As the sun finally made its way out from the clouds that had blanketed Montana for over a week on Wednesday morning, I found myself traveling south and crossing the continental divide on my way to Dillon to play Beaverhead Golf Course.
A white clubhouse with a deck greets visitors as they make their way near the putting green and onto this gorgeous parkland course. It was on the putting green that I met up with my playing partners and hosts for the round, Greg Fitzgerald and Kevin Engellant. Both collegiate standouts, Greg played football for the Grizzlies in the mid-90s and Kevin played basketball for Montana Western.
On a gorgeous morning the three of us teed off on the 354-yard par 4 1st hole that doglegs right past a row of tall green trees and a bunker sitting on the corner of the fairway. This treelined fairway narrows at the corner before you find an undulating green protected by a bunker in the front left.
The three of us walked our way around Beaverhead Golf Course in the sunlight that had been so unfamiliar the last few weeks. Featuring a nice balance of holes that turn from left-to-right and right-to-left and straightforward holes, it makes for an enjoyable test of golf for any shot shape.
A small creek runs diagonally across the course starting near the 6th tee and across the 3rd, 4th, and 8th fairways. This creek comes into play off the tee on the par 4 3rd hole. A slight dogleg left past a pair off bunkers on the left, the safe play is to aim to the right side of the fairway just short of the trees on the right and give yourself a wedge or mid-iron into an undulating and crowned green shaded by a bank of trees behind the putting surface.
The most challenging hole on Beaverhead Golf Course is the 403-yard par 4 6th. A slight dogleg left past a number of bunkers along the left rough this hole becomes more challenging the closer you get to the green. A small pond in the front left of this green can make the second shot into this tiered green difficult. This back-to-front sloping green makes for difficult two putts if your second shot isn’t on the correct area of the green.
Sitting in the clubhouse after our round, Greg, Kevin, and I visited about Beaverhead Golf Course. I had to say this was one of my favorite nine-hole courses in the state. From the tall trees surrounding every green to the creek running across the property, this course has something for everyone. While having a burger in the clubhouse and watching a group of youngsters that Kevin teaches golf to putt around the practice area, I realized I couldn’t have had a better time in Dillon.
There can’t be many places to learn how to play the game better than Beaverhead Golf Course, because there aren’t many courses in Montana better than this track or the people who play there.
Montana's Longest Drive 