Big Sky, Montana
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It’s not just the views that are breathtaking in Big Sky, Montana. At more than 7,000 feet in altitude, the destination requires a day to adjust to the high country. Then you can enjoy some of the best and boldest mountain golf anywhere in the U.S. And don’t forget that altitude will cause shots to travel 10 to 15 percent farther in the thinner air.
Establish base camp at the exquisite Montage hotel, perfectly situated for all Big Sky activities, particularly if you’d like to enjoy a sublime trout carpaccio followed by a bison rib eye at the elegant Cortina, arguably the best restaurant in the area. The hotels’ 139 guest rooms express modern mountain chic in a crafted lodge that’s home to a spa, music venue, sports bar with bowling alley, and more. Staff throughout are meticulously trained yet genuine in their cheerful efforts to provide superlative service.
Visible from Montage’s guest rooms and outdoor pool complex is the massive log clubhouse of the Spanish Peaks golf course, a Tom Weiskopf design largely free of housing and providing pristine views from 7,200 yards of great mountain golf. Weiskopf, who had a home on property, created corridors that showcase snowcapped peaks and wildflower meadows. Fairways wend through pine forests in solitude. Holes feature prodigious cape and bay bunkering (especially on dogleg turns), occasional blind shots, a cadre of forced carries, and superfirm greens that run faster than Usain Bolt after a triple espresso. The rugged track, which Weiskopf famously designed on horseback, has been ranked as high as number three in the state by Golf Digest.
Following golf, how about a little more golf? Weiskopf’s final project was Tom’s 10, a collection of immaculate par-three holes inspired by some of the architect’s favorites from around the world. Hit mostly wedges to green sites reminiscent of Pine Valley, Royal Troon and number six at Riviera, featuring a bunker in the middle of the green. Holes range from 90 to 161 yards and route over and around streams, wetlands and mountain forest, offering great wagering opportunities for serious competitors and a chance for the less experienced to enjoy 90 minutes of fun while finding out that perhaps golf isn’t as hard as they’d thought.