Golfing in Ridgedale, MO

[Thirsty Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Thirsty]

I am looking for a inexpensive round of golf. I am going to BC with my family and my 2 sons want to golf. They have only golfed once so we don't need a nice course.

They are planning on shagging lots of balls before we go so will won't be slowing down other golfers.


Thanks
Mike

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

As I reported last week in a BCWC thread, their Par 3 course and top-notch restaurant, Top of the Rock, has been closed for a couple a years for remodeling after a fire.

We were by it last week, after hours, and although they have built large berms so that outsiders cannot see into that property, and have closed off access from HWY 65 which is being upgraded, it is being worked on. We were by it twice yesterday during working hours and saw work taking place. There's not telling what they are doing to it, but whatever it is it is being done in typical Johnny Morris style.

So, don't count on playing it.

Also, I would not recommend Executive Timbers, a development by Branson Log Homes on 86 HWY exactly at the road the leads to BC. It includes the worst golf course in the area, the old Oakmont course, which was closed because it was so bad. As part of the new log home development, the course had been reopened with snythetic greens. That develpment is affiliated with II.

For novice golfers I would recommend either Holiday Hills, east of DT Branson of HWY 76 or Thousand Hills in the heart of things on Wildwood Drive just off Green Mountain Drive. Those two courses are exactly that, resort courses for novices. As such they play very slow and can be exasperating for regular golfers. You can find discounts or coupons for both.

The more forgiving of the two is Holiday Hills. Even duffers can get around it without getting too frustrated. Their policies keep changing, but I would say 2-fer-$60.

There is a lot of very rough rough at Thousand Hills which can spoil your mental state really quick. That starts on the first hole where your tee shots crosses the creek and some of that rough rough, and really never ends.

The next step up is Point Royale, nicer than either of those, by tighter, and a tad pricier. I was in their clubhouse two days ago when we went over to spend time with Topeka Tom and Barb. Guest rate is $49, but you can find discounts for it, too.

Point Royale and Holiday Hills are moderate scale resort/condo/timeshare developments and gated, sorta.

The next step up is a big step, Ledgestone at Stonebridge and Branson Creek, south of Hollister not far from BCWC. Ledgestone has gone private but the public still seems to be able to get on for a price. Branson Creek is very upscale but is still operating out of a modular for a clubhouse and a tent for a cart shack.

You can expect to give up a body part (like an arm or a leg) to play Ledgestone or Branson Creek.

Ledgestone is my favorite course. It is tough but duffers can get around it if they don't try to be a hero.

On sleepless nights instead of couting sheep I play golf in my mind's eye. I can play Ledgestone and Holiday Hills from first tee to finish, but have never had to to fall asleep.

I shoot par or better when I am trying to fall asleep.

If you need a fourth or would like me to check current info, let me know.

.

[RedMan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RedMan]

I am looking for a inexpensive round of golf. I am going to BC with my family and my 2 sons want to golf. They have only golfed once so we don't need a nice course.

My 9 year old son and I played at the Don Gardner Par 3 at the City of Branson Community Center. It was the first time my son had played other than going to a practice range. It's about a ten to fifteen minute drive from BC. The course is 9 holes and you play every hole twice except for the first. The cost was $15 for the two of us. It's cheaper than that for local residents. You can rent a pull cart for a couple of bucks but no golf carts. You wouldn't need one anyway. It was usually not very crowded and we never had to wait to tee off. Great for beginners but it can be tricky. We left a few balls in the drink!!

Good Luck

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

There you go, a very well-kept secret.

It is in the vicinity of 248 and HWY 65, to the east of that interchange, the first left and down a steep hill. It is next to the recycling center and City of Branson Maintenance shop.

Not far from Branson Landing, Skaggs Hospital and Roark Resort.

