Preview Play Begins at the First Public-Access Course by Tiger Woods at Big Cedar Lodge By Brian Weis

Preview Play Begins at the First Public-Access Course by Tiger Woods at Big Cedar Lodge

Visitors invited to play the first 13 holes of Payne's Valley at Big Cedar Lodge starting March 6

By Brian Weis

Big Cedar Lodge, America's premier wilderness resort and a growing destination for world-class nature golf, is proud to announce that Payne's Valley will open to the public for preview play starting March 6. The highly-anticipated 19-hole course, designed by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris and 82-time PGA TOUR champion Tiger Woods, will be the first public-access design in the United States by TGR Design designed to showcase the natural beauty of the Ozarks.

Named in honor of golf legend and Ozarks native, the late Payne Stewart, Payne's Valley is slated for a grand opening later in the season. Through a partnership between Johnny Morris, noted conservationist and founder of Big Cedar Lodge and Bass Pro Shops, and Tiger Woods, the 19-hole layout was created with the intent to foster a deeper connection to nature through the game of golf. The walkable course will be challenging yet player-friendly and will include an unforgettable finish where golfers must traverse through a breathtaking natural cave system to return to the clubhouse.

"We are excited to give golf fans a taste of the truly remarkable experience we are creating here in the Ozarks," said Johnny Morris. "Payne's Valley marks the fifth golf course at Big Cedar Lodge, helping to solidify it as America's next great golf destination. We are confident Payne's Valley will be a truly memorable experience for all golfers, and we can't wait to share it with the public."

During the special preview play experience, fans will have access to play the first 13 holes and view "The Rock at Payne's Valley," a dramatic setting for the final "bet settling" hole designed by Johnny Morris.

Payne's Valley preview play can be reserved for $195 per person, which includes golf cart, access to the range at Ozarks National and on-course snacks. Guests are also eligible for a replay rate of $130 which can be used at Payne's Valley. Juniors can play Payne's Valley for $55 per round.

Interested golfers can call 800-225-6343 to book tee times on Payne's Valley today.

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Revised: 03/01/2020 - Article Viewed 11,860 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.