Along the beautiful Clark Fork River is a great nine-hole golf course that weaves its way along the river and through the trees and offers tremendous views of the scenic mountain valley that Thompson Falls sits in.
Arriving at River’s Bend on Tuesday afternoon, I started my round on the dogleg right par 4 that plays right along the bend in the Clark Fork River. From an elevated tee this hole plays 338-yards and is lined down the right side by pine trees and on the left by the driving range which gives way to the river. After hitting down the hill to the landing area, the second shot at River’s Bend is into a turtleback green along the tree line.
Throughout this course, every tee shot requires something different. The 2nd hole for example is a par 5 begins along the river and then works back up a hill and toward the trees. On this 500-yard par 5, the safest play is to hit to the base of the hill with an iron and then layup to a wedge to attack this back-to-front sloping green.
The course at River’s Bend then begins to get tighter as the holes delve deeper into the rows of pine trees. One of the toughest holes on the course is the 410-yard slight dogleg right par 4 4th hole. Trees line the left and right of this fairway that bends slowly to a small slightly elevated green.
Sitting in the clubhouse after the round and looking out the window at the Clark Fork River and the high mountain face that watches over the river and the course I visited with the lady working the bar at the clubhouse. We visited for a short while about River’s Bend and then about this beautiful little northwest stretch of Montana.
River’s Bend is a beautiful and wonderful little nine-hole golf course that truly does bend along the scenic Clark Fork River.
Montana's Longest Drive 