April 30, 2008

HWY 54 EXPRESSWAY DOESN'T SLOW DOWN DOGWOOD HILLS GOLF CLUB & RESORT

Lake of the Ozarks‹While the Hwy. 54 Expressway may soon be changing the way golfers arrive at Dogwood Hills Resort, it's business as usual at the championship 18-hole golf course. 

While concerns that the new expressway will disrupt business, the construction will only touch a corner of the 227-acre resort land and will not affect any of the existing facilities.

"I hear all the time that the expressway construction will affect the golf course facility," Dogwood President Gary Mitchell said. "This just isn't true, and in fact, the construction will enhance our customers' accessibility to Dogwood."

Construction of the $154 million Highway 54 expressway project began this year and will be completed by summer 2011. The expressway will carry thru traffic along a four-lane roadway from just west of state Route KK in Osage Beach to the junction of Highway 54 and Business 54 in Lake Ozark.

At the highway's completion, travelers will be able to pass through Osage Beach at 65-miles-per-hour, while vacationing drivers will be able to enter or exit the highway at one of six different locations.  In fact, the new roadway will improve the accessibility of the golf course and eliminate traffic delays for those returning home.

Dogwood Hills Golf Club is the original 18-hole golf course in the Lake of the Ozarks area.  Built in 1962, this championship public golf course has a reputation for a challenging, yet not overwhelming, course.  Large Bermuda grass fairways and small, well manicured Bent grass greens make Dogwood a popular course to play. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:   For a map and construction schedule of the expressway, visit http://www.lakeozarksroads.org/news.html