11th Hole The Reserve at Moonlight Basin

THE RESERVE AT MOONLIGHT BASIN

RUNDOWN: It really has taken me awhile to wrap my head around this write up. I have had my eye on this course since it opened, so it was already unreal to be on property. Looking at pictures of this place, I thought I had an idea of what to expect. Little did we know that we were not prepared for what this place had in store. The drive up the mountain brought us our first black bear sighting we have ever had in the wild. That is weird to think about as we spend quite a bit of time out in the woods. We were excited for what we saw on the drive up, but nothing compared to the course we were about to play.
Jack Nicklaus designed a difficult, strategic and jaw dropping course in what can only be described as one of the best mountain golf courses you will set foot on. From number one tee to number 18 green the "WOW" factor of this place never leaves! Elevation changes are plentiful and fun throughout one of the tougher layouts you will play. Up until a couple weeks before we arrived, the course record was an even par 72! This place is no joke and will not only test your ability to focus, but will give your golf game a run for it's money too. 
​Mother Nature tried to fight against us on getting the drones out, but we came away blessed with what we were able to capture in such a short window. The beauty of the high mountain peaks with recent snow only highlighted the perfect conditions this course had to offer. Bring a pair of binoculars along for a couple of reasons, to see the plentiful wildlife on the course and then to watch your ball sail through the thin mountain air. The longest drive of your life may await you, so swing away and enjoy!
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COURSE INFO AND DIRECTIONS​
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​​​Designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened for play in 2016.
​Currently Ranked #2 in the State of Montana on the Golf Digest Best In State Courses. 
Private golf course. 
8 sets of tees ranging from 5,414 to 8,000 yards.

https://www.moonlightbasin.com

800.506.6650  66 Mountain Loop Rd, Big Sky, MT 59716

REVIEW AND HIGHLIGHTS

Hole 1 Par 4 - 463 Yards

There is no way to prepare you for the first tee here! After getting set up at the clubhouse, you will drive past the range and towards the 1st tee. Pulling up to number one was such a jaw dropping experience for all of us! The fairway sits a couple hundred feet below you and your excitement will come to an all time high. The play for most people is to pull a mid iron and watch the ball sail to the fairway down below. The hang time you will see off the club is unreal and just makes this one of the more fun tee shots you will ever hit. If you have the big stick working, go ahead and smash your drive towards the lower fairway. However, it will require you to carry the ball as long drive professional would. Hammer one of your best drives ever and you will be left with less than 100 yards into this 400+ yard hole. We all decided to pull driver before we knew how to play this and we all carried over the bunker on the right and into the canyon below. Needless to say, we all hit a second and chalked it up to inexperience here! 

Hole 2 Par 4 - 447 Yards

I'll just tell you now, driver is not always the club to hit here! If you can figure that out early, you will save yourself a lot of problems during the round. You will want to pull driver everywhere because of how far the ball will fly, but just keep it in the bag some and you will score better. With that said, our first time on this hole we all had driver in our hands because we just didn't know haha. We did all manage to pound some solid drives though and ended up over 350 yards down the fairway! The longest drive of my life, 361 yards, came here. Pulling an iron or hybrid here will put you into the largest part of the fairway and provide a short iron approach into the green. The green has some undulation in it, as do most of the greens here. While we were here they were not rolling very fast because of all the moisture they have received. But we did talk to the pro and assistant pro here and they let us know that will not be the case later on in their season. They will roll fast and will require pinpoint accuracy to keep yourself on the correct side of the pins. 

Hole 6 Par 5 - 633 Yards

Before we take the drones out we like to ask the pros in the clubhouse what they feel are the best holes to capture footage of. With no hesitation from anyone they told us hole 6. Standing on the tee you can see why! We didn't have the clearest day, but that didn't take away from the grandeur that sat in front of us. Fan Mountain and Lone Peak are both in your view and will take some time to get over how amazing they look! The large drop and the high pines frame this hole perfectly. I could not seem to hit my drive here, but Kevin smashed one that almost ran out of fairway on the right. Once in the fairway you will be required to carry over a ravine filled with long grass and trees. Hit it there and it is a complete dead zone. Do yourself a favor and hit more club if you are worried about anything here. Long is much more forgiving than short. The length of this hole isn't even the longest you will find out here, but you will be required to hit some well placed shots to score well. 

