens. They hold well and roll true. The course is in pretty darned good shape for a small town course. I would be perfectly content playing this course every day. It certainly provides many challenges including a 216 yard par 3 UP HILL. Now, that’s just not fair (but it was probably the only hole I pared on this 9 hole course, after chipping up to within 5 feet of the hole).
Wedgewood Country Club
My Review
Wedgewood Country Club in Cabool, Missouri has good bones but is in need of a little TLC. From the members I have met and talked with, there seems to be a strong sense of community. The members have a long list of things they want to accomplish to improve the course and they are working together to do so, but, like all courses, they have a limited budget. One of the young ladies I met, Donna Jones, is enthusiastic about the course and the membership’s vision for this club.
Butler Country Club
My Review
Butler Country Club in Butler, Missouri is a perfect 9 hole course for this city and community. It provides its members with a great golfing experience and a wonderful gathering place for golfers and non-golfers alike. The course is mature with soft maple and elm tree-lined fairways. The fairways and roughs need a little TLC but the renovated greens are very nice, albeit a little slow. This is also a very walkable course. And, to top it off, the staff is so nice.
Karen Kjar Memorial Golf Course
My Review
I am finding that playing every course in Missouri is much more about just playing golf. It is becoming more about meeting and spending time with the great people of Missouri and hearing their stories. And, playing Karen Kjar (pronounce Car) Memorial Golf Course is definitely one of these occasions. This course is located just south of Buffalo, Missouri located 30 miles north of Springfield. We played with two of the family members of the Kjar family, Jim Kjar and his brother-in-law Curt Darnell who is married to Melissa, Jim’s sister. The patriarch of the family, Owen, built the course on his cattle farm “because he couldn’t get a tee time at the larger courses in the region.” So, he and his family designed the course, nurtured it and still maintain it. Melissa was working the “pro shop” when we checked in but got up at 6 am to water the greens. Curt just in from mowing the fairways. And, Owen was seen all over the course throughout the round seeding and handling many other tasks. This is truly a family business/passion and you can tell that the kids have great respect for their dad. The course is named for their late mother, Karen. The course is an excellent small town golf course. The slope ratings are fairly low, likely because there is not a lot of trouble to get into, even if you wildly spray the ball. No sand traps but lots of water hazards scattered throughout the layout. The 4th hole is a 365 yard dogleg par 4. “Dogleg” is really not accurate because this hole is shaped more like a “U,” with a lake in the middle and strategically-placed trees preventing most golfers from going for the green from the tee. But, this is a crazy and fun hole to play (I got a 7 on the darned thing). The greens are soft with minimal undulation, except the 18th hole which, for my money, is the best green on the course. It seems a young Jim, back in the early 70’s, took the bulldozer when his dad was at work and created a two-tiered green. Owen was not happy when he got home but had to leave the green as it was. Well played Jim. Well played. If you are in the Springfield area and want a break from the top tier, expensive courses in Branson and Springfield, please drive up highway 65 and play the Karen Kjar Memorial Golf Course. Take a little extra time to talk with the family. If the family is out of the pro shop, just leave your green fees in the “Pay Here” box outside the front door. The keys will be in the cart. This course was formerly known as Dream Valley Golf Course.
Top of the Rock Golf Course
My Review
First of all, Top of the Rock is probably the prettiest golf course in Missouri, and quite possibly, the country. With that being said, I thought Top of the Rock Golf Course in Branson was an 18-hole golf course, considering they host an annual senior PGA tournament. In reality, it is an adult fantasy mini golf course and the green fees are $145+. Plus you have to pay $10 just to enter the premises at the front gate. To make matters worse, the course has only 9 holes. This course is owned by Johnny Morris, the $4 billion founder of Bass Pro Shops. And, as with Buffalo Ridge, he spared no expense in designing and building this course. I just can’t figure out its positioning or niche. It really serves no useful purpose. It is too difficult for the type of golfer that would typically play a Par 3 course. And, it is too expensive for an experienced golfer to pay to play a Par 3 course. Their sister course, Buffalo Ridge, is 30% less and is a world class, Par 71 course. Top of the Rock is, though, worth playing at least once. It will blow your mind.
