Cliffhangers Golf Course at Big Cedar Lodge
Big Cedar Lodge recently elevated its game yet again, with the addition of its jaw-dropping Cliffhangers Golf Course, a par-3 track, giving the resort in the Missouri Ozarks an unrivaled collection of golf experiences.
Having already established itself as one of America’s most unique golf destinations, Big Cedar in 2025 not only debuted Cliffhangers but also reopened its Buffalo Ridge course, designed by Tom Fazio, after a comprehensive renovation. The changes further cement the property near the Arkansas border as a must-visit in the world of golf getaways.
With 95 holes of golf across six very different courses, Big Cedar has entered the upper echelon of golf resorts in the country when it comes to their sheer volume of golf. Meanwhile, it offers something no other resort can claim: an unprecedented collection of three short courses that are redefining the golf travel category.
Cliffhangers Golf Course with Payne’s Valley in the backdrop
Cliffhangers: Adventure Golf Redefined
The newest addition to the par-3 portfolio, Cliffhangers represents a quantum leap in golf course design and adventure. Originally conceived as a practice facility, the course evolved into something far more ambitious — a wild 18-hole adventure carved into 50 acres of dramatic limestone cliffs with approximately 400 feet of vertical descent that challenges just about every convention of traditional golf.
The rugged layout, situated adjacent to the Tiger Woods-designed Payne’s Valley course, was created by the resort’s founder, Johnny Morris, and his son, John Paul. A noted conservationist and the founder of Bass Pro Shops, Morris created Big Cedar Lodge as an immersive outdoor resort that provides memorable experiences intended to harmonize with nature. Morris and his son have created a thrill-ride that visually feels hard to reconcile: “How was a golf course created here?”
Holes traverse steep slopes, greens have wild undulations, players hit tee shots through cascading waterfalls, and carts drive through swift-flowing creeks and wind through cave systems that seem more suited to spelunking than golf.
“Cliffhangers reflects everything we love about nature, adventure, and golf,” said John Paul Morris. The course features holes ranging from 60 to 170 yards, and John Paul claims “It’s wild, fun, and unlike anything in the game of golf today.”
Big Cedar Lodge is the first resort in America with three short courses, with Cliffhangers joining the Jack Nicklaus-designed Top of the Rock — a pristinely-manicured nine-hole course that sits high atop Table Rock Lake and once hosted a PGA TOUR Champions event — and Gary Player’s Mountain Top — a picturesque 13-hole layout set on the highest point of the main golf property. Amid the short-course movement taking place in golf, Big Cedar has ascended to another level, with 40 holes across its three par-3 courses, all of which are exceedingly different from one another.
Buffalo Ridge rebirth
While images of Cliffhangers grabbed attention on social media and beyond, the renovation at Buffalo Ridge was also a noteworthy achievement for the property.
After closing in November 2024, the course re-opened in summer of 2025 after a comprehensive re-grassing of all greens and approaches, with a new Bentgrass strain that’s far more drought-tolerant and pest-resistant. For resort guests, the important takeaway is turf that better handles traffic while maintaining superior playing conditions. In addition, bunkers were updated with improved drainage and fresh white sand. The original hole design and green contours remain, as does the herd of buffalo grazing alongside several of the fairways, a distinctive touch that few golfers will ever experience elsewhere on a golf course.
Like the Short Courses, all three of Big Cedar’s regulation-length championship courses – Buffalo Ridge, Payne’s Valley and the Coore & Crenshaw-designed Ozarks National – are distinct in their look and feel.
Buffalo Ridge after renovations
Golf and the great outdoors
Morris’s childhood memories at Table Rock Lake inspired him to create the year-round, 4,600-acre Big Cedar destination.
While Morris prefers fishing and hunting, he recognized early on that golf is a vital part of the outdoor experience for millions of Americans. It’s one of the nation’s biggest outdoor participation sports and the game’s physical, mental, and social benefits align perfectly with the resort’s mission to connect guests from across the country with nature and outdoor adventure.
And the diversity in Big Cedar’s golf offerings reflects the resort’s unique approach to golf — blending strategy, tradition and challenge with outdoor adventure and fun.
Stay, play, and Ozark hospitality
There are three welcoming lodges at Big Cedar’s main property, plus lakeside cottages and private log cabins. But for golfers, the more recent additions are the one-, two- and four-bedroom golf cottages on the golf property that overlook the Payne’s Valley Course. They’re perfect for buddy trips or family getaways, with full kitchens, private patios, stone fireplaces and sweeping views of the Ozark Mountains.
The dining options are even more plentiful than the golf, from the Mountain Top Grill and Arnie’s Barn close to the golf action, to spots like Osage Restaurant, Buffalo Bar, Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl & Grill, Devil’s Pool, Blue Fin Lounge, and fine dining at the Worman House Bistro, all of which reinforce the authentic Ozark experience.
Cliffhangers at Big Cedar Lodge
Access and appeal
While positioned as an escape-to-nature in the Missouri Ozarks, Big Cedar Lodge still counts more than 1.3 million golfers within a 250-mile radius, an area that touches major metropolitan areas including Tulsa, Oklahoma; St. Louis, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas; and Little Rock, Arkansas.
Regional accessibility has been crucial to Big Cedar’s growth, allowing the resort to build a loyal base of return visitors as it has expanded its national reputation.
The resort’s location makes for an easy drive for weekend getaways from multiple major cities — avid golfers Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are among the Kansas City Chiefs who have eagerly made the trip — while also serving as a compelling fly-in destination for itinerant golfers seeking a truly unique golf experience.
By combining amazingly varied golf experiences and other amenities with the stunning natural beauty of the region, Morris and Big Cedar have produced a golf journey found nowhere else, one that creates memories that last well beyond the trip’s final putt.
Cliffhangers at Big Cedar Lodge