ON THE FIRST TEE...
With Nick Dietzen
Many of you will be reading this after Labor Day. This holiday provides a bookend of sorts to Memorial Day and the “guaranteed” (insert laugh track) season in Montana for good golf weather. It also brings the cadence of back-to-school and preview of the fall and all that it encompasses. In recent years, I’ve noticed that September and October golf have been tremendous and arguably my favorite time to get out during the season.
I was introduced to the game by my father and as I matured, I recalled that his main reason was that “it’s a lifetime sport.” What a true statement and gift that has been. Yet for many newcomers the first steps onto the course can feel intimidating. I learned at a younger age, which is not true for most golfers, who may pick it up as a replacement recreation for a team sport. Unlike other sports where you can blend into the background, golf puts the spotlight squarely on the individual. Every minor swing flaw is exposed; every miss is visible. For beginners, that vulnerability can be daunting, and too often, it becomes the barrier that keeps them on the driving range or putting green instead of the links.
The challenge is not a lack of interest—junior programs are full, YouTube swing tutorials draw millions of views, and equipment manufacturers pour resources into clubs, balls, swing aids etc. The real challenge is confidence. Beginners often wonder: Will I slow everyone down? What if I don’t know the etiquette? Am I ready for a “real” course? Can I quiet my mind to hit a good shot in front of strangers?
Those of us who’ve played for years can forget just how steep that learning curve feels.
From understanding the difference between a hybrid and a long iron, to navigating where to stand when someone else is hitting, golf is packed with small rules and customs – it truly has its own language. Without a welcoming hand, it’s easy for a new golfer to retreat before they ever discover the joy that keeps the rest of us coming back.
One might ask why we would encourage new participation when the tee sheets are often full and precious time on the course seems more difficult and expensive to obtain each year. My answer is that we might not all have a gift for golf, but we can gift the game to the curious newcomer.
There is a precipitous decrease in activity once the aerification of the courses occur, school returns and a general long winter’s nap begins to set in the subconscious of many casual golfers’ minds.
Now is the time to engage with a friend, neighbor, relative or coworker who might have expressed some interest, but didn’t ask to
come out with you?
This lower-trafficked time in the season provides the perfect gateway for beginners. With fewer groups on the course, pace of play pressure softens. There’s space to take an extra swing, drop a second ball, or even pick up and move on without the worry of holding someone up.
I often use the analogy of moving from the parking lot to the freeway in golf. The putting green and driving range are stationary and you can take it at your own pace. Tee it up on the first hole and now it’s “on.” The anxiety of groups in carts, experienced players or just the thoughts in our minds can make the metaphorical “on-ramp” vanish and suddenly, it’s a rash of thoughts, actions and concerns overcoming the original goal: a walk in a beautiful park with a chance to get the ball in the hole eventually.
Golf course operators often have programs to encourage new members or new players to the game but given the surge in participation –the incentive to reach out to these groups has been reduced. The reward for investing in beginners isn’t just financial—it’s cultural. Every golfer remembers the person who first invited them to the course, lent them a set of clubs, or offered a meaningful tip at the right moment. That act of mentorship echoes for decades in the lifelong pursuit of golf.
When experienced golfers take the time to bring along a son or daughter, a niece or nephew, or even a co-worker who’s curious about the game, they’re doing more than teaching someone how to hit a ball. They’re teaching patience, honesty, and respect. Golf has always been more than a sport; it’s a proving ground for values that carry into everyday life. I maintain that spending 9 holes with someone new
If golf is to thrive in the next generation, it can’t be walled off by intimidation or exclusivity. We all share a responsibility to encourage new players to step onto a green grass golf course and experience the trials and tribulations this amazing game gives us.
is usually enough to know if you’d ever want to play another 9 with that person!
For juniors especially, the rewards are transformative. A teenager who learns to handle a three-foot putt under pressure may also learn to steady themselves before a big exam. A child who learns to shake hands after a round— even one filled with missed shots—may carry that sportsmanship into every arena of their life. These lessons are timeless, and they start with someone making the invitation.
If golf is to thrive in the next generation, it can’t be walled off by intimidation or exclusivity. The sustainability of the game depends on lowering the entry barriers and expanding the welcome mat. Course operators, associations, and seasoned golfers all share a responsibility to encourage new players to step onto the grass.
The good news is that the solution is available for all of us to contribute to: the quieter tee sheets of the fall are our advantage. Fill them with newcomers, laughter, experimentation, and yes, the occasional topped drive. Normalize that golf doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be enjoyed.
Because one day, those beginners won’t be beginners anymore. They’ll be the ones booking Saturday tee times, volunteering at junior events, and eventually bringing along someone new. The cycle of inspiration is how golf has endured for centuries, and it’s how the next generation of golfers will take shape.
So, the next time you see an open twilight slot on the tee sheet, think about who you could bring along. For you, it might be a casual round. For them, it might be the spark that ignites a lifetime in this great game.