Thousand Hills Golf Resort
My Review
Thousand Hills Golf Resort is a great, short course just off of the main drag in Branson. It is billed as the “World’s Best Par 64.” I guess it is one of the only par 64 courses to be able to make that statement. I am also guessing that the course hosts many tourists that do not know golf etiquette because most greens were pocked with many unrepaired ball marks. As the name implies, the course is very hilly and the designer used these hills to his advantage to sculpt a very playable and fun course. The overall rating was reduced simply because it is shorter than a typical Par 71/72 course. Regardless, it is definitely worth playing if you are visiting Branson.
The Pointe at Pointe Royale Golf Village
My Review
I had a Par! The Pointe at Pointe Royale Golf Village in Branson, Missouri is a community golf course nestled in a gated community, home to a few celebrities. When Andy Williams was alive he lived on Hole 2 (or maybe it was the 3rd hole); his wife still lives there. This Par 70 course requires the use of every club in your bag. While the fairways are narrow you can get by with spraying the ball on many holes. The Pointe, however, is a true test if you want to score well. It was a test that I flunked. After shooting in the low 80’s on every other course in Branson, I had one par on this course, on Hole 16 that had a two-tiered fairway. The course actually had a few very interesting holes. Another facet that I really liked about this course is that it is very well managed. These guys take speed of play so seriously that they have equipped each cart with a tablet that tracks your time and location on the course. If you fall behind you will receive a warning. If you still maintain a slow pace, one of their hired snipers will take you out. The assistant professional, Theo Atchison, played with us and could not have been more of a gentleman and great representative of the course. All in all, The Pointe is a great community golf course that will challenge your game. When scheduling a golf trip to SW Missouri make sure you put The Pointe on the list. I want to redeem myself and will be playing the course next time I am in Branson. My goal? Par two holes.
Ledgestone Country Club at Stonebridge Village
My Review
Ledgestone Country Club at Stonebridge Village in Branson is very picturesque and it has the potential of being a top tier course in Missouri. But, they need to do some work on their rough and fringe grasses, which were a little spotty and inconsistent. None of Ledgestone’s holes were contiguous to any other hole, which could be problematic if you are spraying your ball. Thankfully, the fairways were fairly wide and lush. The greens were medium large and did not break nearly as much as you would think. The greens may be more enjoyable if they added some speed, increasing the Stimp from 9 to a 10 or 10.5. The course has a St. Albans look and feel but is not as well maintained. We really enjoyed playing the par 3 #15, which is one of the steepest (decline) holes in the state. We all hit 2 balls just because the hole was so fun and hard to judge. All in all, I put Ledgestone Country Club at Stonebridge Village as the third or fourth best course in Branson; worth playing if you’ve already played Buffalo Ridge, Branson Hills and possibly Holiday Hills which has a completely different feel than the others.
Holiday Hills Resort & Golf Club
My Review
For Branson standards, Holiday Hills Resort & Golf Club is not extremely hilly. But, it a lovely, playable course that has some very fun holes. The greens are medium-sized and, while not terribly complex, many have two tiers. The course offers a good mix of strategically placed sand and trees; water also comes into play on many holes. I enjoyed Holiday Hills Resort & Golf Club but would not consider it one of the top courses in Branson, Missouri. If you are playing 4 or 5 courses while in town, HH should definitely be considered.
Don Gardner Par 3 Golf Course
My Review
Don GardnerPar 3 Golf Course in Branson is a municipal par 3 course with only 5 actual greens. You play 4 holes more than once from different tee markers. They do not have riding carts as the entire course is about 5 acres. This course is for the beginner golfer so you will see a lot of kids and first time golfers. This is not a course you want to play if you are an experienced golfer, but it is a great place to learn/start.