$13 mil golf course honors Payne Stewart

The 18-hole Bobby Clampett-designed course will honor Springfield-born professional golfer Payne Stewart, who died in a plane crash in 1999.

Each hole will represent a different trait Stewart demonstrated in his life, said G. Kim McDonald, president of marketing with HCW Development Co., an affiliate of Branson Hills Development and developer of the course.

The course is the first ever to be a tribute to an individual, McDonald said. Plaques will mark each hole, describing a moment of Stewart’s life on or off the golf course that showcased his character.

“It’s a very unique situation to be able to say the sixth hole is called integrity, and this is why,” he said. “Clampett really wants to say this man was a unique individual, and his integrity and honesty and character traits were second to none.”

Clampett, a former professional golfer, is a course designer based in North Carolina and a commentator for CBS and Turner Broadcasting System.

The $13 million project will be 7,215 yards and is expected to open in fall 2007. Developer HCW is an affiliate of Branson Hills Development.

The Branson Hills development in Branson will be approximately 1,100 acres and will include adult living, a gated community, a hotel, a town square with retail space and 500 golf course home sites, golf bungalows and condos.