Ozarks National

Ridgedale, Missouri

Designed by Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw

If Payne’s Valley is the cinematic thrill ride, Ozarks National is the thoughtful indie film that makes you slow down and pay attention. Built into the rugged ridgelines of the Missouri Ozarks, this Coore & Crenshaw design doesn’t try to entertain — it challenges. And you either meet it with focus, or you just hang on and enjoy the walk.

I chose the latter.

The Range + Pro Shop

The practice area sits just off the first tee — convenient, calm, and a solid warm-up before the walk ahead. The range is spacious with a peaceful vibe. No theatrics, just a good place to loosen up.

The pro shop is close by and well-stocked — clean design, solid merch, and friendly staff. It’s not oversized like Payne’s Valley’s shop, but it’s got everything you need. Grab your tee time ticket, a quick logo ball, and go.

The Course

Ozarks is a much tighter course than Payne’s. It winds through wooded corridors and elevation changes, and missing the fairway often meant tumbling into thick, wiry rough. The kind of rough that doesn’t bounce or roll — it just swallows your ball whole and dares you to find it.

The layout makes you think. No real “grip it and rip it” holes — it’s all about placement. The bunkers are smart. The green complexes are subtle but fair. The greens themselves rolled beautifully. No excuses there. I just couldn’t putt.

Didn’t matter. Cale was back on the bag, and that always makes for a good round.

The Group

We got paired with a father, his son, and the daughter’s boyfriend — a lively crew with the mouths to match. There were more “fuck yeahs” and “fuck that’s” than I could count. I loved it. It was like playing with a traveling rock band who brought their own sound system.

But speaking of sound systems…

Their caddy was something else.

Not ours — Cale was solid, as usual. Calm, helpful, and chill. Their guy, though? He ran a full broadcast the entire round. Play-by-play. Shot critiques. One-liners. Just pure noise. He meant well, but it was like golfing with a podcast that didn’t have an off switch.

After the round, we all ended up at the bar and couldn’t help but laugh about it. Everyone was on the same page — too much, too often, too loud.

The Halfway House

The halfway house was a welcome break. Free bison dogs, cold water, soft drinks. Beer and cocktails available for purchase. Solid setup, and just enough of a reset to give you hope for the back nine — whether or not that hope paid off.

The Experience

Ozarks National is the real deal. It’s not flashy. It’s not dramatic. It’s just great golf — thoughtful, challenging, and beautifully woven into the landscape. It doesn’t give you much, but if you’re dialed in, it gives you everything you could want.

I wasn’t dialed in. And still, I’d go back tomorrow.

This is the kind of course that doesn’t care how you’re feeling — it’s going to be who it is. And that’s what makes it sp