The Pointe Branson Review

As I recently posted, I really do love fall! And let me tell you, the fall weather here in Branson is wonderful! We decided to take advantage of it and get in another round of golf in Missouri. This time it was at The Pointe Branson (Formerly known as Pointe Royale Condominium Resort & Golf Course). When we inquired about a tee time, we found out about their great “Twilight” fee and decided it was worth the green fees to give the course a try.

So with the fall colors on full display and the temperatures holding at right around 78 degrees (that’s 25 degrees celsius for my Candian friends ‘eh), we booked a tee time.

The Pointe Branson is located inside the gates at Pointe Royale Golf Village. As we drove into the golf village, we couldn’t help but notice the fall colors and beauty of the surrounding Ozark Mountains.

At check-in, Kenny was full of pointers that got us excited about our round. He placed a lot of emphasis on being sure to keep our shots in front of the greens. He told us, “landing the front of the greens would serve us well, and there would be nothing but pain behind the greens.”

This became a theme with Rich – the Course Starter – as well. Rich, spent a little extra time providing tips and tricks we would need to apply, to ensure our round was enjoyable. He boasted that The Pointe may have traditional country club features such as challenging greens and narrow fairways, but he made sure to highlight it still retains the feel of a community course. Rich also told Marc the track has the unique ability to take golfers through every club in their bag with its varying yardages and challenging approach shots.

It was the view from the very first tee, that let us know this was going to be a round with stunning views. Not to mention a perspective that indicated this course was going to be a challenge for both of us. Although the track is in a golfing community, it has the feel of a small city municipal layout as it winds through the surrounding neighborhood.

Throughout our round, I noticed there were several elevation changes, resulting in many uneven lies. As a recreational golfer, this was challenging for me. There are lots of places to get in trouble, but Marc found his well-placed shots being rewarded. And I noticed several pin placements that were crazy. It felt like the pins were placed in areas that if I came up a foot short my ball would roll back 30 feet.

Although the fairways and greens were in good shape, the cooler temps were beginning to impact the conditions with the fairway grass beginning to go dormant.

At 6,515 yards on a par-70 frame from the tips, Marc initially assumed there wouldn’t be enough meat on the bone for his longer drives, but we quickly learned the course qualified as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” There are some treacherous greens several with water, drop-offs, or that are semi-blind, and some very testing tee shots as well.

Our major complaint was the pace of play. The front nine was smooth and we moved along. However, at the turn that all changed. A group of 5 jumped in front of us and slowed us down considerably. After two holes, they waved us through. This got us back on track for another 2 holes. Then we were haulted once again by a foursome, who were in no hurry what-so-ever.

With no marshal on the course, the waiting was agonizing.

On a side note – I was glad the weather was great, and that we had no place to be later. We did end up skipping a hole and jumping in front of them.

Hole 17 was currently under construction, so it was closed. With skipping a hole earlier and 17 closed, we ended up only scoring the front nine on our card. Although we started with the intent to play 18 holes, only playing 9, wasn’t a total loss. We both enjoyed our round. It was obvious to us that the grounds crew at The Pointe take great pride in maintaining their course. We counted 12 holes where water may come into play, but felt with the rolling fairways and mature trees, The Pointe offers the perfect combination of beauty and challenge for all levels of players.

Based on our golf scorecard, we give

The Pointe Branson a Par.

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By: Kathy Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course:  The Point Branson

Type: Resort

Date Played: 24 October 2024