Together, We Are Montana Golf!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - OFFICERS
PRESIDENT................................................... Peter Benson
VICE PRESIDENT.................................. Ron Ramsbacher
TREASURER....................................................... Bill Dunn
PAST PRESIDENT......................................... Mary Bryson
EXEC COMMITTEE......................................... Karen Rice
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Brett Bennyhoff, Peter Benson, Carla Berg, Mary Bryson, Bill Dunn, Cheri Ellis, Lisa Forsberg, Marcia Hafner, Ron Ramsbacher, Karen Rice, Joe Rossman, Rod Stirling
MSGA STAFF
Executive Director......................................... Nick Dietzen
Tournament Director...................................... Tim Bakker
Membership Operations Director............... Emily Hulsey
Member Services Coordinator......................... Ian Hulsey
Communications & Tournament Manager.... Katie Fagg
Communcations Coordinator.......................... Ty Sparing
Partnerships & Business Development...... Nick Dietzen
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern................ Dean Hendrix
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern...................... Ella Prigge
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern................ Stella Claridge
PARTNERSHIPS
Nick Dietzen.... ......................... 1 (800) 628-3752, ext. 6
406GOLF STAFF
Editor in Chief............................................... Nick Dietzen
Consulting Editor........................................ David Bataller
Senior Writer..................................................... Ty Sparing
Graphic Designer............................................... Katie Fagg
Contributing Writer...................................... Ryan Wilson
Contributing Writer.......................................... Pete Grass
Contributing Writer.................................. Andrew Penner
Contributing Writer...................................... Brady Powell
Contributing Writer......................................... Clark Swan
Contributing Writer................................. Bradley S. Klein
Montana State Golf Association P.O. Box 4306 Helena, MT 59604
1 (800) 628-3752
www.msgagolf.org
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INSIDERS VIEW: THE WILDERNESS CLUB
BY RYAN WILSON WILDERNESS CLUB GENERAL MANAGER
The Wilderness Club is located in the Tobacco Valley region of Lincoln County, in Montana. It is truly one of the most beautiful courses in the world! The Nick Faldo design is one of only four courses he created in the United States. Being in impeccable shape it is guaranteed to please players of every skill level. Every first-time player at The Wilderness Club comes in with glowing reviews about the course condition and the fabulous views − it is truly a Hidden Gem!
The Wilderness Club offers generous fairways which are so manicured that it’s impossible to find a bad lie. If you stay off the fairways, you will be introduced to tall fescue which will challenge even the most accomplished players. Sir Nick created large undulating greens that normally feature a speed of 10 on the Stimpmeter. The different Tees (listed below) are fun and offer all skill levels a great experience:
Black Tee - 7207 Gold Tee - 6580 Silver Tee - 6119 Bronze Tee - 5431
The Wilderness Club
The most challenging hole is the 9th. This long Par 4 requires a demanding tee shot, followed by a precise long iron to a sloping green that is protected by deep bunkers. Even the best players are happy to leave the ninth with a par.
Although the course is in pristine condition, the vistas are breathtaking! Every hole is like a postcard, and the views are so spectacular you will find yourself taking pictures as you play! Playing a round at the Wilderness Club will have you wanting to play it again and again! The natural, peaceful surroundings of The Wilderness Club are “Second to None.”
You may wish to stay at the Club in one of our beautifully decorated cabins or houses. The Club features a large pool area with a 250-foot water slide. The Dining Room offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, making The Wilderness Club your destination for a relaxing family vacation, a golf trip with friends, or simply a quiet getaway.
The Wilderness Club is located in Eureka, Montana just 5 miles from the Canadian Border. It’s a scenic 1-hour drive from the Kalispell Airport. Once you set foot on the property, the golf course and surroundings will validate your trip here! It is the #1 Course in Montana!
The Wilderness Club
GOLF IN: EUREKA!
BY TY SPARING MSGA COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
People might be surprised to hear that a former logging town with a current population of around 1,500 people, nestled quietly amongst pine trees and mountains sixty miles from the nearest commercial airport, provides one of the most unique golf experiences in the entire state. Indeed, in northwestern Montana just south of the Canadian border in the beautiful and rugged Tobacco Valley is a golfing dreamland called Eureka.
While much of the hubbub about golf in Eureka is a fairly modern development that followed the construction of the highly regarded duo of Wilderness Club and Indian Springs in 2008 and 2009 respectively, the tradition nevertheless goes back over a century in the area.
In 1921 an article from the Western News ran the prophetic headline, “Eureka Has Golf Craze,” and went on to state that “a large number of that town’s leading citizens have become real enthusiasts of the game.” Shortly afterwards the newly formed Eureka Golf Club purchased a 160-acre property a few miles north of town, laid out a nine-hole course and repurposed a small house on the property into a clubhouse.
The original course in Eureka wasn’t meant to last, however, as it disappeared into history somewhere in the late 1920s or early 1930s. We might speculate that it was either due to the effects of the Great Depression or perhaps the original founders of the golf course moved away, which are two common themes in this era for why golf courses didn’t survive in Montana.
It took a few decades but by the 1960s the Eureka area was back in the golf game with the construction of the Crystal Lakes Lodge and Country Club which had a nine-hole course as part of a broader family recreation complex. Also included was a year-round swimming pool, riding stables, junior ski run, and a fish hatchery.
The resort was an immediately popular vacation destination, and by 1981 they joined forces with Arnold Palmer to design a new nine-holes, giving the layout a full eighteen. “Crystal Lakes is booming” one writer for the Daily Inter Lake stated in a 1982 article, noting the amount of condos and townhouses being bought up on the property along with the wide variety of recreational activities available to the public.
It all came to an abrupt halt in 1989, however, when the resorts owner, James E. Smith, surprised condo owners with a letter that stated the golf course had been permanently closed for private use only. Smith, a unique character who was born in Helena, said the closure was for liability purposes resulting from a golfer that previously threatened to sue after getting injured on the course. On the other side of the argument, as the case went to court in the early 1990s, homeowners claimed Smith was purposely attempting to “lower the value of the surrounding property and force the owners to sell to him.” Whatever the reasoning, as Smith bluntly stated, “It’s my back yard right now,” and “if they want to golf, there are lots of other courses they can use.”
