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Bass Pro Shops Aligns with Renowned Course Architects
Coore & Crenshaw to Further Develop Golf at Big Cedar Lodge
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 Course will connect players with nature highlighting the
region’s natural beauty at America’s Premier Wilderness Resort
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Already a top travel destination, Big Cedar Lodge vaulted onto the national golf stage this past year with the re-opening of two courses (Top of the Rock designed by Jack Nicklaus and Buffalo Ridge, Springs course, designed by Tom Fazio), the staging of the Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf Champions Tour event and the announcement of a new short-course complex designed by the legendary Gary Player. This partnership with Coore & Crenshaw sharpens Morris’ vision for a world-class outdoor resort that combines a shared appreciation for nature and conservation with a premier national destination golf experience.

“We have been in discussions with Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw over the past three years about creating a golf showcase in the Ozarks that highlights the changing terrains, distant views and wooded paths that make this region one of the nation’s most beloved natural resources,” said Morris. “Bill, Ben and I share a passion and appreciation for nature and a commitment to preserving the timeless landscape that serves as the leading signature for our region. The design of this new course should be a striking display for the senses and fitting tribute to a place we call home.”

Known for a minimalist approach to design that accentuates native landscapes, grasses and wildlife, Coore & Crenshaw have left their imprint on such heralded courses as The Sand Hills Golf Club (1995), Streamsong Red (2013), Bandon Trails (2005) and Kapalua Resort Plantation (1991). Matching this accomplished design team with the pragmatic visions of one of the nation’s leading conservationists in Johnny Morris promises to deliver a truly unique round of golf.

“When we visited the site on Buffalo Ridge, we were immediately reminded of some of the terrain we have successfully worked in locations such as Clear Creek at Lake Tahoe and Old Sandwich Club in Massachusetts,” designer Coore said. “The raw beauty of the views, meadows and elevation changes will serve as our creative motivation to deliver a golf experience that matches the Johnny Morris’ vision for Big Cedar Lodge.”

In 2014, Big Cedar Lodge re-opened Top of the Rock and Buffalo Ridge Springs Course to much acclaim as a vibrant new destination for the golf travel enthusiast. Yahoo! Travel marked the opening by ranking both courses among the top 10 to play with dad, an impressive list which included Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass and Kohler’s Whistling Straits.

Top of the Rock, known as the first-ever par-3 course to be utilized in a PGA TOUR event, features nature and golf at its finest. Perched high above Table Rock Lake, the peaceful water falls, wandering creeks, bass filled ponds and pristine lakes of Top of the Rock complete a true celebration of nature, the Ozarks and the game of golf. The experience includes Top of the Rock, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design Course, an Arnold Palmer-designed Practice Facility, Tom Watson’s 70,000 square-foot putting complex called the “Himalayas,” and Arnie’s Barn, re-located from Arnold Palmer’s backyard in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, complete with historic photos and memorabilia from Palmer’s career achievements.

In the words of PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, “If there was ever a par-3 course worthy of PGA TOUR tournament play, Top of the Rock is it.”

Matching the beauty of Top of the Rock is the redesigned Buffalo Ridge Springs course (formerly Branson Creek). Already acclaimed as the region’s top golf course, Buffalo Ridge has been transformed by the guiding hands of visionary conservationist Johnny Morris and renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio. Adding new approaches, water features and bunkers, Morris and Fazio have redesigned the course layout to bring players in close contact with nature, native grasses and free-ranging buffalo from nearby Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.

For more information about the golf experience at Big Cedar Lodge and the upcoming Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf presented by Bass Pro Shops, visit www.bigcedarlegends.com and www.bigcedar.com.

About Big Cedar Lodge
Bass Pro Shops’ Big Cedar Lodge has offered guests rustic elegance in the heart of the Ozark Mountains since 1988. John and Jeanie Morris, inspired by their love of the area, created the popular vacation spot as a special place where conservation, preservation, and family traditions meld. The luxury resort – complete with nearby Dogwood Canyon Nature Park – has a full service marina, horseback riding, world-class fishing, and trails suited for walking, biking, and hiking. Nearby is Johnny Morris’ Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve. The property boasts a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design golf course, an Arnold Palmer practice facility, a Tom Watson Himalayas putting course, and a signature restaurant and pro shop housed in a relocated 150-year-old barn from Arnold Palmer’s hometown. Top of the Rock will also be home to the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum, a world class restaurant that transports guests back to a time when American bison roamed the plains, an all-American inspired wine cellar, and a wedding chapel set on the hillside with spectacular sunset views of Table Rock Lake. Top of the Rock is one of Johnny Morris’ most passionate and inspiring ventures to date.

For more information, visit www.bigcedar.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BigCedarLodge.

About Coore & Crenshaw, Inc.
Admiration and respect for the classic golf courses of the “Golden Age of Architecture” inspired Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore to establish the firm of Coore & Crenshaw, Inc. in 1986. Theirs is an architectural firm based upon the shared philosophy that traditional, strategic golf is the most rewarding, and the creation of courses that present this concept with the greatest artistry is the ultimate goal. They have blended their personal experience and admiration for the classical courses of Ross, Mackenzie, Macdonald, Maxwell, and Tillinghast to create a style uniquely their own.

Media Contacts:
Big Cedar Lodge
Michelle Wait, 417-339-5123 

Coore and Crenshaw, Inc.
Scotty Sayers, 512-917-7070