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First, for those who have been around for awhile, there has always been a disconnect between Big Cedar Lodge, including Wilderness Club, and Branson. There is a history of derogatory comments made by Big Cedar guests regarding Branson. And vice versa on the Branson forum
Big Cedar is located just south of Branson in a rural area known is Ridgedale. As Branson proper has been floundering during the recession, trying to find it's new identity and direction, Johnny Morris has been busy acquiring properties and attractions around Big Cedar. On another forum I am referring to that area as Morrisburg.
First, of course, there is Big Cedar Lodge, a wonderful destination on the Long Creek arm of Table Rock Lake. It is a huge resort sitting on most of Big Cedar Cove. Then, as we all know, Mr. Morris added the Wilderness Club timeshare, an excellent Bluegreen-affiliated resort.
We have had a casual connection with Big Cedar for almost 20 years. The first lake house we looked at was next to them on Big Cedar Cove, our boat came from Big Cedar's fleet in 1998 because they replaced their deckboat fleet with the new Tahoes just a couple months after our boat's fleet was put into service, and I/we used to meet with Wilderness Club guests for lunch and Devil's Pool.
Then, The Cliffs at Long Creek, which started about the time of the recession. I know that because the main contractor, and the developer at Stonebridge Village, is now toast, and long gone, with bajillions of dollars of judgments.
Recently Mr. Morris acquired the marina and campground at the end of Long Creek Road, and I have been unable to uncover how that came about (since that is Army Corps of Engineers property and lakefront stuff is highly controlled).
A couple years ago Mr. Morris acquired Paradise Point, a condo/timeshare development on the next point from Big Cedar. We used to stay at a B&B called Red Bud Cove, so can date exactly when Paradise Point started, since it's water treatment plant is immediately across the property line from it. When we were house-hunting in 1997, one of the houses we looked at was the only house that is now inside the Paradise Point gates. At that time there was only one condo building. PP has been a timeshare, a Christian-themed vacation destination, and now, part of Morrisburg.
Over our way, Dogwood Canyon, a 10,000 acre nature park, has long been part of the Bass Pro/Big Cedar holdings.
Golf is Mr. Morris' latest venture.
When The Payne Stewart Golf Club opened (Grand Opening June 6, 2009) the talk was that a Champions Tour event would be coming to the area. My answer was that not until a local sponsor stepped forward with the $5-10 million it takes to sponsor one of those events. For the last couple of years, the rumor has been that Mr. Morris was going to buy The Payne Stewart Golf Club from HCW, the firm that developed the Grandvista timeshare brand, and sold it to Wastegate in order to develop Branson Landing.
A very nice Par 3 course, and fine dining destination, Top of the Rock, has been part of Big Cedar Lodge. In 2005 they had a major fire, and in 2006-ish, it was closed for rebuilding. It has been closed since, Mr. Morris never being pleased with it's state of reconstruction.
Not far from Big Cedar is a floundering, 7000-acre development named Branson Creek, into which a man named Glenn Patch has dumped his personal fortune. Branson Creek included two of Golfweek's Top 5 Courses You Can Play in Missouri, Branson Creek and Murder Rock (John Daly's). Branson Creek is also home of the floundering money-pit, Branson Airport, a private airport just 50 miles from the area's regional airport.
Last Fall Mr. Morris bought Branson Creek and Murder Rock, and has obviously involvement in the Branson Creek development. They were immediately closed, and Branson Creek re-named Buffalo Ridge.
Next week the Legends of Golf Champions Tour will be played on Mr. Morris' courses, with celebrities from golf, fishing and NASCAR purported to be in attendance. The Legends of Golf is the tournament that launched the Champions Tour and had previously been played in Savannah, GA. It folded when it's sponsor, Liberty Mutual, pulled out from what had been the longest running sponsorship in sports history.
The advertising and hoopla has been intense the last month.
It should also be noted that in this same area, adjacent to Branson Creek and the Branson Airport, is a defunct NASCAR-style race track, which was approved over the vehement public objections of local property owners, the most outspoken and public being Big Cedar/Johnny Morris. That project made it as far as scarring the landscape before it went under, with much litigation, Branson-style. Could a race track again be in the offing?
