Branson Hills Golf Club Review

Kathy and I have been busy this year checking states off our Golf Bucket List and playing as many different golf courses in as many different states as much as we can.

This month we are in Missouri. Branson to be exact.

Things are a little more expensive here in Branson and that made it hard to rate the course we played. Branson Hills Golf Club is one of the cheaper courses in the area. At $140.00 for 18 holes – including a cart, it is hard to believe that it is considered one of the “cheaper” courses.

I have become accustomed to a really good course costing around $80.00. And an outstanding course costing over $100.00. But after making several calls, it became pretty obvious to me that it seems every course in the Branson area is over $125.00. Even the par 3, 9-hole course at Top of the Rock.

Insane….but….we have to golf….

we NEED our Missouri Sticker – right?

So, we bit the bullet and booked our tee time at Branson Hills Golf Club.

If I was going to be honest – I walked up to the course with a little chip on my shoulder for having to pay as much as we did. Some background on how I think about green fees….

I think that more expensive courses should be in tip-top condition with excellent service. And lower-priced courses can have a little forgiveness in the reviews.

It is sort of my way of handicapping the reviews. I believe I should get more if I am paying more. 

That brings me to Branson Hills Golf Club. The green fees were more than we usually pay. But, it is on the low-end of fees for the area. So, do I give them a break and not expect as much as I would get at another more expensive course in the area?

I am not sure.

But, here is the review.

As I said, I walked into the pro-shop with a little chip on my shoulder. The cost was bugging me. When I got to the counter to check in, no one was there. I waited a few minutes without anyone around. Then the club pro walked out of his office and walked away from the area without glancing toward the counter to see if anyone was there or if everything was running as it should be. I was still waiting as Kathy walked into the pro-shop. She made her way around the facility and came across the manager. He did ask if she was ok and did she need anything. She told him we were waiting to check in and that no one was there. Dan made his way to the front desk and started to check us in. 

Here is where Kathy and I disagree.

She thinks the way everything went was fine. I think “for the cost” there should have been someone at the counter when we walked in. I know the person at the front may have just stepped out for a “second” but, they should have said to Dan, “I will be right back, no one is working the counter for a minute”. Or, Dan should have looked toward the counter before he left the area. With that happening, I want to give the service less than par. Kathy thinks that everyone else we came across was great and thinks the service is par overall. I will leave this one up to you.

Now the course…

Branson Hills Golf Club was a fun, challenging, well-kept course. Nothing was easy or a gimmie. It is important to a good round of golf that you stay focused during your round. In the past few weeks, we have played courses designed to make it easy to get out of a hazard. Branson Hills Golf Club was not as friendly, but….we both liked the challenge. It proves the skill that you have as a golfer.

All of the tee boxes were clean and had great views of the holes. They were well-marked and seemed to give you an honest start to a well-designed hole. There were plenty of different tee boxes for the different skill levels of players. But, they didn’t take away the skill needed to play the hole just because the tees were moved up.

The fairways were narrow with just a little bit of a second cut before the course is devoured by wooded areas. Making a good shot off the tee extremely important. Otherwise, you may be hunting for a ball that you will never find. The fairways were in great condition. Especially for being the end of the season with many players chili-dipping and chunking their way through the course. 

There was water and sand on the course. Both were strategically placed and needed to be worked around. But, as I always tell Kathy, water and sand are not in play. My way of saying, don’t hit your ball in the water or sand and it won’t be a problem.

The greens were in terrific shape as well. There were no areas with discolored grass or dry spots. They rolled beautifully. The only thing you had to pay attention to was the slope. It is heavily influenced by the rolling hills and small mountains. They also had a down-slope in front of them. Making a short approach shot hard to navigate.

They were very fun to play. 

There was a starter – Greg. Greg took the time to make sure we knew where to go, how many players would be in front of us, and he gave us a few tips for good play on the course. Once we were all set, Greg sent us off to the first tee with a hardy “Enjoy Your Round”.

The cart girl came around the course a number of times while we were playing. She made sure we knew she would be back around before we were finished. Then on her last time, she said we should be finished before we saw her again.

Like I said earlier, everyone after check-in was great.

Based on our golf scorecard, I give Branson Hills Golf Club a Par.

It is a great course to play and I know you will enjoy it. If you are in Branson, Missouri plan on paying more than $100.00 to play golf. But, save a little by playing Branson Hills Golf Club. You will enjoy every part of the course. Maybe even more than I did.

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By: Marc Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course:  Branson Hills Golf Club

Type: Public

Date Played: 17 October 2024