As I sit here looking out the window at giant piles of snow, I thought I would jot down the reasons for this website and a little about myself.
The Idea
This website idea came about during the winter of 2019. As I was dreaming of playing golf this summer, I started Googling courses around the state. What I found was not very helpful. There are a bunch of sites that list the courses in Montana, but that is about all they do. Most websites just give the address, maybe the designer, and the yardage of the course. I want to know more, I am guessing that is what brought you to this site as well.
Golf Courses in Montana
According to the PGA of America’s website, there are currently 109 courses in Montana. I think this number is a little high because in my home area of NW Montana, the numbers are off by 3. I am not sure how often the PGA site is updated but they had a course that is no longer in operation listed in my area. This leads me to believe that the true number of operational courses in Montana is probably under 100. With that being said, this project is going to take a couple of years to complete.
Who Am I?
So you may want to know who I am and why I think I will be good at these reviews. I have loved the sport of golf and golf courses since I was a young boy growing up in Minnesota. I grew up in a small town south of the Twin Cities that was home to a 9 hole course. As a kid, my friends and I would ride our bikes up to the course and play golf all summer long. I started working
Until my graduation from high school, I played golf and worked at the course every summer. At that point, I was good enough to make my college golf team as a Freshman. I also had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up! So for 2 years, I changed my major just about every semester. In the summers, I would come back home and work on the golf course. It was the only job that I have ever had where I looked forward to going to work every day.
While I was trying to figure out what my major should be, an older guy from my hometown was attending the Penn State Turfgrass Management Program. He graduated and immediately got a job at a Country Club in Florida. That clinched it for me! At that point I knew what I was going to do. As a kid who likes golf in Minnesota, you dream of being able to play golf in January. The program at Penn State was exactly what I was looking for.
Experience
Penn State is the top school in the nation for turf management. Since they only accept 30 people a year into the program, you had your pick of jobs when you graduated. I was able to see the country while working at some of the best golf courses. Here are the courses that I worked at along the way. Hazeltine National G.C., Chaska, MN. Hidden Hills Country Club, Stone Mountain, Georgia. The Vintage Club, Indian Wells, California. The Quarry at LaQuinta, LaQuinta, California. Desert Horizons Country Club, Indian Wells, California. Meadow Creek Golf Club, McCall, Idaho. Eagle Bend Golf Club, Bigfork, Montana.
I was also lucky enough to get to play Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, and Spyglass Hill when I lived in California. While I worked in Georgia, I was able to attend the Masters at Augusta National. During my time at The Vintage Club and The Quarry at
Get Your Course Reviewed
None of these things make me an expert at golf course reviews, but my experience does give me an idea of what to look for in the design and maintenance of a golf course. I really hope that you enjoy my site and the reviews help you determine where to golf in Montana. If you are an owner or manager of a course that I have not yet reviewed and you would like a review, please contact me.
