
Bully Pulpit Course
Bully Pulpit Golf Course



About this course
Bully Pulpit Golf Course occupies rugged terrain in the North Dakota Badlands near Medora, designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and opened in 2003. The course sits within Theodore Roosevelt National Park boundaries, taking its name from Roosevelt's presidency and his deep connection to this landscape, where he ranched in the 1880s and drew inspiration that shaped his conservation legacy. The routing navigates dramatic elevation changes and natural ravines characteristic of Badlands topography, with fairways carved through clay buttes, coulees, and native grasses. The design works with severe land movement uncommon in American public golf, requiring strategic placement and varied club selection across holes that climb and descend through exposed ridgelines. Several holes play along canyon edges or drop significantly from tee to green, emphasizing course management over pure distance. The setting offers expansive views of the Little Missouri River valley and surrounding wilderness, with minimal tree cover and the region's distinctive banded rock formations visible throughout the round. Bully Pulpit serves as the centerpiece golf attraction in southwestern North Dakota, drawing visitors who combine play with exploration of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the historic cattle town of Medora. The facility operates seasonally given the northern climate and remote location. The course represents an unusual example of championship-caliber public golf built in an extreme natural environment, where Hurdzan's routing responds directly to pre-existing landforms rather than manufactured features.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in ND
Quick facts
- Location
- Medora, ND, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 2004
- Holes
- 18
- Designer
- Dr. Michael Hurdzan
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 7,166 yards
- Difficulty
- 75.4/133
- Course Vaults score
- 7.7
Getting there
The journey to Bully Pulpit Golf Course begins at Bismarck Municipal Airport, roughly two hours east, though many travelers opt for the longer but more direct route from Denver International or Minneapolis-St. Paul. The westward drive across North Dakota's high plains is a study in vastness - endless wheat fields and ranchland gradually giving way to the raw, eroded drama of the Badlands as you approach the Little Missouri River valley. Medora itself appears almost as a mirage at the edge of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a frontier town of barely a hundred souls that serves as the unlikely gateway to one of America's most scenically audacious golf experiences. The final turn off Interstate 94 delivers you into a landscape Roosevelt himself once called "a chaos of peaks, plateaus, and ridges" - and perched atop that chaos, the course awaits.

FAQ
Common questions about Bully Pulpit
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Bully Pulpit has a Course Vaults score of 7.7 out of 10 based on 15 logged golfers.
Bully Pulpit was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan.
Yes. Bully Pulpit is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Bully Pulpit is 72.
Bully Pulpit plays 7,166 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Bully Pulpit is 133.



