(Editor’s note: Throughout the remainder of the summer, MontanaSports.com’s Alec Bofinger will be visiting golf courses in and around the Billings area to feature ‘signature holes’ or holes that tie in to what makes the courses unique. First was a difficult par 4 at the Miles City Town and Country Club. Stillwater Golf Course is next on the list with its slew of doglegs.)
COLUMBUS — Stillwater Golf Course in Columbus could be an absolute nightmare for beginning golfers. Two-thirds of the holes on the course would eat up a slice from a right-handed swing. For lefties, though, a slice would play favorably.
“If you’re a beginning golfer and you slice the ball on this course, you want to aim left. That would be the key thing,” longtime Stillwater Golf Course worker Danen Johannes said. “It makes it difficult if you go right: I think six of the nine holes you’re in trouble, either out of bounds, in water or dealing with obstacles.”
The par-4 fourth fits that mold perfectly. While it’s not necessarily a difficult hole, a bunker guards the left edge of the fairway, and the hole doglegs hard to the left with trouble on the right side, especially for those with a big stick off the tee box.
“You have a bunker in the middle to kind of watch out for,” said Johannes. “You can cut across to the left if you want to kind of go a little bit more towards the hole, or you can go down the middle of the fairway. If you’re a long-ball hitter, you have to watch out for water on the backside.”
The fourth hole, like several others on Stillwater Golf Course, prioritizes accuracy off the tee in order to score well. Johannes, though, offered a tip to those playing it for the first time.
“I don’t know that’s it’s a difficult hole. You can get in trouble in different areas. It’s kind of a fun hole to play. If you pull it left, you can still have a shot in at the green. It’s a little forgiving in that way,” Johannes said.
This course is one of the 51 courses included in the 2019 Golf & Go Summer Pass, which is available through MTNDeals.com for $99. To purchase a pass granting you access to 18 holes at each of the 51 courses, please click here.
