With his first Branson, Missouri-area golf course closed and under seemingly endless renovation, Johnny Morris has purchased a second.
Morris, the billionaire who owns the Bass Pro Shops chain, acquired Murder Rock Golf & Country Club and adjacent property in nearby Hollister. Murder Rock’s 18-hole track, which was designed and built by Landmark Land Company, anchors Branson Creek, a 7,500-acre community that’s reportedly been master-planned to accommodate 12,000 houses.
Morris bought the property from Glenn Patch, a Florida-based developer. He plans to turn Murder Rock into an amenity for his Big Cedar Lodge, which has a nine-hole, Jack Nicklaus “signature” course that, despite assurances of an imminent reopening, has been shuttered since 2010, if not before. And vacationers may also have to wait a while to play Murder Rock, as Morris has closed it for renovations.