Branson Hills

Getting To Know: Branson Hills Golf Club

An Insightful Interview With Dan Davis, General Manager

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Dan Davis who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Branson Hills, formerly The Payne Stewart Golf Club, opened in 2009 as a tribute golf course honoring the life and legacy of Missouri's favorite son and golf legend, Payne Stewart. This 18-hole Championship Course is managed by Troon Golf, the world leader in upscale golf course management. Golfers of all levels can be challenged with 6 different tee options ranging from 7324 yards on the back tees to 5323 from the forward tees. The course offers lightning fast bent grass greens, contoured Zoysia fairways, and pure white sand bunkering.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
The scenery! The course offers dramatic elevation changes, crystal clear Ozark streams, majestic hardwood forests and abundant wildlife. The beautiful clubhouse is host to many major events and includes a large array of memorabilia including five of Payne's Ryder Cup bags and his 1999 U.S. Open replica trophy. We offer three different lodging options from onsite hotel rooms to multi-bedroom condos & Golf Villas that can accommodate up to eight golfers. Combine all of this with our friendly accommodating staff and you will come away with one of the most unique and memorable golf experiences.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
We always suggest that golfers choose there tee box carefully when playing the course for the first time. I believe that the course is very fair and playable if you choose the appropriate distance to fit your game. There is generally a "safer side" to every fairway and if in doubt we encourage golfers to drive up and take note of the intended landing area. Golfers can also benefit from using the free GPS that is available to download directly to your smartphone. I also always remind players to try to have fun and remember that this course is always a little friendlier the second time you play it.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
Since opening in 2009 the course has been quick to rack up some very prestigious awards. GolfWeek magazine has ranked the course as #1 Best Courses You Can Play for the State of Missouri for both 2012 & 2013. Payne Stewart is also the #1 choice for tournaments for large corporate events and small outings of freinds and family.

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
Every one of them...This is the most debatable question of the interview. Even if you categorize the holes by their par we truly have 4-par threes, 4-par fives and 10 par 4's that most courses would love to have as their signature hole. I guarantee you will remember every one of them and most players will have trouble distinguishing which one is the best.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
My personal favorite hole to play is #17. This 434 yard par four includes one of the courses most dramatic elevation changes from the tee box to a fairway that is positioned over the water. The tee shot is only the first challenge as this elevated green is guarded by a beautiful white sand bunker on the right and a crystal clear Ozark stream on the left. For a right hander a slight fade with a driver off the tee will position you perfectly between the two fairway bunkers and allow for a short iron up the hill to the green.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
In addition to many local favorites on the menu, any of the daily specials that our chef offers are truly out of this world. My personal favorite is the Country Fried Chicken Sandwich fried to a golden perfection and served with the best fries in town. We also offer many fantastic healthier options on our Troon FIT menu and even a quick menu that provide for several entres available in five minutes or less.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
We currently do not have an official course record.

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 7324
Slope: 135
Rating: 75.1

More Information
Branson Hills
100 N. Payne Stewart Drive
Branson, MO, 65616
417-337-2963
www.bransonhillsgolfclub.com

Revised: 02/03/2014 - Article Viewed 31,915 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.