Golf on the Hi-Line: Prairie Farms, already a gem

As far as golf courses go, Prairie Farms Golf Course, located just east of Havre, is a baby. The course opened for play back in 2007 — not too long ago for courses.

However, the course, is built on land on which residence dates back to the days before Montana was even a state, land that has been in the Baltrusch family for generations. And it’s that land which makes Prairie Farms a beautiful and unique setting for a golf.

Prairie Farms, owned and operated by brothers Greg and Gary Baltrusch, is open seven days a week, starting in early spring and doesn’t close until at least late October. The course is currently a nine-hole facility (see related story later this week), but work has begun on a second nine holes. It has an outstanding clubhouse, pro shop with full amenities, as well as a full scale driving range, practice chipping area and putting green.

The Course

Prairie Farms has a unique layout and setting. It’s location, on land formerly used by the Baltrusch Land and Cattle Co., borders the historic Milk River and has stunning views of the Bear Paw Mountains to the south. It’s also built on fertile farm land which enabled the course to grow lush and quickly. Course superintendent Brett Gilman, who oversaw much of the construction of Prairie Farms, notes that the course is “very tree lined (almost all with centuries-old ottonwoods), with a few holes that have a reprieve from the trees.”

Construction began on the course back in 2004 and was ready for play in June of 2007.

The course measures 3,040 yards from the front nine men’s tees and 3,042 yards from the men’s back nine tees. There are also two separate sets of women’s tees on the course. It’s a traditional par 36 layout for nine holes with two Par 3s and two par 5s. The sloped and undulating greens at Prairie Farms are bent grass, as are the tee boxes. The fairways were seeded with Kentucky blue grass, while the rough, which lines the fairways and guards the greens is Scottish links fescue. There are a total of five greenside bunkers, and with the exception of the Milk River bordering the No. 1 fairway, there are no other water hazards truly in play.

However, no water and few bunkers doesn’t mean Prairie Farms is without defense. The course routing means there isn’t a traditional prevailing wind, meaning holes can be affected by both strong west and east winds. Much of the natural landscape was also preserved, which means native grasses certainly come into play, and those native grasses, especially early in the summer, can seemingly swallow wayward shots, with balls never to be seen again. There’s also extensive lateral hazards, some out of bounds and even several areas which are marked green for environmentally sensitive areas, all of which can cost golfers penalty strokes if their tee shots or approach shots aren’t accurate.

Every course has a listed signature hole, but with so many unique golf holes at Prairie Farms, it’s tough to choose just one. Both of Prairie Farms’ par 3s are extremely challenging from the tee box, and No. 8 is likely one of the most difficult par 3s at any public nine-hole course. Hole No. 6 is a par 4 which requires golfers to hit a tough approach shot across a dry river bed to a protected green, while No. 1, which borders the Milk River and is tree-lined on both sides of the fairway, with trees also guarding the tee shot, is the hardest handicap hole on the scorecard.

Yes, with so many trees, Havre’s usual wind, and all kinds of places to lose a golf ball, Prairie Farms can certainly be a challenging and penal golf course. It’s a course which puts a premium on accuracy off the tee and precision shot making from the fairways.

And as challenging as Prairie Farms is, what really stands out is its beauty. Few public golf courses, especially in a more rural setting like Havre, offer such breathtaking beauty, scenery and plenty of wildlife, to go along with a quality golf course and a quality golf experience. That’s what seems to set Prairie Farms apart from many other nine-hole public courses around the state.

Course Traffic

Prairie Farms has become a popular golf experience, not just for Havre and Hi-Line golfers, but also for tourists. With Havre being a busy tourist hub in the summer time, most summer days, many nonlocal license plates can be seen in the Prairie Farms parking lot.

The course is also host to two nights of men’s league golf and one night of ladies’ league. There are popular tournaments throughout the golf season, including the annual Natalie Patrick Foundation Scramble, the Havre Women Fighting Breast Cancer Tournament and the Rotary Blast, to name a few.

Prairie Farms also caters to a growing youth golf movement in Havre. The course annually hosts the Rotary Youth Golf Camp, and is home to the Havre High boys and girls golf teams, as well as the men’s and women’s teams at Montana State University-Northern. Prairie Farms annually hosts the Havre High Golf Tournament in August and has played host to the Central A Divisional Tournament.

The Future

As noted, Prairie Farms is currently undergoing an expansion, and will someday become Havre’s first and only 18-hole golf course. That day will be significant because it will mean the course has the ability to accommodate even more of the area’s desire to play golf at any given time.

Still, even as a nine-hole course, Prairie Farms, with its grass-roots construction, its unique setting, beautiful scenery and its challenging layout, has already established itself as one of the premier golf courses on the Hi-Line. And that bodes well for the future of the course.

Yes, Prairie Farms may be young in age, but it’s an old-school public golf course, one that fits in the theme of courses built in the wilds and natural landscapes of Montana. And it’s a golf course that people will still be playing long and far into the future.

Note: This is the first in a six-part series on area golf courses and golf courses of interest. In Thursday’s Havre Daily News, check out a story on the expansion project at Prairie Farms. In next Monday’s HDN, check out a feature story on the Chinook Golf Club.