The hardest golf courses in Montana
The hardest 18-hole golf courses in Montana, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 11 courses have complete, verified tee data.
The Reserve at Moonlight Basin
Big Sky, MT, USASlope rating 153, 78.5 course rating, Mill Creek tees, 8,000 yds
PublicJack Nicklaus
- 1.0Conditions
- NRLayout
- NRValue
- NRScenery
- NRFacilities
- Mountain
Rock Creek Cattle Company
Deer Lodge, MT, USASlope rating 143, 74.5 course rating, Tee I, 7,466 yds
PrivateTom Doak
- Driving range
- Pristine
- Hidden gem
Yellowstone Club
Big Sky, MT, USASlope rating 142, 72.7 course rating, Pioneer tees, 7,166 yds
PrivateTom Weiskopf
- Driving range
- Restaurant
- Bar
Wilderness Club
Eureka, MT, USASlope rating 137, 74.0 course rating, Black tees, 7,207 yds
PrivateNick Faldo
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.6Layout
- 4.2Scenery
- 3.9Facilities
Course design was versatile; some holes allowed you to get after it and bomb one, while others back through the woods forced you to slow down and think. Green complex was good. Bunkering was great (extra points for the black sand aesthetic).
Written by
@brycedanielgolf
- Driving range
- Restaurant
- Views
Old Works Golf Course
Anaconda, MT, USASlope rating 136, 76.1 course rating, Slag tees, 7,705 yds
PrivateJack Nicklaus
- 4.0Conditions
- NRLayout
- NRScenery
- NRFacilities
- Driving range
- Must play
- Hidden gem
Canyon River Golf Club
Missoula, MT, USA
Slope rating 130, 72.6 course rating, Black tees, 6,966 yds
Northern Pines Golf Club
Kalispell, MT, USA
Slope rating 130, 72.5 course rating, Green tees, 7,015 yds
(South) Whitefish Golf Club
Whitefish, MT, USA
Slope rating 129, 71.8 course rating, Black tees, 6,551 yds
(North) Whitefish Golf Club
Whitefish, MT, USA
Slope rating 127, 71.5 course rating, Black tees, 6,898 yds
The Club at Spanish Peaks
Big Sky, MT, USA
Slope rating 125, 73.2 course rating, Black tees, 7,170 yds
Big Sky Resort Golf Course
Big Sky, MT, USA
Slope rating 125, 71.4 course rating, Blue tees, 6,800 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. State pages include courses across Montana. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
The Reserve at Moonlight Basin is #1 on Course Vaults in Montana at Slope 153 (78.5 course rating · Mill Creek tees · 8,000 yds). 11 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. State pages include courses across Montana. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:49 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