For Eureka’s Lincoln High School golf team the closure meant practice on the schools lawn area for a spell and eventually
the par-3 Meadow Creek course a couple miles further south hosted the team for nearly a decade. Without a course that was capable of hosting an invitational (and thus getting invites from others), the program struggled to survive. “Not having a regular length course available is certainly going to keep kids from signing up for golf,” stated then head coach John Copper in 1999 regarding the lack of access to Crystal Lakes, “It is unfortunate.” The next year Eureka was not able to field a high school golf team.
Fortunately for Class B golf fans, it wasn’t
for too long, as the Lincoln High Lions currently sport a team every season, practice at Indian Springs and host the Tobacco Valley Invitational. Last spring both Indian Springs and Wilderness Club welcomed the high school golfers for the two round event.
While the closure of a beloved course is inevitably going to cause a bit of drama, the Crystal Lakes Golf Course nevertheless remains open for play to guests of Smith and offers one of the more surreal golf experiences in the state. It has a mile long runway that goes through the middle of the golf course,
Before golf in Eureka, there was logging, as this 1917 photo shows. (MT Historical Society)
with many pilots stopping in to visit the acclaimed Stonehenge Air Museum which showcases Smith’s vast collection of rare airplanes. A former engineer and inventor, Smith opened up the museum year-round to the public in 2015 and since then it has remained a popular destination for aeronautical enthusiasts.
Why is it called Stonehenge? Well, there is a full-size replica Stonehenge in the middle of the golf course. According to the website Jim Smith has long been fascinated by the famous ancient rock formation found in England, and “each year at Summer Solstice, family and friends gather to watch the sun shine through the perfectly aligned stones.” For those who make the trek up to visit the Stonehenge Air Museum, a visit to the replica stones on the course is just an additional $2 on top of admission.
To add to the experience there’s also a fish hatchery and vineyard nearby.
As far as Crystal Lakes Golf Course goes, it’s a championship 18-hole par-72 with six lakes and an island green on one of the holes, and as one online commentator who had a chance to play it remarked, “the greens and fairways were perfectly kept with zero divots because no one plays it.” While visitors are welcome at the affordably priced Stonehenge Air Museum, the inventor and airplane collector continues to prefer his golf in solitude. As the website declares, “the course is private and is literally the Smith’s backyard.”
While Crystal Lakes Golf Course has become something of a mystery course in the area, the folks in Eureka didn’t have to wait too long before another couple of interesting options showed up on the scene.
Located between the Whitefish and Purcell Mountains, Indian Springs Ranch Golf Course was opened to the public in 2009 as an 18-hole links style golf course. Along with
Arnold Palmer in conversation outside of a plane on a visti to Crystal Lakes Golf Course.
being the Lincoln High golf teams practice facility and host to high school events like the Tobacco Valley and Kootenai Invitationals, they were also recently the site for the WMC Indian Springs Montana Pro-Am.
Adjacent to the historic “69 Ranch,” and just five miles south of Canada, Indian Springs was developed as a broader golf course community and RV Resort. Sitting within the majestic Tobacco Valley scenery, the ranch-links-style course has developed a reputation as one of the best in the state and remains an extremely popular stop for golfers traveling through the area.
Just an eight-minute drive from Indian Springs is Wilderness Club which opened in the fall of 2008. As reported by the Flathead Beacon, the 550-acre golf community developed near Lake Koocanusa “quickly fell on hard times when the housing market, along with the greater economy, collapsed.”
It might’ve been a bumpy first couple years for Wilderness Club but after recovering from the recession and changing ownership, it has become one of the most sought-after courses in Montana. Golf Di-
gest regularly lists Wilderness Club as one of the top courses in the country and golfers who have played there will often say it was the best golf experience of their entire life and mean it. With an impeccably groomed course and breathtaking scenery, the broader Wilderness Club Resort is one of the top destinations in Montana and has eager visitors from all over the world.
Lucky for the MSGA, this year we have the honor of having our final Senior Tour stop this September 22nd at Wilderness Club for those who qualified in a previous tour event. After a fantastic third Senior Tour season, sixteen qualifiers from three different categories have a great opportunity to play the culminating event in what many claim to be Montana’s best course.
A former timber community in remote Northwest Montana turned bucket list destination for golfers. The original “Golf Craze” in 1921 might’ve been a little bit of a false start, but now over a century later there is no brighter spot on the state’s golf map than Eureka, Montana.
A former logging town. (MT Historical Society)
TREE: ANOTHER FOUR-LETTER WORD FOR YOUR GOLF VOCABULARY
BY PETE GRASS Cerified Golf Course Superintendent, Retired
Those that know me will hopefully back me up in that I very rarely will use a swear word. I have hit my finger with a hammer or not lifted a greens mower reel soon enough and scalped out into a collar, both painful events, one physical and the other mental but a bad word may have slipped out or certainly internally thought of in those circumstances.
Although in 99% of the instances the word “TREE” is accompanied by many positive attributes, those can include cooling shade, carbon sequestration, soil stabilization, landscape formatting, property protection or shelter belt and geographic identifier. In my opinion and experience, in the 1% remaining instances which can be true most anywhere and especially on a golf course, the word “TREE” can be used in the connotation of swear word. No not from the golfers’ point of view, “my ball hit that D#M tree”, OK maybe so, but I speak of how trees are integrated into a golf course layout.
Did your parents ever say, “there is a time and a place for that and this is not it”? That is certainly a saying that I look back at and can directly relate to what I have seen (and yes done wrongly) at Hilands GC in my 50 years there. I could also say about at least one
if not several instances at each of the several hundred courses I have played or visited in several countries over the years. These include everything from Jawbone Creek in Harlowton (back when it was sand greens in the 1970’s) to Augusta National and every type of ownership, budget and typography in between.
