Bozeman, MT

Bohart Ranch X-C Ski Center - Lower

3.885(based on 24 reviews)
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Bohart Ranch X-C Ski Center - Lower reviews

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5 8
Feli
Experience: 10 played 10 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Nice challenging course, but too wooded and tough navigation 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

If you like "roughing it," this is an ok course, but bring plenty of water... and maybe bear mace (you will see lots of tracks). This is a decent, senic course off the beaten path (near 16 mile marker in Bridger Bowl), but it needs major improvements in signage, tree overgrowth, and overall course layout to be a high quality course.

It's $5 in the drop box to play for the day (two 18 hole courses), and it does have fair quality chain baskets. There's a basic 18 that's heavily wooded and an "upper 18" that is also pretty wooded but also in a field of long grass a portion of it. You will get lost frequently due to it being a poorly mapped course, so set aside about a half day and bring a lot of water if you plan to play both 18s.

Cons:

Bohart ranch DG is pretty challenging due to frequent elevation changes, some long holes, and dense forests. You will beat up your discs on the trees since you'll have no idea where you're shooting on about half the holes. There are signs with hole number/par, but it's a total guessing game as to distance, hole layout, and then where the next tee will be (you will figure out very fast that the handwritten map is basically junk).

The tees are far from great: a dirt patch with a few boards or logs as a border - some lack enough room for any real run-up, others have roots to trip on. The course's signage is even worse: tee signs that tell you hole number and par, but there's no indicators as to distance, dogleg direction, etc. Since you won't be able to see the basket on most holes, that gets old very fast - esp on the holes where the fairways are full of trees. When you finish a basket, the next tee box is usually a good distance away, so it becomes a guessing game as to which way (again, trust the map at your own risk).

All in all, it's basically a XC ski and horse ride trail system where they threw down some logs and boards as tees, walked ~400ft aroudn the next corner, and put up a basket. The elevation is a challenge, the dense forests are a challenge, and the poor signage is a challenge. With the three combined, it really becomes a chore to play this course and misses what was (hopefully) the original goal: a fun day of DG.

Other Thoughts:

Bohart really ends up being a bit too much for most casual players. If you live in the area and will play it many times, maybe it's better... probably still heck on your discs with all the trees, though. Apparently they have tournaments here, but I probably would've considered asking for a refund after my outing.

The nature environment is nice, but taking down some random fairway trees and/or at least having decent signs would go a long way. When many holes already have significant elevation changes and blind doglegs, it'd be nice to not have so many random fairway tree clusters to damage and lose discs among.

It's a nice idea and good location, but the DG course here is basically just thrown together. If you go, bring plenty of water, wear good shoes, and try to have (or follow) someone who knows the layout fairly well.
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