Rural Missouri - April 2021 - 42

Golf Course

1st: Top of the Rock; Ridgedale; 800-225-6343,
www.bigcedar.com
The Branson area is not so slowly becoming a Midwest golf
mecca. The courses under the Big Cedar Lodge umbrella
have grown to ﬁve total, but Top of the Rock stands out for
our readers. And with good reason. Every inch of the 9-hole,
par-3 golf course is surrounded by 360 degrees of beauty. The
Jack Nicklaus design measures just 1,420 yards from the tips.
Two holes you remember when you leave are the short No.
2 - a tee shot with 100-foot drop to the green and a postcard-worthy view of Table Rock Lake - and No. 6 with its
island green.
2nd: Ste. Genevieve Golf Club, Ste. Genevieve; 573883-2949, www.stegengolf.com
Leave your slice and hook at home when you tee it up at Ste.
Genevieve Golf Club. What the 6,396-yard, par 72 track lacks
in distance, it more than makes up for in pine trees lining the
fairways. The course - located just west of Interstate 55 -
features Bermuda grass on the fairways and tee boxes and
places an emphasis on accuracy off the tee.
EC: The Watson 9, Maryville; 660-562-3864,
www.mozingolake.com/golf/courses/watson-9/
The Watson 9 is a 9-hole, hybrid golf course which caters to
both young and beginning golfers. The Tom Watson-designed
course helps make the game more approachable with par
3s topping out at 99 yards, par 4s at 190 yards and par 5s at
261 yards. Children can play the unique northwest Missouri
course for just a $5 green fee.

State Park/Historic Site

1st: Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Camdenton; 573-3462986, www.mostateparks.com/park/ha-ha-tonkastate-park
It's an annual tradition for Ha Ha Tonka State Park to bring
home the top state park spot for ﬁshing, hiking, swimming
and much more. The park may be best known for its meandering trails that take you around the park and the ruins from
a castle that was destroyed by a ﬁre in 1942. The mid-Missouri location makes it popular for outdoor enthusiasts from all
over.
2nd: Elephant Rocks State Park; 573-546-3454, www.
mostateparks.com/park/elephant-rocks-state-park
This state park in Iron County is not one that will be forgotten because of the giant boulders formed from 1.5-billionyear-old granite. The massive formations stand end-to-end
like a train of circus elephants, giving the park its name.
EC: Echo Bluff State Park, Eminence; 844-322-3246,
www.echobluffstatepark.com
This 476-acre park is the perfect place to get away from it all.
Echo Bluff offers 8 miles of trails to hike along with numerous
ﬂoating, swimming and ﬁshing opportunities to boot. Don't
want to leave so quick? No problem, the park boasts an iconic lodge with guestrooms and nine full-service cabins. Plenty
of camping opportunities are also available.

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http://www.bigcedar.com http://www.mostateparks.com/park/ha-ha-tonka-state-park http://www.mostateparks.com/park/ha-ha-tonka-state-park http://www.mostateparks.com/park/elephant-rocks-state-park http://www.stegengolf.com http://www.mostateparks.com/park/elephant-rocks-state-park http://www.echobluffstatepark.com http://www.mozingolake.com/golf/courses/watson-9/

Rural Missouri - April 2021

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