We have just completed what I hope will be just the first phase of construction of the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch in Emigrant, Mt. The property is owned and operated by Arthur Blank. Mr. Blank is one of the founders of Home Depot and the owner of the NFL franchise the Atlanta Falcons. You will not meet a nicer, more humble fellow than Arthur Blank. He was an absolute pleasure to work for. The original plan is for 9 holes but talks had begun before we left about building an additional nine on the other side of the property. That particular side lends itself to a really spectacular layout with very little dirt to move taking into consideration of the extreme elevation changes. The course we recently completed also boasts a practice area with a short game practice course. The property lies in the Paradise Valley just north of the Yellowstone Park. In fact is only some 20 miles away. This should give you some indication of what type of scenery one might expect while there.
The course is a Johnny Miller design and was done in such a way that each tee would reveal a slightly different golf hole. The course is accented by deep bunkering, generous landing areas, but small greens. The greens themselves will prove to be a particular challenge due to the amount of undulation and the type of turf. By far the biggest hurdle will be working with the wind. Notice I said working with the wind. Paradise Valley is quite possibly the windiest place I have ever been. This is coming from a man that grew up on the coast of NC and SC and is well experienced in gale force winds. The mornings are fairly calm but come 1:00 pm hold on to your hat. Winds are normally 15-20 mph with gust of up to 50-60 mph. There were several times while working where it almost pushed me over. That being said there were stretches of 4-7 days where the weather was absolutely perfect, 45-55 degrees in the morning and 75-85 degrees in the afternoon. That was for the time period of early July to mid-August.
The course was sodded due to weather extremes and a desire to expedite play. I think this was a great call. Originally they chose to seed. Personally, I felt that was going to be a disaster. The fairways are planted in bluegrass, greens in bent, and the far out rough is a native seed blend. The contrast between the blue and the straw color native will make the holes "POP" but will blend in with the surroundings. The longer uncut native together with the ever present wind makes it look like rolling waves of grass flowing up the hill sides. This is an effect we have trouble obtaining here in the SE.
If you ever find yourself in that area, you should try stay at the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch. They have something for everyone from hiking, horseback riding, fishing to golf, just to name a few. There website can be found at www.mtnsky.com. Check it out for yourself. Below are some pictures of what you can expect to see on your adventure while out there.