So, what instances could possibly make a poor defenseless tree be “cussed at” from a golf course superintendents’ point of view at least? I have several examples to share and here is my not all-inclusive list but the major ones that I have seen/experienced. I tried to think about a rating system of worst to not so bad but each instance I will share, it can have a major negative effect at some point in a tree’s natural 35-to-500-year life cycle.
That statement right there can be problem to address #1. A general rule of thumb in our high plains/mountainous region is that the faster growing a tree is, the shorter overall lifespan it has. “Patience is a virtue” applies to trees, when there is a need to fill in for some reason often the shortest life tree is chosen rather than a quality species that will be there for lifetimes.
#2) Original or newer tree placement. I remind people that trees like humans grow up, they are cute when they are young but can become a pain when they mature. A tree can be a perfect fit when young, but the mature size was not considered when planted. Exam-
ples I often see are say when 3 small trees are planted too close to each other, as they mature all 3 become mis-shaped and if you try to take out any one of the 3, the ones left will have bare sides. As trees grow, they often become a double hazard, blocking a reasonable shot from a bunker or a reasonable opportunity for any shot to reach a fairway or green. Removing a tree several years after it was planted because it outgrew its intended purpose results in a waste of time and money down the line.
HEAVEN FORBID IT WAS A MEMORIAL TREE FOR SOMEONE.
#3) What type of mess a tree produces (just normal fall leaf cast, cotton, fruit, nuts, pine/ spruce needles, pinecones, brittle branches (I swear a willow branch will break if you just look at it). Before selecting a tree verity, anticipate the mess it will make on a daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally basis and the labor costs and inconvenience to golfers that tree will require. What direction is the prevailing wind from? If a tree is planted, where will branches/ mess go in a wind event, certainly don’t want it on greens, next fairways, bunkers, tees golfers can move debris before hitting.
#4) Tree Roots. When there is a battle for
water and nutrients in the soil between trees and turf, trees will win every time. This is because of their massive root system which is much deeper than turf and can extend out 3X the height of the tree. You can say how does a tree planted way over there hurt that green 100 or more feet away, well believe me it will. Think about that for a minute, a 100’ tall tree can have roots up to a football field away. Another root factor is choosing tree varieties that do not have large surface roots that hit mower blades or catch a club because they were hidden below turf.
#5) Irrigation blockage. Any tree should be placed where it does not significantly block irrigation coverage, both by its trunk or lower branches. If you see healthy turf surrounding a long thin dry area near a tree, 99% of the time the main irrigation head for that area is directly on the opposite side of that tree from the dry area.
#6) Shade. Turf needs sun to be healthy, if it does not get enough sunlight, it will never be very good. In 1973, two years before I started working there, #6 green at Hilands was totally rebuilt because it was always the worst green on the course. The trees surrounding it were
never touched, and it only took a couple years before the back 2/3 of the green again became very thin and always wet. After a USGA agronomist visited to examine why the rebuild was failing, an ah ha moment occurred. When he pointed out that us being on that green at 1pm in late June, the most northern position of the sun during a year, the area of the green that was thin and wet, followed the exact shade lines from the row of 60’ tall spruce trees and a massive 120’ Silver Leaf Poplar. In other words, the bad area never saw direct sunlight at any point during the year. After removing all of those trees, a miracle, the issues went away and it has been every bit as healthy as all the other greens (3 other greens had south, light blocking trees removed also). In spring and fall when frost can be a delay issue, trees, especially on the first several holes can be a major influence on start times for staff and golfers. A few poorly placed trees can equate to lots of idle extra labor cost and lost revenue in those shoulder seasons.
#7) Winter conditions. You would be amazed how much sun blockage even a deciduous tree can do without leaves in the middle of winter, much less a pine and even worse a spruce tree. Especially in situations where ice buildup is a factor, not having proper sunlight to help melt things because of poorly chosen/ placed trees has lost lots of turf, especially poa annua greens. Different times of year, the same tree can be a blessing and a curse, choices must be made which is most important.
#8) Air Movement. Looking to start a science experiment about how to encourage a host of turfgrass diseases to thrive? Keep turf wet and in stagnant air conditions. Have you ever played a course where in the summer they had fans located around greens? They are there because someone didn’t allow proper design and tree management to be followed. Think back, I bet that green was surrounded by trees and in a depressed pocket where literally no air movement was taking place on a regular basis.
Removing a tree several years after it was planted because it outgrew its intended purpose results in a waste of time and money down the line.
I could go on, but I’ll stop there. Get the drift now? Trees generally are wonderful things that do amazing things for a healthy environment. The problem is that often those who make decisions around golf courses (boards, grounds committees, owners, etc..) do not factor the things I have mentioned. Again, I admit as a Superintendent several of these things I have learned by doing it wrong, but I also have had occurrences when either my or outside arborists opinions were overruled because it was a memorial tree or it was someone’s favorite tree variety that should have been removed or added.
Have you ever said yourself or heard someone say, “that tree makes the hole”, I have heard it many times about trees we removed and a year later people don’t remember that tree was even there. Remember like us humans, trees have a life span and waiting too long can be dangerous and that tree is a liability not an asset.
Even if you are not a “decision maker” where you play, look around while you are playing anywhere to see how many of these 7 golf course tree factors you can find. If you are a “decision maker”, please also think of these factors and work with the Superintendent to make long term good decisions about trees and how they relate to turf health. REMOVING A TREE(S) IS
NOT NECESSARAILY A NEGATIVE, IF SOMEONE THINKS IT IS, USE THESE FACTORS TO EXPLAIN WHY IT MAY BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE FACILITY TO DO SO.
