The Wilderness Club

The Wilderness Club in Eureka, Montana (30 miles north of Whitefish, near the Canadian border) is Sir Nick Faldo's championship design, built in collaboration with Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt's architect team, opened in 2007. Faldo routed 7,207 yards par 72 through ponderosa pine corridors at the base of the Whitefish Range, using rugged bunkering and strategic land movement to make the layout play well above its remote location. The signature par-3 15th plays downhill with a view that reaches 40-50 miles across Montana's northern mountain basin, the kind of tee box where groups stop for a minute before hitting. Faldo kept the fairways wide enough for resort-level play while putting the pressure on the green approaches, where firm turf and multi-tiered putting surfaces reject indifferent second shots. Wind, wildlife sightings (the property is bordered by national forest), and elevation (3,200 ft) all factor into the playing character. The Wilderness Club is ranked #57 in America by Golf Digest and was named #1 in Montana by Golfweek in 2022. For a northwest Montana golf trip, it's the destination round, most groups pair it with the two Whitefish Lake Golf Club courses for a 3-round mountain itinerary.