Mountain Top — A stroll through Gary Player's vision in the Ozarks

Anyone who believes that a golf course must have 18 holes to inspire should explore the “mountain top” in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Gary Player, the creative mind behind this extraordinary design together with Naturelover and Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris, opened a 13-lane layout in 2017 that is a statement in many ways: compact, spectacular — and only playable on foot. As the only “walking-only course” at the Big Cedar Resort, Mountain Top pays homage to the original idea of golf — and to Player's philosophy of movement, nature and fitness.

Gary Player's signature at Big Cedar Resort

The very start makes it clear that there is no ordinary short course waiting here. The round starts just below the large clubhouse that shares Mountain Top with Payne's Valley and Cliffhangers. From the first tea, you hit up to 105 yards into the rising morning sun — if you start early, you'll experience the colors of the Ozarks in warm light. The tea shot on the right green side is the safe way to avoid the large bunker on the left. The trail then leads across a road to the longest track of the round: 221 yards uphill, a par 3 with a classic Gary player signature. The green has a distinctive “false front”, which allows any ball played too short to roll back mercilessly. What follows is a series of variations on the theme Par-3 — sometimes flat, sometimes steep, sometimes delicate, sometimes merciless. Lane 3 requires precision between three bunkers before track 4, which is only 82 yards long, surprises with its lateral fall line: On the right, the terrain slopes steeply, on the left, a huge bunker protects.

Here you can find many more exciting travel reports.

Panoramic and dramatic tracks

From hole 5, the panorama opens — two shorter holes with views of the rocky landscape of the Ozarks, before length and control are required again on hole 6. The green hangs heavily from left to right, anyone who plays too flat sees the ball rolling into nowhere. The middle holes are particularly impressive. On the 7 it goes dramatically downhill, the green flanked by huge bunkers, while on the 8 — a par-3 up to 196 yards long — you play on a sloping fairway that literally moves towards the abyss.

The spectacular finale

From there, the trail slowly leads back towards the clubhouse. Lanes 9 to 11 make masterful use of the relief: rock walls, deep bunkers, hanging greens — and spectacular views time and again. The eleventh track with its 200 yards in particular requires courage and feeling in equal measure: The end is imminent on the left, the safe line attracts on the right. Lane 12 climbs up strongly once again — a worthy final test before the final. The two bunkers on the left and right of the green frame the scene like a stage set, while the view over the neighboring Payne's Valley and Cliffhangers squares is simply breathtaking. The final hole, a short par 3 over 95 yards, is gently uphill and concludes the round with a harmonious accent.

Golf in its purest form

Mountain Top is an experience. Anyone who plays it understands that 13 holes are enough to experience golf in its purest form: on foot, in the rhythm of nature, surrounded by rocks, trees and spectacular views. Gary Player has created a manifesto here — a space that celebrates the classic “Spirit of the Game.”