My 9 year old son and I played at the Don Gardner Par 3 at the City of Branson Community Center. It was the first time my son had played other than going to a practice range. It's about a ten to fifteen minute drive from BC. The course is 9 holes and you play every hole twice except for the first. The cost was $15 for the two of us. It's cheaper than that for local residents. You can rent a pull cart for a couple of bucks but no golf carts. You wouldn't need one anyway. It was usually not very crowded and we never had to wait to tee off. Great for beginners but it can be tricky. We left a few balls in the drink!!

Good Luck

[Thirsty Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Thirsty]

Thanks JLB & Redman. The Holiday Hills Golf Course fee is $30.00 with cart after 3:00 PM and Don Gardner's Par 3 is $16.00. This certainly gives us a choice. I didn't want to pay $50.00 to $100.00 per round.

Thanks again,
Mike

[RedMan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RedMan]

On sleepless nights instead of couting sheep I play golf in my mind's eye. I can play Ledgestone and Holiday Hills from first tee to finish, but have never had to to fall asleep.

I shoot par or better when I am trying to fall asleep..

I'll have to try this. It sounds like a good confidence booster.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Locals and their guests get a better deal at a lot of places. We took Topeka Tom and Barb to both Jim Stafford and Legends in Concert for $5 each this week.

When Rapmarks were here last Fall and we played Holiday Hills, it was something like $29.50 each for any tee time, not just the late ones, with a local, someone with their local home phone number in the system.

When we paid, I talked to the pro (Andrew Lundsberg ?) about a standing deal for my virtual timeshare buddies. Yes, he could, send him and email, and I did when I got home.

He never answered.

Next time I played, with my real timeshare buddy, I asked for Andrew and the lady at the desk said they let him go, that when I talked to him the last time he was the only one that didn't know!

FWIW, I'm starting work 4/19 at Ledgestone, sorta replacing my Great Uncle who marshalled there for years before he passed away in February. Their new GPS system has pretty much eliminated marshalls, but they found some peon work for me to give my wife a break a couple days a week.

So, as long as I don't run a golf cart into the lake, I guess that's where I'll be playing.

Speaking of the GPS system, I had not played since they installed it, until last week with new-found Cousin Kenny. The clubhouse can see everyone on the course on a monitor. If you take the cart somewhere you shouldn't, it shuts off. The screen on it tells you you are in an unauthorized area and to back up until you are out of it. Of course, since the cart has shut off, backing up is done manually.

So they tell me.

And they still hired me.

[Thirsty Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Thirsty]

Well Jim, you do such a good job answering my questions I have one more golf question. In a review I read the reviewer said the mini golf course at BC was in need of major repair. The review is a couple years old. Do you know if the mini golf course has been updated?

We (my lovely bride of 30 years, my 2 sons and their families, and my parents) are have a vacation planning party this weekend. We are going to finalize the travel route and a lose itinerary for daily excursion. This is what we have planned so far:

1. My parents have tickets to see the Japanese guy SP?????
2. We have $150.00 worth of credits at The Track Family Fun Parks to race on the Wild Woody & The LumberJack tracks!
3. 1 son and myself, so far, are going golfing not sure where yet but you and Redman gave us some good info.
4. We are going to eat lunch at Lambert’s, home of the Throwed Roll
5. We are thinking about renting a pontoon boat at BG
6. The women are going to have a girls day

I need to stop by your way and drop off a few Bud Lights. I will get the navigational patterns when we closer to the time we leave which is June 8th.

Thanks for all your advise,
Mike

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

There are always variables beyond our control, but we have no plans not to be here then.

Email me when it gets closer and I will pencil you in and give you our phone numbers.

BTW, what is the weather going to be like that week?

In two days I start my new career at Ledgestone County Club, and I assume I will not screw up bad enough that they will have to let me go before June.

We also have a second dock scheduled to be delivered imminently and we will need to devote some time to it.

But there is no reason we can't work around those things.

I don't know anything about the mini-golf at BC other than it is there.

They continue to work on Top of the Rock, behind big berms of new dirt.

As part of our Little Cedar Lodge plan, I hope to have our own practice range , one of those tee boxes where you hit into a net.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Fun to read this old thread.



They're still working on Top of the Rock, to get it just right for Johnny Morris.