I can't post on the Internet a lot of what I know, but that's the version for the public.
Big Cedar is located just south of Branson in a rural area known is Ridgedale. As Branson proper has been floundering during the recession, trying to find it's new identity and direction, Johnny Morris has been busy acquiring properties and attractions around Big Cedar. On another forum I am referring to that area as Morrisburg.
First, of course, there is Big Cedar Lodge, a wonderful destination on the Long Creek arm of Table Rock Lake. It is a huge resort sitting on most of Big Cedar Cove. Then, as we all know, Mr. Morris added the Wilderness Club timeshare, an excellent Bluegreen-affiliated resort.
We have had a casual connection with Big Cedar for almost 20 years. The first lake house we looked at was next to them on Big Cedar Cove, our boat came from Big Cedar's fleet in 1998 because they replaced their deckboat fleet with the new Tahoes just a couple months after our boat's fleet was put into service, and I/we used to meet with Wilderness Club guests for lunch and Devil's Pool.
Then, The Cliffs at Long Creek, which started about the time of the recession. I know that because the main contractor, and the developer at Stonebridge Village, is now toast, and long gone, with bajillions of dollars of judgments.
Recently Mr. Morris acquired the marina and campground at the end of Long Creek Road, and I have been unable to uncover how that came about (since that is Army Corps of Engineers property and lakefront stuff is highly controlled).
A couple years ago Mr. Morris acquired Paradise Point, a condo/timeshare development on the next point from Big Cedar. We used to stay at a B&B called Red Bud Cove, so can date exactly when Paradise Point started, since it's water treatment plant is immediately across the property line from it. When we were house-hunting in 1997, one of the houses we looked at was the only house that is now inside the Paradise Point gates. At that time there was only one condo building. PP has been a timeshare, a Christian-themed vacation destination, and now, part of Morrisburg.
Over our way, Dogwood Canyon, a 10,000 acre nature park, has long been part of the Bass Pro/Big Cedar holdings.
Golf is Mr. Morris' latest venture.
When The Payne Stewart Golf Club opened (Grand Opening June 6, 2009) the talk was that a Champions Tour event would be coming to the area. My answer was that not until a local sponsor stepped forward with the $5-10 million it takes to sponsor one of those events. For the last couple of years, the rumor has been that Mr. Morris was going to buy The Payne Stewart Golf Club from HCW, the firm that developed the Grandvista timeshare brand, and sold it to Wastegate in order to develop Branson Landing.
A very nice Par 3 course, and fine dining destination, Top of the Rock, has been part of Big Cedar Lodge. In 2005 they had a major fire, and in 2006-ish, it was closed for rebuilding. It has been closed since, Mr. Morris never being pleased with it's state of reconstruction.
Not far from Big Cedar is a floundering, 7000-acre development named Branson Creek, into which a man named Glenn Patch has dumped his personal fortune. Branson Creek included two of Golfweek's Top 5 Courses You Can Play in Missouri, Branson Creek and Murder Rock (John Daly's). Branson Creek is also home of the floundering money-pit, Branson Airport, a private airport just 50 miles from the area's regional airport.
Last Fall Mr. Morris bought Branson Creek and Murder Rock, and has obviously involvement in the Branson Creek development. They were immediately closed, and Branson Creek re-named Buffalo Ridge.
Next week the Legends of Golf Champions Tour will be played on Mr. Morris' courses, with celebrities from golf, fishing and NASCAR purported to be in attendance. The Legends of Golf is the tournament that launched the Champions Tour and had previously been played in Savannah, GA. It folded when it's sponsor, Liberty Mutual, pulled out from what had been the longest running sponsorship in sports history.
The advertising and hoopla has been intense the last month.
It should also be noted that in this same area, adjacent to Branson Creek and the Branson Airport, is a defunct NASCAR-style race track, which was approved over the vehement public objections of local property owners, the most outspoken and public being Big Cedar/Johnny Morris. That project made it as far as scarring the landscape before it went under, with much litigation, Branson-style. Could a race track again be in the offing?
I can't post on the Internet a lot of what I know, but that's the version for the public.
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