MARGARITAVILLE LAKE RESORT

The Ozarks' rolling limestone bluffs create dramatic elevation changes that architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. exploited masterfully, with several holes plunging toward Lake of the Ozarks' serpentine shoreline. The par-3 17th demands a nervy carry over a rocky cove to a peninsula green that's pure theater, while the dogleg-left 6th hole tempts big hitters to challenge the lake on their second shot. This Missouri resort track proves that lakeside golf doesn't have to be bland—the native stone outcroppings and 200-foot elevation swings deliver memorable drama throughout.