The heart of golf in this region is the Flathead Valley Golf Association, which encompasses nine magnificent courses in a variety of spectacular settings. All of the Flathead Valley courses are of championship caliber, and each provides a minimum of 18 holes. In fact, some offer 27, and one of them is a 36-hole course. Here’s an overview of what’s available:
Buffalo Hill: Site of numerous state championships, this historic course is one of the most popular in the valley, and for good reason. If you’ve “got game,” bring it with you to Buffalo, especially if you plan on charging the course from its back tees. It has the toughest slope rating in the valley group. Target golf is the name of the game here thanks to frequent doglegs and slippery, undulating greens. In addition to the regulation 18-hole layout, Buffalo has its “Cameron Nine,” an easier venture in an equally pristine setting. Among its vintage-style layout and double-tiered greens is one of the longest par threes around—a 250-yard monster, its green flanked by branches and bunkers.
Eagle Bend Club: This is another 27-hole championship course, located on the northern shores of Flathead Lake. You’ll find a pleasant mix of difficulty levels here. As a resort course, it has plenty of friendly bounces to accommodate higher handicappers. The years have since been kind to this facility. It’s now a seasoned work of art, and has helped put the valley on the map over the past decade. In ’94, for example, it hosted the prestigious USGA Amateur Public Links Championship, a breakthrough for Eagle Bend and Montana golf as a whole.
Glacier View Golf Club: If you have decent concentration, consider that the biggest challenge at this course won’t necessarily be the course itself, but the captivating scenery. The majestic peaks of Glacier National Park are constantly in your sights. This makes an excellent family course with its open lanes and smaller greens, but it also has its fair share of challenges. You’ll find a fair amount of sand and water here, both of which come more into play on the recently established back tees. Overall this is a great destination course in a setting second to none.
Meadow Lake Resort: This secluded par 72 track is pretty tough, but mostly it’s just plain pretty. Meadow Lake offers majestic views of the Rockies and seven white-knuckle holes bordering streams and lakes. Tall pines dominate the landscape, offering unmatched seclusion in the course of play. Again, Glacier National Park is just a stone’s throw away, making this neck of the deep woods an excellent venue for a well rounded Montana vacation.
Mission Mountain Country Club: This 18-hole course is located 14 miles south of Flathead Lake in the heart of the beautiful Mission Valley. It features lush fairways and some of Montana's largest and finest greens with a fantastic view of the Mission Mountains. The greens are quite large—slick at times but very fair. With modest length, good accuracy and a hot short blade, you can have the round of your life here. And even if you don’t, the scenery will keep you happy.
Northern Pines: Talk about a nice mix of styles. Just imagine the haunting feel of a Scottish links course threaded through Montana’s towering pine forests. At this fairly new facility, you truly get to have your cake and eat it too. Overall, Northern Pines is an ideal course to tackle for better players, and a scenic adventure for anyone willing to brave its challenging terrain. U.S. Open champ Andy North had a hand in the design here, and it shows.
Village Greens: This is a fairly young course, but it also has some of the valley's finest bent grass greens. The overall condition of this layout in suburban Kalispell is superb. Water comes into play throughout Village Greens’ 6300-yard length, as do sand traps and mounded fairways. The rough is deep, and there is plenty of out-of-bounds to contend with as well. All that said, it really is a thrill to play.
Whitefish Lake Golf Club: On a good day it’s “double your pleasure, double your fun.” On a bad day it’s “double trouble.” But regardless of your performance, a round (or two) on Montana's only 36-hole complex will be time well spent, and then some. Located adjacent to Whitefish Lake, this majestic, half-century-old layout offers incredible mountain views and a breathtaking challenge for target-style play. Its medium length is offset by its demand on accuracy. The two 18-hole courses are titled simply “North Course” and “South Course.” Each offers its unique share of scenic twists and turns.
For more contact and reservation information on all of these facilities, log onto www.flatheadvalleygolf.com.