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Hardest Golf Courses in Montana

The 25 most challenging golf courses in Montana, ranked by maximum slope rating.

The hardest golf course in Montana on Stymie is Old Works Golf Club in Anaconda, designed by Jack Nicklaus (opened in 1997). It carries a maximum slope rating of 155, stretching 7,705 yards from the back tees, placing it well above the USGA's neutral 113 and into the territory where bogey golfers should expect to lose 8-12 strokes versus their handicap. These 25 courses below are ranked by maximum slope rating, the single best proxy for "how punishing this course is" for the average golfer.

Across the full Stymie directory, the average maximum slope in Montana is 138 — above the typical US state benchmark around 125. 26 courses in Montana carry a slope of 140 or higher; a slope of 140+ is considered very difficult and demands accurate driving, distance control on iron shots, and patience around the greens.

If you're testing yourself or planning a buddy trip built around difficulty, start at the top of this list and play from a tee one set forward of your normal handicap range. Course difficulty is not the same as course quality — many of the hardest courses below also rank among the most enjoyable in the state, but the slope rating tells you to bring your A-game.

Ranked

Peak slope

155

Avg max slope

138

Slope 140+

Hardest Easiest Longest Oldest Newest

#	Course	City	Par	Slope
1	Old Works Golf Club Slag tees · 7,705 yds · Rating 85.0 · Par 72 · Jack Nicklaus · 1997Anaconda	Anaconda	72	155
2	Rock Creek Cattle Company#65 GD Tee I · 7,486 yds · Rating 82.9 · Par 71 · Tom Doak · 2009 · PrivateDeer Lodge	Deer Lodge	71	155
3	Iron Horse Golf Club Tee I · 7,028 yds · Rating 80.4 · Par 71 · Semi_privateWhitefish	Whitefish	71	155
4	Canyon River Golf Club Black tees · 6,966 yds · Rating 80.6 · Par 72Missoula	Missoula	72	153
5	Meadow Lark Country Club Blue tees · 6,932 yds · Rating 80.7 · Par 72 · William Diddel · 1949Great Falls	Great Falls	72	152
6	Laurel Golf Club Black tees · 6,923 yds · Rating 80.0 · Par 72 · Theodore Wirth · 1968Laurel	Laurel	72	150
7	Yellowstone Country Club Black tees · 7,133 yds · Rating 82.3 · Par 72 · Robert Trent Jones · 1956 · PrivateBillings	Billings	72	149
8	Judith Shadows Golf Course Blue tees · 6,496 yds · Rating 79.1 · Par 72 · Jeff Whitcraft · 1997Fort Benton	Fort Benton	72	149
9	Bill Roberts Municipal Golf Course Black tees · 6,762 yds · Rating 78.1 · Par 72 · Robert Muir Graves · 1978Helena	Helena	72	147
10	Riverside Country Club Black tees · 6,790 yds · Rating 78.5 · Par 71 · Theodore Wirth · 1958 · PrivateBozeman	Bozeman	71	146
11	Red Lodge Mountain Golf Course Blue tees · 6,780 yds · Rating 78.8 · Par 72 · Bob E. · 1983Red Lodge	Red Lodge	72	146
12	Hilands Golf Club White/Red tees · 6,168 yds · Rating 76.5 · Par 73 · Gregor MacMillan · 1950Billings	Billings	73	146
13	The Ranch Club Golf Course Black tees · 7,027 yds · Rating 80.1 · Par 72Missoula	Missoula	72	145
14	Hamilton Golf Club Black tees · 6,853 yds · Rating 78.3 · Par 72 · Keith Helstrom · 1979Hamilton	Hamilton	72	145
15	Northern Pines Golf Club Green tees · 7,015 yds · Rating 79.5 · Par 72 · Andy North · 1996Kalispell	Kalispell	72	144
16	Mission Mountain Golf Club Blue tees · 6,585 yds · Rating 77.4 · Par 72 · Gary Baird · 1987Ronan	Ronan	72	143
17	The Golf Club at Devils Tower Black tees · 7,111 yds · Rating 73.8 · Par 72Colstrip	Colstrip	72	142
18	Sidney Country Club Black tees · 6,986 yds · Rating 80.6 · Par 72 · 1929Sidney	Sidney	72	142
19	Lake Hills Golf Club Blue tees · 6,802 yds · Rating 78.6 · Par 72 · George H. Schneiter Sr. · 1957Billings	Billings	72	142
20	Butte Country Club Blue tees · 6,304 yds · Rating 75.2 · Par 71 · Alex Findlay · 1909 · PrivateButte	Butte	71	142
21	Madison Meadows Golf Club White tees · 6,078 yds · Rating 74.2 · Par 72 · Frank Hummel · 1982Ennis	Ennis	72	142
22	Cabinet View Golf Club Blue tees · 6,674 yds · Rating 78.6 · Par 72 · Gregor MacMillan · 1956Libby	Libby	72	141
23	Eagle Falls Golf Club Black Eagle Falls tees · 6,571 yds · Rating 78.1 · Par 71Great Falls	Great Falls	71	141
24	Eagle Rock Golf Course White Ladies tees · 5,967 yds · Rating 75.5 · Par 72Billings	Billings	72	141
25	Larchmont Golf Course Black tees · 7,093 yds · Rating 79.9 · Par 72 · Dick Watson · 1982Missoula	Missoula	72	140

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest golf course in Montana?

Old Works Golf Club in Anaconda, Montana is the hardest ranked course with a maximum slope rating of 155. Slope rating measures the difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch player — 113 is average, 140+ is very difficult, and 155 is the maximum.

How many golf courses in Montana have a slope rating of 140 or higher?

26 golf courses have a max slope rating of 140 or higher in Montana based on the scorecards in the Stymie directory. A slope of 140 or above is considered very challenging for bogey golfers.

How does Montana's average difficulty compare to the rest of the US?

The average maximum slope rating across golf courses in Montana is 138, versus a US average around 125. A higher state average indicates courses that are, on the whole, tougher for mid-to-high handicap golfers.

What makes a golf course hard?

Course difficulty is driven primarily by slope rating (how much harder it plays for a bogey golfer than a scratch golfer), course rating (how a scratch golfer would score), total yardage, hazards (water, bunkers, forced carries), green speed, and rough length. Slope rating is the single best proxy for "how tough this course is."