Lastly remember, a golf course is not a state or national forest, it is not a city park. Those are wonderful things, but golf is played on grass and every year the push for faster greens, shorter fairways, healthy turf in roughs (where trees are 99% of the time) becomes greater for the grounds staff to meet. To provide the course conditions that golfers are expecting, managing trees is a HUGE component of the overall course agronomic plan.
NORMAN H. WOODS, ANYONE?
ONE OF THE REGION’S MOST PROLIFIC ARCHITECTS REMAINS LARGELY UNKNOWN
BY ANDREW PENNER Originally published for PNGA
After playing the fabulous fifth hole at Kokanee Springs – a difficult par-4 that plunges down the hill, crosses a glacier-fed creek, and ends with a bunker-guarded green flanked by towering pines – it will be crystal clear in your mind that you’re playing a special golf course. A course of character. A course that has, like fine wine or an Old World antique, aged nicely over time. As for who designed this under-the-radar relic, well, that’s bound to be a little murky, at best.
Indeed, the architect of Kokanee Springs –Norman H. Woods – isn’t exactly a household name in golfdom. In fact, he’s virtually an unknown in the game. Which, considering he authored a couple of hundred golf courses in, mainly, the Canadian prairies and the Pacific Northwest, should not be the case.
And, for the record, many of those courses, such as Kokanee Springs in tucked-away Crawford Bay in British Columbia’s Kootenay Rockies region, are in the “exceptional” class.
Interestingly, even astute architecture aficionados, current golf course architects, and fellow golf writers were very vague on Woods. Most, in fact, knew next to nothing about him.
“I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never actually heard of Norman Woods,” said Ran Morrissett, the former architecture editor at GOLF Magazine and the founder of GolfClubAtlas.com, one of the leading voices in golf course architecture.
“I’m not familiar with Mr. Woods,” said Guy Dow, general manager of the Penticton Golf
Club, a course that, apparently, Woods designed, at least in part, in the early 1960s.
But the most common sentiment went something along the lines of, “Yes, I know the name. But I don’t really know anything about him.”
A far-too-simple bio of Woods could read something like this: Norman H. Woods (19081987), was a prominent golf course architect who is credited with designing or re-designing approximately 250 golf courses in North America. He studied agronomy at the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph, Ontario. For 15 years he worked with the legendary Canadian architect, Stanley Thompson, becoming one of his most trusted and talented associates and shapers. Shortly after Thompson died in 1953, Woods started his own architectural firm in Penticton, British Columbia. Woods was a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects from 1954 to 1976. He was married and had one daughter. Both his wife and daughter died well before he did.
To be fair, there are some reasonable explanations why Woods has, for the most part, flown under the radar. For starters, many of his courses are not upper-tier tracks where he would have had a big budget and a superior parcel of land to work with. In fact, smaller community courses, 9-holers, and the like, seemed to be his forte. In fact, given that he built courses in far-flung, off-the-beaten-path places like Kitimat, Fort St. John, and Fort Benton, just to name a few, it seems as if he actually preferred to work in remote settings.
Another key factor is the era. The Golden Age Masters – such as Alister MacKenzie,
Donald Ross and, of course, Stanley Thompson – had long finished their timeless work. Great golf course architecture was, to a large degree, drifting in the doldrums when Woods was plying the craft. If anything, a “quantity over quality” attitude prevailed. Robert Trent Jones Sr., another Thompson protege and the leading architect of the day, can certainly take some credit for this.
Really, it wasn’t until Pete Dye and his eye-popping artistry burst onto the scene in the 1970s and ‘80s that things changed. And Woods built the vast majority of his courses in the 1960s, perhaps the least talked-about decade for great golf course architecture.
Interestingly, A.V Macan – the PNGA Half of Famer and easily the most famous architect from the Pacific Northwest and the man behind many renowned courses such as Royal Colwood, Astoria, and Fircrest – had an unsa-
vory opinion of Woods, who had come onto the scene towards the end of Macan’s illustrious career and, certainly, would have been viewed as a competitor.
“Macan absolutely hated Norman Woods,” said Mike Riste, the PNGA historian with the BC Golf Museum. “He never gave him any credit as an architect. Macan believed Woods was just a shaper who worked for Stanley Thompson.”
Did Woods make it a habit of undercutting Macan for jobs? Were Macan’s superior playing skills and upper-class status a factor? (Macan was a champion golfer, a lawyer by trade, and his father was a knighted physician in Ireland.) It’s unclear. However, according to Riste, the thorny sentiments were mutual. “When Macan died, Woods contacted all of the courses he (Macan) designed, telling them he (Woods) would make them easier to play.”
Signal Point Golf Club in Fort Benton, designed by Norman Woods.
Clearly, Macan’s opinion of Woods merely being a “shaper” is out of line. Woods was schooled and learned from one of the best in history in Thompson. Although his architectural style was certainly not as flashy and artistic as Thompson’s, he had a knack for creating interesting and strategic golf holes. And, not only that, he always seemed to find a very pleasing rhythm to the routing.
Woods preferred shorter holes, playable for everyone, and often left greens open in front for run-up shots. Not surprisingly, his shaping
work, including ample (but not overdone) bunkering, mounding, and large, visually-impressive green complexes, was the work of a highly-skilled practitioner. And, most importantly, besides Kokanee Springs – arguably his masterpiece – Woods’ excellent championship-caliber courses pepper the prairies and the entire Pacific Northwest.
Falcon Lake, a cottage country classic in eastern Manitoba, is another notable course in Woods’ portfolio. It’s a peaceful, tree-lined test that, similar to Kokanee Springs, rambles
Norman Woods. (ASGCA)
through the wilderness. On a personal note, growing up in southern Manitoba, Falcon Lake was my favorite course for the first 20 years I played the game. Thousands of in-the-know golfers in Manitoba would say it’s the best golf course in the province.
