Big Sky Beauty: The Reserve at Moonlight Basin makes the most of the mountain scenery in Montana
BIG SKY, Mont. - The Reserve at Moonlight Basin makes a compelling case as the most scenic inland course in America.
Golfers have no idea what's in store when driving to the first tee until the first fairway comes into view. From the elevated tee, the par 4 nosedives 252 feet to a twisted, hard-to-hold fairway. The view of the imposing 11,000-foot peak of Lone Mountain, Fan Mountain and the Spanish Peaks stretches for miles across the remote Madison Valley.
This setting should make for compelling TV during The Match between Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady against Aaron Rodgers and Bryson DeChambeau July 6 on TNT.
Architect Jack Nicklaus debuted the first nine (the back) in 2008 and returned to complete the full 8,000-yard routing by 2015 after new owners bought the private club out of bankruptcy during the recession. His canvass roams across 1,000 acres following more than 10 miles of cart paths. Starting at 7,500 feet, there is more than 1,000 feet of elevation change along the way.
There are plenty of "Moonlight moments" on the course. Players pass by "The Cabin", a comfort station loaded with snacks and drinks, twice during the round. After a blind tee shot, the fifth green reveals itself as an "infinity green", hanging precariously on the edge of the earth with the entire valley unfurling below. The par-3 seventh hole resides in a bucolic setting adjacent to a pond. One of the longest holes in the world - the 777-yard par 5 at No. 17 - glides gracefully downhill.
The small mountain-contemporary clubhouse, built in 2015, is such a cool hang out that members sometimes come just for lunch and not golf. They can enjoy cocktails next to a fire pit on the outdoor patio and nibble on pizza from a wood-fired oven, while soaking in the majestic views. The driving range, home to five target greens, and the short game area, home to four more USGA-standard greens, transforms on Friday evenings into a par-3 course with holes ranging from 45 to 100 yards. Moonlight Basin is a special place.