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You are at:Home»Midwest Features»DON’T LOOK DOWN – ANNOUNCING CLIFFHANGERS, THE MOST DRAMATIC PAR-3 GOLF COURSE IN THE WORLD TO OPEN JULY 4TH AT BIG CEDAR LODGE
Midwest Features

DON’T LOOK DOWN – ANNOUNCING CLIFFHANGERS, THE MOST DRAMATIC PAR-3 GOLF COURSE IN THE WORLD TO OPEN JULY 4TH AT BIG CEDAR LODGE

Glen TurkBy Glen TurkJune 16, 2025No Comments7 Mins Read
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RIDGEDALE, Mo. – Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort, today unveiled details for Cliffhangers, an extraordinary new 18-hole par-3 golf course.

A true labor of love, the utterly stunning, absolutely unique golf experience appropriately named Cliffhangers, was created by visionary conservationist Johnny Morris and his son John Paul. The result of their efforts is an unforgettable, over-the-top, bucket list golf experience in the majestic Ozark Mountains. What was originally planned as a practice facility exploded into an extraordinary 18-hole, par-3 adventure course after Johnny and JP, continued walking the terrain, realizing just how stunning the land truly was.

The new one of a kind adventure course, Cliffhangers, is the sixth course at the award-winning golf resort and is located adjacent to Tiger Woods’ acclaimed Payne’s Valley. Cliffhangers will open on July 4, 2025, and reservations are available now.

Set high in the rugged beauty of the Missouri Ozarks, Cliffhangers is far more than a round of golf—it’s an unforgettable experience. The course lives up to its name with dramatic elevation changes, breathtaking views, and holes ranging from 60 to 170 yards, all meticulously carved into the region’s iconic limestone cliffs and flowing creeks.

“This is golf on the edge—literally,” said Johnny Morris. “We wanted to create something that celebrates the natural wonder of the Ozarks while delivering an unforgettable adventure for every golfer.”

Golfers will traverse steep mountain trails and lush zoysia approaches leading to undulating bent grass greens, each hole offering a new surprise. The course itself is a signature loop the likes of which have never before been seen in golf. Players will drive carts through cascading waterfalls, cross through swift flowing creeks, and journey into a dramatic cave system—culminating in a tee shot launched from inside the cavern through a waterfall!

“Cliffhangers reflects everything we love about nature, adventure, and golf,” said John Paul Morris. “It’s wild, fun, and unlike anything in the game of golf today! We hope you’ll come pay us a visit and play Cliffhangers and experience what true Ozarks hospitality is all about!”

REDEFINING DESTINATION GOLF

Big Cedar Lodge was honored to be recently named the #1 Golf Resort in America by USA Today and on May 30th, Forbes named Big Cedar the Best Family Golf Resort in the United States. Golfers from around the globe are making the journey to the Ozarks to experience what can only be found here—a unique blend of rugged natural beauty, thoughtful course design, and genuine, friendly hospitality.

Big Cedar Lodge has become a premier destination for golf by attracting some of the world’s leading course architects, including Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Tom Fazio, Gary Player, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.

Cliffhangers marks Big Cedar’s third par-3 course, joining the exclusive ranks of legendary Top of the Rock—the first-ever PGA TOUR-sanctioned par-3 course designed by Jack Nicklaus—and Mountain Top, a Gary Player design known for its 13 scenic walking-only holes. Together, these courses highlight Big Cedar’s ongoing commitment to redefining the short course experience. There are high expectations for Cliffhangers to become a bucket-list course for anyone who loves the game of golf.

GO AGAIN ON #1 AND #10 – 20 CHANCES FOR A HOLE-IN-ONE

Johnny and JP placed two death-defying cliffhanger tee boxes on holes #1 and #10 to give golfers a total of 20 chances for a hole-in-one in their round.

COMMITMENT TO GOLF, NATURE AND CONSERVATION

The growing golf portfolio at Big Cedar Lodge is bringing to life father and son’s vision to create a landmark golf destination that combines a shared appreciation for nature and a premier golf experience, all with an emphasis on conservation.

