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Hidden Lakes Golf Course at Tan-Tar-A Resort.
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Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. - The combination of a spectacular view from the tee box, the rush from sinking an impossible putt and a few cold beverages with buddies after a round is hard to beat. For those who love golf, the sport is less of a game and more of a complete experience. Finding the right course and lodging is just as important as the game itself.
The Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail in Central Missouri has 12 diverse and challenging courses, along with exceptional lodging options to suit the needs of any type of golfer or outing. You can choose the type of golfing experience that you are looking for and the Lake of the Ozarks area can respond with an appropriate course and an equally gorgeous visual. The courses on the Trail are sculpted out of rock bluffs, located in lush green hills and are set on the shores of the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks.
Golfers from around the country enjoy the Lake area's atmosphere, great accommodations and the courses crafted by world-class designers such as Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Fred Farley, Ken Kavanaugh or Von Hagge/Devlin.
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Golfers from around the country enjoy the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail.
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"We get compliments all the time from golfers who visit the area," said Lake of the Ozarks Golf Council President Paul Leahy.
"The three things they talk about the most are our courses, our accommodations and our friendly people. Everyone likes to be treated well and the Lake of the Ozarks specializes in extending friendly hospitality to our visitors and residents - both at our golf courses and at our lodging properties. In addition, golfers can enjoy a variety of dining experiences, from lakeside eateries to fine dining at chef-owned restaurants or at our full-service resorts. And golfers of all skill levels really enjoy playing the Golf Trail."
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An aerial view of Osage National.
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Staying and playing at the Lake is especially a breeze with a Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail Package. With the Golf Trail Package, all a golfer has to do is make one phone call or hop on the internet to reserve the lodging and guaranteed tee times they want - all for a special price that's less than one would pay for booking a separate golf tee time and room alone. Booking a package is easy, either visit the Trail's Golf Package website (GolfingMissouri.com) or contact one of the member lodging properties mentioned below. Many other local Lake area properties also offer golf and stay packages. So if a favorite resort, motel or hotel, or RV park or campground or Bed and Breakfast isn't on the list, be sure to contact them to see if they offer any golfing and lodging packages.
"The courses on the Trail are particularly favorites of golfers from Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas and of course, Missouri," said Leahy, "and the reason is simple, because it's a quick and easy drive to the Lake. We book more Golf Trail packages from those states than we do anywhere else. The Lake area is so convenient for golfers wanting to experience a variety of courses in a short amount of time. Once they get here, golfers have it made. Because they would rather spend less time traveling and more time playing golf."
Each course is less than 30 minutes apart, so a golfer could easily play two courses in one day. With this type of convenience, players could effortlessly play all 12 courses with friends or family in just a handful of weekend visits to the Lake, all at a great value.
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Bear Creek Valley Golf Club.
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Kevin Clark of Des Moines has been enjoying an annual weekend golf outing at the Lake of the Ozarks with 8 to 12 union electricians for the past 10 years. The group has stayed at Point Randall Resort and has golfed Bear Creek Valley at least once every single year since 2001.
"We're just a bunch of old electricians who enjoy golf and a good time," said Clark. "Here's what our Lake weekend looks like: on Friday, we always play Bear Creek Valley and on Saturday, we pick another course on the Trail. We always go to Bear Creek because we love the people, we love the breakfast, the Bloody Marys are fantastic and the golf course is always in great condition. We've also played most of the other courses on the trail - Old Kinderhook and Osage National, just to name a couple - and we like them, too. We wouldn't miss our golf outing at the Lake for the world."
According to Clark, their outing consists of more than just golf and Point Randall gives his golfing electricians the accommodations they need.
"We love Michael and Paulette Spriggs (the owners at Point Randall)," he said. "It's a nice clean resort, with plenty of options. Since half our time is spent golfing and the other half is spent at the resort, that's important. As long as we're all still breathing, we'll certainly be back at Bear Creek and Point Randall every year."
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Rick Thornton and his golfing buddies.
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Rick Thornton, owner of J. McGraugh's Bar & Grill in Clayton, Mo., has a similar recurring outing on the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail with his buddies. Thornton and friends stay at The Pines Condominiums at Osage National Golf Course. In addition to playing Osage National, Thornton's foursome usually plays three more courses on the Trail with each weekend visit.
"We play a lot of golf at the Lake and it's a fun way to spend a couple of days," said Thornton. "How tired we are at the end of each day depends a lot on how well we shoot. If we shoot well, we're not nearly as tired."
If a golfer wants to mirror Thornton or Clark with a weekend golf getaway at the Lake, you'll need overnight accommodations. Several fantastic lodging properties are members on the Trail and can provide a full spectrum of options. Lodging property members are: Al Elam Vacation Rentals, The Knolls Condominiums, Dogwood Hills Resort Inn, Inn at Grand Glaize, Lake Ozark Vacations (A PMG Company), Lone Oak Point Resort Condominiums, Old Kinderhook Golf & Marina Community, The Pines Condominiums at Osage National, Point Randall Resort, Tan-Tar-A Resort, The Lodge of Four Seasons and The Resort at Port Arrowhead.
The courses on the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail consist of: Bear Creek Valley Golf Club, The Golf Club at Deer Chase, Dogwood Hills Golf Club, Eldon Golf and Country Club, Lake Valley Golf Club, The Club at Old Kinderhook, Osage National Golf Resort, The Ridge Course at The Lodge of Four Seasons, Rolling Hills Country Club, Sycamore Creek Golf Club and Hidden Lakes Course and The Oaks Course at Tan-Tar-A Resort.
To find out more about the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail, please visit GolfingMissouri.com or call 1-800-490-8474.
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