The Glendale Golf and Country Club in Edmonton – yet another pretty parkland course with his stamp – is widely considered the top layout in that city. Last year, SCOREGolf Magazine, Canada’s national golf publication, put it at No. 76 in their prestigious Top 100 Golf Courses in Canada rankings.
And, perhaps the biggest feather in his cap, in Winnipeg, at the revered St. Charles Golf and Country Club, a 27-hole facility on the banks of the Assiniboine River, the three architects on record for their three nines are none other than Alister MacKenzie, Donald Ross, and, yes, Norman Woods.
Although details of Woods’ character and personality are scarce, some of his quirks –and certainly his wry sense of humor – are exposed in a paper on golf course architecture he penned for the American Society of Golf Course Architects in the 1970s. “I am, God help me, a golf course architect,” he mused in his opening graph.
Throughout the 2000-word well-written but peculiar paper, Woods offers curious tidbits on a wide variety of pertinent golf issues like slow play, marshalling, pros playing for money, strategic holes vs. long holes, accommodating the incessant “topper,” and much more. At times, it reads like a whimsical rant against the imperfections of the game and the people who play it. For example, he rails on “Old Smithers,” a metaphor for, supposedly, the knowit-all codgers who reside at many of the clubs. “After all, Smithers knows a thing, or two, about growing grass,” he quips. “He is damn sure he could design and build the perfect golf course.” No doubt Woods would have run into the odd “Smithers” during his lengthy career. But, clearly, in spite of his penchant for
potshots, Woods relished the quiet life. Unlike his flamboyant boss, Thompson, and his “nemesis,” Macan, he avoided the spotlight. It appears that he lived largely alone and with his dog, Tinker, a dear sidekick who sadly died during the construction of Kokanee Springs. He buried the dog behind the eighth tee and, to honor his pal, named the hole “Tinker’s Grave.”
During the two-year construction of Kokanee Springs, Woods lived simply in the historic Murray Cabin, a small stone-and-log abode tucked in the trees behind the aforementioned eighth hole. The cabin still stands today.
Unquestionably, the entire site at Kokanee Springs was challenging; a rugged swath of rock, raging creeks, and steep hillsides densely coated with pine, massive cedar, and fir. Needless to say, Woods had a daunting task to find the ideal routing. But, by all accounts, he did. From the thrilling opener – the tee is perched high on a rocky ledge by the tiny clubhouse –to the stellar finishing run, which includes a beautiful downhill par 3, a meaty par 5 slung along the hillside, and a sweet downhill par 4 over the pond, the course is relentlessly good.
Perhaps fittingly, just like the man himself, Kokanee Springs seems to fly under the radar as well. But it is, hands down, one of the best mountain golf courses in the Pacific Northwest. If it weren’t for some infrastructure and conditioning issues over the years (mostly resolved, it seems), it would surely be a Top 100 course in Canada. If you take a lap around it, you’ll see why.
And, like me, you’ll wonder why the mysterious man behind it – Norman H. Woods –doesn’t get a wee bit more recognition for his contributions to the game.
Andrew Penner is a freelance writer and photographer based in Calgary, Alberta. You can follow him on Instagram here: @andrewpennerphotography
1. Who introduced you to golf?
My dad.
2. Who influenced you most in your golf life?
My dad.
3. Can you elaborate on your recent Montana State Junior Championship this past summer? How did it feel once you knew you won? Were you nervous at any point?
It was fun, I came back in the last 3 holes to go into a playoff. I was a little nervous
in the playoff hole but once we got on the green, I knew I was going to win that is kind of when my nerves settled.
4. What is your favorite course in Montana and why?
Stock Farm Club. It is an amazing golf course with an even better atmosphere. You can’t beat it.
5. What is a dream golf course you’d like to play once?
Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
Brady Powell
6. What is your dream celebrity foursome (living or dead)? Why would you choose them?
Me. My Dad. Tiger Woods. Jack Nicklaus. My dad got me into the game, and I have played the most golf with him, so he must come. I would bring Tiger because he is the greatest golfer to ever live, and I would love to talk to Jack about the history of the game and how it has evolved what it would have been like to play golf back then.
7. What’s your most memorable moment on a golf course?
Shooting 12 under 60 at Canyon River Golf Club.
8. If you could change one thing about the game of golf what would it be?
I would speed the game up, so it doesn’t take so long.
9. What advice would you give to beginner golfers?
It doesn’t matter how you practice or play just put time into it..
Bonus: Lay up or go for it? Send it.
Brady Powell reading his final putt in the 2025 Montana State Junior Championships.
READER SUBMISSION: A HOLE-IN-ONE STORY
BY CLARK SWAN MSGA MEMBER
The scenario – Sand Point Country Club – Seattle – my son Robb's club. He's been a member for almost 15 years, and for the past ten years he's invited me to his member-guest tournament, The Hilly Dilly (except last year my younger son, Ryan, was his playing partner. Perhaps he invited me back because we've almost won it a couple times, and my advanced age of 76).
The three-day format is five nine-hole rounds against the teams in your flight, a whole lot of fun and crazy golf. We were one stroke out of third place in our flight and it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Only the top two teams in each flight advance to the horse race so always fun to follow the horse race.
That morning while we were warming up, the assistant pro, Pauly, came across from the pro shop – always chatting and upbeat (the whole crew at Sand Point is just so much fun, not the least of which all of Robb's buddies that I see every year). Pauly asked what our plan was for the day (still out a couple of strokes) and I said that we are going the Full Monty – meaning getting into the horse race that evening. Haha!
