Payne's Valley
Tiger Woods's first public design, draped across the Ozark hills at Big Cedar Lodge — a big, playable resort course named for Payne Stewart, with a cliff-walled par-3 19th nobody forgets. Now the home of golf's richest internet tournament.
For his first public design, Tiger Woods didn’t do subtle. Payne’s Valley spreads across the Ozark hills at Big Cedar Lodge in wide, generous, made-for-everyone fashion — big fairways, big greens, big views — and then finishes with one of the most theatrical holes in American golf: a par-3 nineteenth to an island green walled by a quarry cliff and a waterfall. Named for the Missouri-born Payne Stewart, it opened in 2020 and has since become the marquee of a six-course golf giant — and the glamorous home of the Internet Invitational.
| Yards | Rating | Slope | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tips | 7,370 | 75.6 | 132 |
| Regular | 6,876 | 73.2 | 125 |
How it plays
Approachable by design. Tiger’s brief was a course the average resort guest could enjoy, so the corridors are wide, the trouble is largely visible, and the greens — big and contoured — reward a confident swing rather than a perfect one. From the Tiger tees it’s a proper 7,370-yard test (75.6/132), but the forward sets make it a genuine romp for everyone. The Ozark terrain gives it elevation, drama, and a handful of strong holes; you won’t leave rattled the way a championship test leaves you. It’s fun first — and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Big fairways, big views, and a 19th hole nobody forgets.
Where it bites
The longer two-shotters when the wind and the hills align — the par-4 9th is the honest No. 1 handicap, and the par-5 13th stretches to a monstrous 653 yards. But Payne’s Valley is more thrilling than punishing; the drama is in the scenery and the shot-making options, not in grinding out pars. Play it loose, enjoy the views, and save something for the end.
The pedigree
As Tiger Woods’s first public-access course, Payne’s Valley arrived in 2020 with enormous attention and lived up to the hype: Golf Digest’s Best New Public Course in America (2021), a USA Today 10Best #1 public course (2026), and a solid #3 among Missouri’s best you-can-play — behind only its Big Cedar neighbor Ozarks National. The bonus 19th, a Johnny Morris flourish, has become one of the most photographed holes in the Midwest.
Plan your visit
It’s at Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, an easy add to a family trip and a few hours from Kansas City, St. Louis, or Tulsa. Book through the resort, take a cart or walk, and save a ball or two for the 19th — played as a fun extra after the 18th, usually for a closing bet. With six courses on the property — including the Coore & Crenshaw Ozarks National and Fazio’s Buffalo Ridge — Big Cedar is worth a two- or three-day stay, not a day trip.
Who should play here
Resort golfers, families, and anyone who wants big-name design without a championship beatdown. Payne’s Valley is scenic, playable, and genuinely fun — not the toughest course on a bucket list, but one of the most enjoyable, and a worthy tribute to the man it’s named for. Play it loose, soak up the Ozark views, and don’t skip the 19th.
Full scorecard — Payne's Valley (Tiger tees)
Par 72 · 7,370 yards · 75.6 rating · 132 slope
| Hole | Par | Yards | Handicap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 483 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | 267 | 7 |
| 3 | 4 | 334 | 17 |
| 4 | 5 | 544 | 11 |
| 5 | 3 | 188 | 9 |
| 6 | 4 | 444 | 13 |
| 7 | 4 | 368 | 15 |
| 8 | 5 | 567 | 5 |
| 9 | 4 | 429 | 1 |
| 10 | 3 | 183 | 16 |
| 11 | 4 | 429 | 12 |
| 12 | 4 | 341 | 18 |
| 13 | 5 | 653 | 2 |
| 14 | 4 | 421 | 10 |
| 15 | 4 | 456 | 4 |
| 16 | 3 | 224 | 14 |
| 17 | 4 | 487 | 8 |
| 18 | 5 | 552 | 6 |
| Total | 72 | 7,370 | — |
Hole-by-hole yardages and stroke indexes are illustrative.
Payne's Valley, quickly
- Can the public play Payne's Valley?
- Yes — it was built specifically as Tiger Woods's first public-access design, part of the Big Cedar Lodge golf resort near Branson, Missouri. Resort guests get priority and better rates.
- Who designed Payne's Valley?
- Tiger Woods and his TGR Design firm. It opened in September 2020 and is named in honor of Missouri-born major champion Payne Stewart. The famous 19th 'bonus' hole was designed separately by Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris.
- What's the famous 19th hole?
- 'The Big Rock' — a par-3 bonus hole beyond the 18th, played to a green ringed by a roughly 200-foot limestone cliff and a waterfall. It's a Johnny Morris creation, built to settle closest-to-the-pin bets.
- How much is a round at Payne's Valley?
- 2026 resort-guest rates run from $200 in the off-season to a peak that starts at $425. Public peak in 2026 starts at $525. Cart and practice facilities are included.
- Is Payne's Valley where the Internet Invitational is played?
- Partly — the YouTube-golf Internet Invitational at Big Cedar Lodge contests matches across Payne's Valley, Ozarks National, and Buffalo Ridge.
We may earn a commission on the tee-time link above — we only point you where we’d book ourselves. Scorecard figures are illustrative.