Hole 9 - Par 5 - 651 Yards

So, I'll be honest, I get some of the luckiest kicks known to man out on the golf course. It's probably because I spray the driver pretty often that it seems like I am always getting the best kicks. However, the hole had to give me one of the greatest kicks of my golfing life when I sliced it into the woods on the right. Floating well into the tree line we all figured it was a goner! You heard the ball solidly smash into the trees and just before the letdown of hitting another off the tee, you could see my ball arch out of the trees and land smack dab in the middle of the fairway! It was almost as if someone had thrown it after a second or two. I myself was more excited than my playing partners haha. I needed the stroke of good luck on this bad boy though! We didn't tip the course out, but the hole still played over 600 yards! You hit too a blind landing area that is actually one of the wider and more inviting tee shots on the course. In the fairway you will play downhill all the way to the putting surface. Big hitters may have a chance of getting on in two, but I wouldn't really count on it. Layup just short of the water and give yourself a wedge in. The green has a large slope in the middle, so definitely make sure you are on the correct section here! I can only imagine that a putt from the top section, when the greens are rolling quick, will have no chance of staying close to the hole.

Hole 16 Par 3 - 223 Yards

This is one of our favorite views on the golf course. You almost get lost on the box and forget you don't actually have to hit the ball over the mountain. The par threes here do not play downhill nearly as much as some of the other holes. But, your ball will still soar through the thin air into these well protected and undulating greens. The slope on this green is very severe and will punish anyone who is on the wrong side of it. The back of the green has a bunker in the middle, but playing off the slope on the back left can work out really well for you if done correctly. It will open up some potential issues, so make sure you have solid control over your irons here. Two putt to a par and get geared up for a solid finish at The Reserve!

Hole 17 Par 5 - 777 Yards

Yep, you read that correctly, 777 yards from the tips here! When you step up to the tee, you see a decently wide fairway with a bunker in the center of it. Past the bunker you will just see the dark forrest that sits out beyond the course. Gear up and put a beating on your drive with the hope of getting out past the bunker. If you can manage to do so, I can almost guarantee you will hit the farthest drive of your life here! The drive I referenced on number 2, didn't hold up as the longest drive of my life. We did move up tee boxes, playing a measly 646 yards, due to the soft conditions here. We wanted a chance of heading down the fairway that looks like a ski slope. Playing the ball perfectly off the box, we watched the ball sail past the bunker and out of sight. Upon getting to the drop off we could see our balls sitting down the hill in the middle of the fairway. When we arrived we ranged what it was to the middle pin position and found out we only had 240 yards to the pin! 406 yards! Are you kidding me! We asked the pros in the clubhouse what their farthest drive was in faster conditions and they each said, over 500 yards! This course provides some of the most fun shots you will hit in your life. Jack Nicklaus did an amazing job at creating a layout that would challenge and provide great entertainment to anyone who tees it up here. It is crazy to think that a hole this size can actually be reached in two and provide an eagle chance. Non of us hit it in two but we all gave it a go at birdie, two out of the three of us walked away under par on this hole. 

Hole 18 Par 4 - 354 Yards

Here is a solid finishing hole with plenty of options. A great view, with a large drop from tee to fairway will look very familiar. Pull out driver here and depending which tee you play, you may even hit this in one! It you are playing to the fairway you can choose either of the split fairways. With how short it plays, you are not really at a disadvantage on either side. Pick the one that fits your eye the best and get ready for a chance at an ending birdie. The shorter approach shot will allow you a chance to knock it close here. If there is money on the match, this may be an exciting ending hole for you with all the possibilities. The round will come to an end the way it started, with you in awe of what you saw before you! The course is so entertaining and breathtaking that you probably won't notice if you don't score well. Just enjoy your experience being in one of the most amazing locations you will ever be in for a round of golf!