Branson Creek Golf Course, Hollister, Missouri - A Tom Fazio Championship Golf Course Set in the Southern Missouri Ozarks

According to many golf publications, the Branson Creek Golf Course isn't just the class of the Branson area, it's the class of Missouri. The course is the design of renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio, and plays through the hills and high plateaus of southern Missouri's Ozark Mountains.

The 18-hole, par-71 championship layout plays to 7,036 yards from the back tees, with a USGA rating of 73.0 and a slope rating of 133 on Zoysia grass fairways. The course has been described as "postcard ready,'' which is a tribute to the natural beauty of the area and the views, as the course plays along high, rocky ridges, hills covered by purple flowers, and down into plunging valleys.

The course, which opened in 2000, also features the other elements expected of a mountain course, with lakes, ponds, mountain streams, rugged rock outcroppings, along with pine, cedar and dogwood trees. It's been said of the course that one beautiful hole flows to the next, and there's also a bit of a "links-style'' feel to the course as well, as bunkering and mounding come into play on a number of holes.

Some of the more noteworthy holes include Hole No. 2, which is the #1-handicap on the course. This par-4 plays to a lengthy 471 yards from the back tees, playing downhill into a tight landing area. Approach shots then take aim at a green guarded by high mounds and rocks on the right and a bunkered slope for any shots to the left.

Another challenging hole is No. 5, which sports the name "Heller High Water.'' This par-4 plays downhill to a lengthy 449 yards from the back tees, but only 369 from the Silver tees. This scenic hole provides a stunning view of the spacious fairway and the valley, as well as the green which is guarded by a lake.

Hole No. 7 has been called "one of the most demanding par-3s in the country.'' The hole plays downhill, but that only slightly offsets its length - 245 yards from the back tees and a respectable 195 from the forward men's tees. A large bunker guards the front-right of the green, with a lake at the rear.

There aren't many golf courses where caves are visible, but Hole No. 17 is one of them. This short par-3 plays downhill to a green set against the backdrop of a rock ledge, where a cave was exposed during construction of the hole.

The finishing hole is a replica of Pebble Beach's No. 18, making for a memorable end to the round. This par-5 is a dogleg left guarded by numerous bunkers and a "sea of trees'' on the left for any golfer who tries to shortcut too much of the fairway.

Since its opening, Branson Creek has drawn rave reviews. Golf Digest ranked it the Top Public Course in Missouri in 2001-2002, and also named the course one of the Top 10 New Upscale Public Courses in 2000. Golfweek magazine also named Branson Creek the #1 Public Course in Missouri in 2002.

The course features a large practice facility, and a variety of instructional options are also available.