Big Sky, MT

Big Sky Resort - Explorer

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25(based on 3 reviews)
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Big Sky Resort - Explorer reviews

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3 0
brentjacobs
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.6 years 641 played 59 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Down, down, down the mountain 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 16, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- 9 Metal baskets.
- Bright yellow Tee signs with the hole number a long with a straight forward layout make this course very easy to navigate.
- Lots of downhill elevation in play making for some fun throws.
- You can ride a chairlift to the top/start of the course.
- Spectacular views. Looking back up the course will give you a view of the sharp point of Lone Peak standing at 11,200'. The view down the course gives you a wonderful look at the Madison Range. This is the stuff that really makes it worth the spin.

Cons:

- The baskets. They're Discatcher Sports and not all particularly level. Also, one got put together with both bottom(short) poles so the target area is comically small. Didn't notice that one had both tall poles but I'm sure its out there.
- Every hole is downhill. 5 and 7 only a little bit but thats the theme here. I like "Top of the World" style shots but the lack of variety really takes away from the novelty.
- Tee pads. Going along with the theme of the course, they also go down, down, down. They're "framed" in with logs on the front and both sides and pretty much just rough ground scraped out in the middle. Hard dirt and loose shale aren't exactly ideal in the first place but when each box just slopes with whereever it was stuck, it's bad.
- Sadly unimaginative design for having an amazing piece of land to work with. The course literally plays down a beginner level(decent enough slope for golf purposes) ski run from top to almost bottom. It's wide enough to where you'd really have to shank to get in the trees except for holes 1 and 9. Hole 9 they finally have you tee from an access road to the side of the run, through a gap in the trees and down into the field below. That's the only time you have to aim to get off of the tee box.
- $34 for a scenic lift ticket. I'm all about pay to play but this fee system was not set up for disc golfers. You're at a resort and are going to pay tourist prices. I played because I get free rides with my season ski pass.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun mountain style course with spectacular views and some cool downhill bomber holes. Unfortunately, the resort did not have somebody with appropriate design skills and knowledge implement the installation. There are some really fun shots but with all the potential the land has its hard to walk away feeling anything but underwhelmed. The resort does have full amenities available with lodging, dining, restrooms, retail shopping, and many other activities offered around the mountain. With a choice of roughly a mile uphill walk or a $34 lift ticket I'd recommend staying in the meadow to play the Big Horn Ridge course which is a really solid and a very fun spin. If you're into bagging and don't mind the fee or hike, by all means hit this and the Andesite Course up and you won't be sad. Just set your expectations appropriately and wear decent hiking shoes/boots.
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5 0
Feli
Experience: 10 played 8 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent course in a fun area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a free course at the Big Sky base camp, and they did a pretty nice job with all chain baskets and a pretty well marked course, all par 3s. It's got short holes but a nice mix of holes with doglegs, some hills, and a few trees. It's the "back 9" at Big Sky and meant to accompany the mountain 9 holes, which are a separate course/review on this site.

Cons:

The baskets are all chain, but some are homemade. Tees would be better if concrete, but they suffice. A few longer holes would be cool, but it's meant as a pretty casual, fun, quick course since it's a tourist location. Your background is the mountains and ski hills of Big Sky and you are near the shops, restaurants and bars at base camp, so that's always a nice bonus.

Other Thoughts:

This one is a quick DG play which can be done in an hour or less. Chance of losing discs is almost zero, and it's not a grueling hike with possible injury or wildlife danger like many other Montana courses. It's a great "warm up," casual, or beginner course.

FYI, if you know the layout, it even makes a cool dusk or even night course (assuming you bring disc LEDs) since the hotel lights are pretty bright. You'll want to skip some of the middle holes with blind doglegs or steeper hills since they're harder to navigate and not well lit from the adjacent hotel, but playing down 10-12 and then back on 16-18 is easy to play at night.

If you're in the area and out to have fun, this course fits all skill levels. It'll be mostly a birdie run for experienced players, and some of the holes are legit ace opportunities. If you're looking for harder courses, try Bighorn, Battle Ridge, or Bohart Ranch in Bridger Bowl.
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11 0
Danger
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 105 played 68 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Better than the peak, but still crap 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-9 baskets
-Free

Cons:

-Natural, uneven teepads
-All throws are open and short
-Elevation is minimal, considering were at a ski resort
-Terrible use of land

Other Thoughts:

The Big Sky base course was added to the resort in 2010 to 'compliment' the peak course, and probably to replace the 9 holes they removed from the peak last year. It plays across and up and down a bunny slope, so while there is SOME elevation, it is pretty minimal. The course literature refers to it as an 'Executive Style' course, which I think means easy. Either way, it is great news to hear DG has reached executive status!

The course is numbered as the back half to the peak course, however it is nowhere near that course, has baskets, and is free. This effectively makes it a completely separate course. A sign at the beginning even states '9 hole disc golf course,' and you magically start at hole 10. Another sign states 'Pro par 3, Am's par 4.' My score was -3 pro, -12 am's.

All holes are under 250 feet and have zero obstructions. They are all on rocky, uneven land, making it a pretty uncomfortable course for a pitch and putt. Opportunities for tunnel shots were instead used as long walkways to the next teepad, which is at the end of the tunnels shooting to a basket in the middle of the field.

Holes 16, 17, and 18 were the most interesting. They were a bit longer, 16 being uphill, and 17 down. Those two holes had some pretty bizarre looking homemade baskets that were quite high off the ground. Hole 18 actually had some good downhill elevation with some trees at the beginning, making this the only shot that made you think before you threw. Well, not really, but more-so than the rest of the course.

We mostly saw kids and their parents playing this course, so if that was their target audience, they probably did a good job. Its easy to play and in eye-shot of the base area the whole time. It's better than the peak course, which isn't saying much. It seems to me that whoever designed the DG courses at Big Sky has absolutely no concept of how the sport works or what a course is supposed to be. Visit Bighorn Ridge about 5 miles down the road for a REAL DG course in Big Sky. Skip this one unless you are trying to up your course count.
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