The 9th green is next to the clubhouse, pro shop and the outdoor patio that overlooks the 9th and the 18th.
My history on the 9th hole is unremarkable. I’ve been known to hit a weak fade, 7 or 8-iron, 150-165 yards, and the ball filters down into a collection area, then pitching uphill to a blind cup with only the top of the flag showing. Or have hit it long over the green into a sand bunker at the back.
“OK, let's do something different,” I said while choking down on a five iron (arguably the best club in my bag (Ping I500).
I just tried to find my tempo and swing smooth. I kept my head down – started hearing yells and catcalls – “Incoming!" and "Coming in hot!"
People were pointing. “Oh no, I yanked it out of bounds on the left?” I wondered. Then the place erupted. My son grabbed me and picked me up and guys were flowing out of the pro shop and club house and off the patio. Unbelievable reaction! Only one other hole-in-one in all the years of the Hilly Dilly tournament – and by one of Robb's friends, Dr. Rulyack, a few years ago on an obscure par three away from the clubhouse (although nothing is obscure at Sand Point, such a fabulous course
(An aside: they had a renovation of some holes front and back a few years ago and the
pro, Craig Hunter, a Scot, brought in his buddy from Scotland, David McLay Kidd, who did Bandon Dunes and work on St. Andrews! Sand Point was established back in 1927! I always tell Marcus, the course super, when I walk onto the first tee at Sand Point it is like walking onto Augusta.)
So, back to Dr. Rulyack. I was looking for him in all the commotion and he came running up and I said, "Doc, I just capped your hole in one!" He was so excited he tackled me and put me on my back!
"Thanks a lot you nimrod (feigning disgust), the 9th is a money hole! And mine wasn't! Haha!”
All of this seems so surreal--like we were in a parallel universe. Did it really happen? I waited til I was 75 for my first ace (Yegen) and now at 76 a second ace within 18 months or so?
One never knows! But if there is a lesson or some insight (unknown), just keep plugging and keep your head down.
I play w/ a bunch of seniors here at Yegen and Pryor Creek (several whiners?) and I tell them I quit whining a long time ago – I'm not that good!
Perhaps the best part of this story really belongs to my daughter-in-law, Elsie – Robb's wife. She isn't as serious about golf as the rest of our family and especially my grandkids who played golf in high school and are just off to their respective universities. Two today and two soon.
When Elsie and Robb first joined Sand Point and were playing their first round, they came to the 9th hole and...wait for it... Elsie aced it – her very first-time playing golf! Beat that!
CHRIS HAAS PULLS OFF VICTORY;
MARK HOUSER FINISHES A WIRETO-WIRE WIN AT THE 38TH MONTANA STATE MID-AMATEUR &
It was a bright and sunny day at the Valley View Golf Club in Bozeman for the third round of the 38th Montana State Mid-Amateur and Master 40 Championships. Local Chris Haas utilized his course knowledge and held on for a one stroke victory over Nathan Bailey in the Mid-Am, while another local, Mark Houser,
secured a wire-to-wire victory in the inaugural year of the Master 40.
With just a one stroke cushion coming into the final round, Chris Haas knew he would have his work cut out for him in trying to fend off the 2020 Mid-Amateur Champion and MSGA Hall of Famer, Nathan Bailey (Laurel). While Haas only accumulated one early birdie over the final round on the par 4 third hole, he managed to keep mistakes to a minimum with only three bogeys, giving him a single round score of +2 (72). He ended his round the way he started, with a one stroke lead and an overall score of +1 (211). Haas is now our 2025
Montana State Mid-Amateur Champion.
Bailey, a three-time Montana State Amateur Champion (2010-2012) mirrored Haas’ third round score of +2 (72), but a bogey on the last hole prevented a playoff, leaving him with an overall score of +2 (212).
In third place was two-time State Amateur Champ, Joey Lovell (Bozeman), who gave Haas and Bailey a run for their money with the lowest single round score of the day at -1 (69). Coming into the day seven strokes out of first place, Lovell couldn’t quite make up the deficit and finished his three-days at +5 (215) overall.
Following Lovell was Scott Eide (Butte) in fourth place at +11 (221) overall and in a tie for fifth place at +12 (222) was Connor Hausauer and Chris Goldan, both of Bozeman
In the Master 40 Championship, Bozeman’s Mark Houser finished with a wire-to-wire vic-
tory with an overall score of +10 (220). He finished his final round with a score of +3 (73).
In second place in the Master 40 was the 2022 Senior Tournament Champions, Brad Grattan (Whitefish) who finished up at +12 (222) overall. In third at +16 (226) was Bill Leach (Bozeman), and in a tie for fourth place at +18 (228) was Todd Sisson and Paul Uithoven, both from Bozeman.
Winning the Joe Tomes Award for lowest score for players aged 50 and over was Mark Houser, and winning the Dick Pittman Award for lowest single round score of the event was Nathan Bailey with his first-round score of -4 (66).
Note: An updated leaderboard can be found online at www.msgagolf.org as well as through the Golf Genius App via GGID: 25MSGAMMA
BRADY POWELL SETS COURSE
RECORD AT
CANYON RIVER GOLF CLUB
The reigning Montana State Junior Champion, Brady Powell, got his senior year of golf underway in style recently when he recorded a course record score of -12 (60) at Canyon River Golf Club in Missoula during a dual meet between Corvallis and Polson. He had three eagles!
According to 406 MT Sports reporter, Bill Speltz, Powell’s individual round might be the
lowest score ever recorded in MHSA history, one stroke ahead of the 61 Ryggs Johnston posted several years back.
