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Golfer Bob
Anaconda
2008-10-03
$51 (cart included), played on Tuesday, July 2007 at 8am
I was on a quest to play golf in all 50 states, and Montana was my last state, and The Old Works my last "quest" course. What a wonderful piece of golf architecture by Jack Nicklaus. I have played a number of his courses around the country, and this is the most memorable, by far.
First, the history: the course is on the site of the old Anaconda copper smelter, which was in operation through much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Copper smelting is very dirty business, and when the Works closed down, it became an EPA Superfund site because of all the crud. The solution was to cap the polluted ground with impenetrable caliche clay, and build a golf course! Great idea, perfectly executed.
The layout is in the valley where the creek flows, and there are ruins of flumes, furnaces, et.al, scattered around the course, as well as old ore cars and other mining artifacts. The signature though, is the black sand in the bunkers, which is ground up slag from the smelting process (there is a huge mound of it about a mile east of the course). These bunkers are beautiful, but the stuff is VERY abrasive, and will eat up your sand wedge.
Anyway, the rest of the layout is pure Nicklaus: lots of intimidating views from the tee boxes, to what turn out to be fairly benign landing areas. Fairways were friendly, I thought, and rough is not bad. Get too far off the shorter stuff, though, and you are probably lost. The greens are huge, receptive, undulating and FAST. Some elevation change, and a judicious use of water. Lots of wildlife on the course, including a family of foxes that lives along one fairway. Views from everywhere are spectacular, as the valley is ringed with rugged hills, and the old mining town of Anaconda nestles on the other side of the creek (it has gotten genteel of late, with lots of boutiques, B&B-s, etc., but still has some honest-to-God saloons, too!).
Pro shop and clubhouse amenities are excellent, and the staff was very congenial and capable. Pro shop is well-stocked with memorabilia, too.
I came from Maryland to play this course, so it is not likely that I-ll be back, but it is worth a considerable drive to play. I was paired up with a couple from Idaho Falls (about 200 miles away) who play there at least once a month, they like it so much; they told me that there is a lot of repeat business from folks who drive 100+ miles. I cannot say enough positive things about this terrific course: well worth my trip!
Would travel: 120-300 Miles, Vacation Worthy
Bottom line: I would play again, Ranks with the best in this price level
Condition of Course, Difficulty, Layout, Price, Ambiance, No Houses on Course, Pace of Play, Staff, Clubhouse, Pro Shop
$51 (cart included), played on Tuesday, July 2007 at 8am
I was on a quest to play golf in all 50 states, and Montana was my last state, and The Old Works my last "quest" course. What a wonderful piece of golf architecture by Jack Nicklaus. I have played a number of his courses around the country, and this is the most memorable, by far.
First, the history: the course is on the site of the old Anaconda copper smelter, which was in operation through much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Copper smelting is very dirty business, and when the Works closed down, it became an EPA Superfund site because of all the crud. The solution was to cap the polluted ground with impenetrable caliche clay, and build a golf course! Great idea, perfectly executed.
The layout is in the valley where the creek flows, and there are ruins of flumes, furnaces, et.al, scattered around the course, as well as old ore cars and other mining artifacts. The signature though, is the black sand in the bunkers, which is ground up slag from the smelting process (there is a huge mound of it about a mile east of the course). These bunkers are beautiful, but the stuff is VERY abrasive, and will eat up your sand wedge.
Anyway, the rest of the layout is pure Nicklaus: lots of intimidating views from the tee boxes, to what turn out to be fairly benign landing areas. Fairways were friendly, I thought, and rough is not bad. Get too far off the shorter stuff, though, and you are probably lost. The greens are huge, receptive, undulating and FAST. Some elevation change, and a judicious use of water. Lots of wildlife on the course, including a family of foxes that lives along one fairway. Views from everywhere are spectacular, as the valley is ringed with rugged hills, and the old mining town of Anaconda nestles on the other side of the creek (it has gotten genteel of late, with lots of boutiques, B&B-s, etc., but still has some honest-to-God saloons, too!).
Pro shop and clubhouse amenities are excellent, and the staff was very congenial and capable. Pro shop is well-stocked with memorabilia, too.
I came from Maryland to play this course, so it is not likely that I-ll be back, but it is worth a considerable drive to play. I was paired up with a couple from Idaho Falls (about 200 miles away) who play there at least once a month, they like it so much; they told me that there is a lot of repeat business from folks who drive 100+ miles. I cannot say enough positive things about this terrific course: well worth my trip!