WHEN YOU PLAY AT BIG CEDAR, YOU’RE NOT JUST ENJOYING THE GAME – YOU’RE HELPING CONSERVE THE WILD HEART OF THE OZARKS FOR GENERATIONS TO COME !

All Big Cedar Nature Golf Courses have been gifted by Johnny Morris and are part of a not-for-profit conservation foundation focused on educating the public on the importance of conservation and sustainability. Profits from all green fees are used for conservation support efforts.

The resort, described by Big Cedar officials as a “dream and passion project,” is designed to amaze guests with the beauty of the Ozark Mountains while also being a beacon for conservation efforts. The Lodge is the only golf resort in the world where every single course has been given “Signature Sanctuary” status by Audubon International. As part of Johnny Morris’ long-standing commitment to conservation, the entire 4,600-acre Big Cedar Lodge was also recently awarded Audubon Gold Certifications for Green Hospitality.

IMMERSED IN NATURE AND WILDLIFE

We’re proud that all Big Cedar Nature Golf courses are certified Audubon International Signature Sanctuary courses as a testament to our ongoing commitment to conservation. Many species of wildlife call our courses home, including bison, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, black bears, bald eagles, and pheasants.

THE AUDUBON MEDAL

The Audubon Medal is considered by many to be the highest honor in conservation. Throughout the Audubon’s 120-year history, only 58 people have received this prestigious award. Johnny and John Paul Morris are the most recent recipients, having been honored in 2019.

HERE’S WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

LAUREN THOMPSON – GOLF CHANNEL

“I’ve played many great courses around the world, and Cliffhangers is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, incredibly challenging, and the best thing to happen to golf in years,” Lauren Thompson, noted American golf personality, host of The Morning Drive on The Golf Channel and current host for GolfNow.

REDEFINING WHAT’S CONCEIVABLE

LARRY OLMSTED – GOLF JOURNALIST

“Golf has long been pushing the envelope of what is possible and conceivable, and as a result, it has been practically impossible to do anything in golf that has not been done before. But Johnny Morris and his son JP, have done just that with Cliffhangers. There are memorable holes and then there are unforgettable holes, and Cliffhangers is all about unforgettable. There are over 38,000 golf courses in the world, and in my judgement, when it comes to unforgettable, there are absolutely none that can compare to Cliffhangers! You’ll have to play it to believe it,” Larry Olmsted is a leading golf journalist, golf travel authority and panelist for Rolex’ World’s Best Golf Courses list and USA Today’s Best Golf Resorts.

GRATEFUL TO OUR ALL-STAR CLIFFHANGERS TEAM

“My Dad and I are deeply grateful to the passionate team who contributed their extraordinary talents to help bring our vision for Cliffhangers to life. We are grateful to Jeff Steen, VP Of Golf Operations at Big Cedar, and his whole team for their steadfast support. We also proudly thank Hector Garcia, Todd Scott, Rich Abbott, David Kahn, Tim Jackson, Jose Vivo, Jesse Stofflet, Buck Haynes, Brodsley Whyte “Hilton” and our friends at Audubon International for contributing their remarkable skills to help make our dream a reality.” JP Morris said.

BREAKING NEWS !

BUFFALO RIDGE COURSE REOPENS AFTER MAJOR UPGRADES !

One of the America’s most popular courses reopened on June 1, 2025, after major enhancements including new greens, surrounds and green-side bunkers. True to its name, the Tom Fazio-designed Buffalo Ridge — on Golf Digest’s Top 100 — has herds of buffalo grazing alongside its fairways. Players can expect to get in close contact with nature like never before.

For more information on Cliffhangers, or to book a tee time at any of Big

Cedar Lodge’s award-winning courses, visit www.bigcedar.com/golf.

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Glen Turk
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Glen Turk is a Wisconsin native who has been the Senior Writer/Editor of Midwest Golfing Magazine since 2006. Besides being an avid golfer, Glen enjoys traveling, music, and cheering on the finest professional sports team of all-time, the Green Bay Packers. Glen’s ultimate golf goal is to play in all fifty states and currently he is more than half way there. His other dream, albeit far-fetched, it to record an ace in all seven states of our distribution area. Thanks to an ace in Illinois in 2015, and one in Michigan in 2016, he has three down, four to go!

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