Powell certainly looks sharp as he begins his senior year of golf for Corvallis High School. Shortly after winning the Montana State Junior Championship last June, Powell played well at the Montana State Amateur where he jumped out to an early round one lead, followed by the Junior World Golf Championships at Torrey Pines in early July. With lots of high level competition under his belt this summer, continues to develop into one of Montana's best youth golfers.
RYGGS JOHNSTON UPDATE
After a fantastic performance making the cut at the 153rd Open Championship, Ryggs Johnston had a couple weeks of respite back in Montana before heading back out to the grind of the DP World Tour.
In the three tournaments Johnston has been to since then, he just missed the cut at the Nexo Championship in Scotland and the
Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo in England. He took home some money in the Danish Open that was held August 14-17 at the FuresØ Golf Klub in Copenhagen, Denmark. Finishing tied for 47th place, Johnston ended up with a four round score of +3 (287), highlighted by a first round of -1 (70) in which he amassed six birdies. Earning roughly $14,000, the former Montana Class A State Champion is currently in 49th in the Race to Dubai rankings.
REINVENTING POPPY RIDGE
BY BRADLEY S. KLEIN VETERAN GOLF JOURNALIST
The quality of publicly accessible, affordable golf in the San Francisco Bay Area just got an upgrade. In an era where golf course renovation projects routinely cost more than $10 million, it’s understandable if the owners and operators of public courses are reluctant to commit to an overhaul.
But the combination of a booming golf market and failing course infrastructure meant that a renewed commitment was necessary at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore, California. Planning that started
with a new irrigation system and a major renovation of deteriorating bunkers led to a total redesign that showcases the power of a well-planned renovation to put a course on solid footing for the future.
Poppy Ridge is owned and operated by the Northern California Golf Association (NCGA) and opened in 1996. After almost 30 years of constant play, the course was badly in need of an infrastructure upgrade. Leaks in the PVC pipe irrigation system were a constant problem.
The system also had poor coverage that made it very challenging to maintain the
Poppy Ridge Golf Course recently underwent a total redesign that will improve playability, walkability and sustainability. (Joann Dost)
USGA
cool-season grassing scheme in a dry and windy location where summertime temperatures routinely climb into the triple digits. It doesn’t rain for months at a time in Livermore, so a well-functioning irrigation system is critical.
The property includes significant elevation changes and the original routing was spread out in a way that made walking very difficult for most players, especially during the hot summer months. The vast majority of players used carts, which placed extra wear and tear on bentgrass fairways and bluegrass roughs that were already struggling thanks to the climate and the outdated irrigation system. Basically, it was time to rethink the property and position Poppy Ridge to be successful into the future.
Despite the challenges, Poppy Ridge had
a lot going for it. The course is in a great area for year-round golf and the NCGA has more than 220,000 members, which meant they had more financial latitude than most Allied Golf Associations to undertake a major renovation.
A nationwide casting call for an architect led to them hiring Jay Blasi, who is based in nearby Los Gatos. A decade of working in the office of Robert Trent Jones Jr. saw Blasi play a key role in the routing and construction of Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open along with three other USGA championships and two more coming soon.
Blasi also undertook major renovations at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, site of the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. Recent work under his own shingle includes major
USGA
USGA
The new design added back tee yardage, shortened the forward tee yardage and decreased the total walk by more than a mile when playing the 6,500-yard tees. (Joann Dost)
own experts, including superintendent Jeff Mason, the NCGA consulted with USGA agronomists to think through things like grassing options, construction methods, and post-renovation management strategies that would set the course up for long-term success.
To start with, there’s simply less irrigated turf to manage. The area of fine turf (greens, tees, fairways and rough) went from 84 acres down to 68 acres. Fairway area increased from about 30 acres with an average width of 33 yards in the landing areas to 52 acres with an average width of 55 yards in landing areas.
Traditional rough – i.e., irrigated and regularly mown – was eliminated in favor of a fine fescue blend that extends from the bermudagrass fairways to the margins of the course. This area can be mown and irrigated as needed, but will not require the same inputs as traditional rough, nor will it be as punishing as a typical “naturalized area.” There is also much less sand to rake now. The bunker area decreased from 140,500 square feet of sand down to 75,000 square feet – almost a 50% reduction. However, the placement of the bunkers is such that less sand still translates to more impact on strategy.
Converting the maintained turf to grasses that are better adapted to the Mediterranean climate at Poppy Ridge will also improve playing conditions and decrease water use once the course matures. The cool-season grassing plan that existed prior to the renovation was adequate for winter play, but was very difficult to manage through the hot and dry summer months when temperatures commonly reach 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit.
With the renovation, fairways, tees and green surrounds were sodded with ‘Santa Ana’ bermudagrass and the “roughs” are now
a blend of fine fescues. The greens, every one of which was moved and rebuilt, got marginally smaller and were regrassed from a mix of bentgrass and Poa annua to ‘Prestige’ bentgrass (a mix of the varieties ‘Pure Distinction’ and ‘Pure Select’).
Besides the predominantly warm-season grassing scheme, Poppy Ridge also got an entirely new irrigation system. The two-wire system contains 1,800 heads for greatly improved control and coverage, and HDPE piping that is much more durable and less prone to leaks than the old PVC pipes. The 18-hole course is expected to use about 30% less water once the new grasses mature.
The renovation of Poppy Ridge has been an ambitious undertaking and there is every reason to believe it will be a boon to NCGA members and all golfers that come to play. Along with the enhanced playability and enjoyment it will provide, there is the considerable matter of a more economically viable and environmentally sustainable operation. That’s what happens when you invest wisely in a facility-wide upgrade.
Click Here for more from the USGA Green Section Record ‒including the latest articles and videos on sustainable management practices that produce better playing conditions for better golf.
