There’s a place where your morning view is replaced with the vast horizon of the Ozarks. Where Table Rock Lake shines with the sunrise and glows bright orange with the sunsets. Where rustic luxury and world-class golf exist in the same breath and where Missouri, of all places, will make you feel like you’ve discovered the hidden gem golf destination the rest of the world hasn’t caught up to yet. This is one of my favorite golf trips for women and I can’t stop talking about it.
What Big Cedar Lodge Actually Is
Set on 4,600 acres along the shores of Table Rock Lake in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, Big Cedar Lodge is not a hotel with a golf course attached. It’s a beautifully designed Ozark wilderness retreat where the landscape shapes everything around it, from the rustic architecture to the scenic destination activities, to the legend designed courses, to the way time moves slower than it does at home.
Six award-winning courses. Accommodations that feels like a summer cabin getaway (you know – if you live in the midwest) and dining options that compliment the surroundings. This is a destination that women who love to play golf will want to add to the top of their bucket list.
Six Courses. Six Completely Different Experiences.
This is what sets Big Cedar Lodge apart from almost any other golf resort in the United States. You don’t play the same course twice; you don’t have to. Six courses, six distinct challenges, six reasons to stay one more day. It’s hard to choose on a four night golf experience but we include the signature three with an option to play the par-3s as an add-on.
Payne’s Valley: The Surprises
Tiger Woods designed his first public course here, and he chose the Ozarks for a reason. Payne’s Valley doesn’t announce itself loudly, it surprises and builds. The front nine draws you in, the back nine opens into something breathtaking, and then there’s the 19th hole.
There is nothing else like and maybe that’s why it’s one of the fan favorites. A bonus par-3 with a bar (yes – stop for that 19th hole beverage), a natural stone green jutting out over a lake, Ozark cliffs surrounding behind it, and pure bliss for a golfer. You stand on that tee box, take in the setting, take the shot, and the privilege of being exactly where you are.
Buffalo Ridge: Where the Land Plays With You
Buffalo Ridge is where the Ozarks remind you they’re wild. Actual buffalo roam the pastures that border the fairways, unhurried, enormous, completely indifferent to your backswing. Water features appear where you least expect them. The views stretch long in every direction. This course has been the unanimous favorite on each trip. The scenery, the connection to the land, and the roaming buffalo that are a nice surprise.
Ozark National: The Hidden Challenges
Tom Fazio designed Ozark National with longer, more demanding, strategically unforgiving in ways that make you grateful for the forecaddie. We highly recommend for any of our guests, to play with a forecaddie on this course. Playing it well feels like an accomplishment worth celebrating. This course tends to fair the least favorite with our guests.
Top of the Rock: The Experience You’ll Talk About Forever
Nine holes and under two hours. A must play on arrival day or plan to arrive a day earlier to take in this round. Panoramic views of Table Rock Lake from a perch that feels like the top of the world. Don’t let the nine holes fool you, Top of the Rock offers a challenge to any golfer! But after the round, the views will remind you the reason why you fell in love with this game in the first place. The 19th hole at Payne’s Valley gets the headlines. Top of the Rock gets the award for the most spectacular views.
Cliffhanger: The Newest
Opened in summer 2025, the 18-hole par-3 Cliffhanger is Big Cedar’s most dramatic and it lives up to the name. Perched on the edge of the Ozark terrain with elevation changes that will take your breath away before you even swing, this course is already earning its own reputation among golfers who’ve played all six. We’re building it into our itineraries and cannot wait to show off the course in October.
Falls Lodge: Where You Come Home to After the Round
Big Cedar has multiple lodging options across the 4,600 acres. For our women golf groups, it’s always Falls Lodge, a boutique 62 room lodge, perched high on the hillside with views of the property and Table Rock Lake.
Falls Lodge has the feel of a beautiful rustic lake house, with private balconies for morning coffee and end-of-day wine. Gas fireplaces. Upgraded bath amenities and mini refrigerators. One thing to know and embrace: mounted wildlife is part of the Big Cedar character throughout the lodge, your room, and the property. It surprises people at first, then it just feels like part of the place.
Beyond the Golf: Women’s Golf & Travel Style
This is where a Women’s Golf & Travel golf experience becomes something more than a golf trip. The golf is extraordinary on its own. What we layer around it, well that’s our signature design. Every trip is thoughtfully curated with women in mind. It’s not just about the course you play, it’s about the full destination experience and the moments in between, the ones you didn’t expect, the ones you’ll talk about long after you’re home.
We won’t give too much away, but what we’ve perfected over the years is the balance. Golf and the activities women actually want on a trip. Free time is always a priority so you’ll have space to relax, refresh, and simply enjoy. And then, just at the right moment we’ll add something that stops you in your tracks. That’s the Women’s Golf & Travel way. Twenty years of destination marketing will do that to you.
The golf fills the days. The experiences fill the trip. The women fill the memory.
Is Big Cedar Lodge Right for You?
If you love the game, appreciate when every detail has been considered before you arrive, and have wanted to experience The Ozarks in October, then yes. This trip is for you.
We include Payne’s Valley, Ozark National, and Buffalo Ridge in our golf package with the option to play Top of the Rock and/or Cliffhanger. Our evenings are filled with amazing moments to take in the surroundings, sunsets, and activities on site. Women arrive at Big Cedar expecting a good golf trip, but Women’s Golf & Travel creates a Golf Experience.
Frequently Asked Questions About Big Cedar Lodge Women’s Golf Trips
Q: Is Big Cedar Lodge good for women golfers of all levels?
A: Our trips are open to all skill levels; however this trip, we play 3 days in a row. We recommend having played for a few years, know that some of the courses are challenging, and average 4.5–5 hour rounds. All courses will have GPS golf carts. Forecaddies are available and recommended to help with blind shots, layout, and keeping pace of play. Average handicaps on our Big Cedar Lodge trip ranges from 5 to 25.
Q: What is the best time of year to golf Big Cedar Lodge?
A: October is our answer without hesitation. The Ozark fall foliage, cooler temperatures, and the quality of light make it the most spectacular time to be on these fairways. Standing on the tee box at Payne’s Valley in October, the hills full of color behind you, is the kind of moment that stops you mid-round.
Q: How far is Big Cedar Lodge from the airport?
A: Approximately one hour 15 minutes from Springfield/Branson National Airport (BKG). We arrange private car service on all our women’s golf trips so you will have private roundtrip transfer included in the golf travel package. Plan for a full day of travel while majority of our guests will have a one-stop.
Q: Can I book as a solo golfer?
A: The answer is yes! I’m continually inspired by the women who take this step, book a trip on their own, and trust the experience I’ve created. It’s a powerful decision, and one that often leads to the most meaningful connections. Our trips are thoughtfully designed so you feel part of something special from the very beginning. Over 50% of our attendance on each trip are booked by solo women golfers.
Q: When is the next Women’s Golf & Travel Big Cedar Lodge experience?
A: Our October 2026 Big Cedar Lodge experience is sold out. Join the waitlist and be the first to know when 2027 opens.
▶ Join the Big Cedar Lodge Waitlist
▶ Check Availability on other 2026 Golf Experiences
Contact us for questions: golf@womensgolfandtravel.com
Author: Ashlee Ciora, Owner & CEO, Women’s Golf & Travel
Ashlee Ciora is a golf travel entrepreneur bringing 20 years of destination marketing experience, known for creating premium, small-group golf experiences for women over 40. Built on expertise, trust, and seamless execution.
