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At play in Wyoming, with deer, antelope and 63 holes of world-class golf
Colorado Golf Magazine, Summer Golf Guide 2001
by Darla Worden, contributing writer
Reprinted with permission

Situated at the base of Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains, the town of Sheridan has been a tourist destination since the turn of the century when Buffalo Bill Cody held auditions for his Wild West Show on the front porch of the historic Sheridan Inn. Located on the route to Yellowstone, Sheridan sidetracked many travelers headed for Old Faithful - who then decided to stay awhile. And a number of mostly East Coast 'dudes' discovered the town while experiencing the West up close at area dude ranches - many of the first dude ranches in the U.S. are located just minutes from downtown Sheridan.

Today, Sheridan boasts a reputation as a vacation destination in its own right. Thousands of visitors arrive each summer bent on enjoying the area's popular fishing, camping, hiking, rodeos, polo matches, battlefield tours, museums, bike trails and historic trolleys - or just a stroll down Sheridan's historic Main Street, which mingles real Western shops and taverns with interesting boutiques, and down-home cooking with fine dining.

Powder Horn Ranch: With its signature hole # 15 and the Big Horn Mountains as a backdrop, the Powder Horn Ranch has transformed 607 acres of Wyoming grassland into a unique world-class golf course. Bailey's design combines the land's rich Western heritage with Scottish tradition by creating two distinctive nines: The front nine resembles a typical links course including a replica of the famous Swilcan Burn Bridge at St. Andrews. The back nine features target golf with approach shots over natural hazards to greens often carved out of the surrounding woods. Four holes traverse a creek, and several others require navigation around a series of ponds and a spring-fed water hazard.

The Powder Horn course remains open to the public for now, with eventual plans to become a private club restricted to members and their guests. An additional nine holes will boost the course to 27 in 2001 - seeding for the new nine begins in June.



The Horseshoe Mountain Golf Club: Golfers take the high road to this mountain course located in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains (look out for the elk hazard). This Pete Dye 9-hole course features mountain terrain - rolling hills and trees and abundant wildlife. "We've seen elk, deer, bears, mountain lions and wild turkeys - although the turkeys aren't so wild," says club manager Bob Wood. "We have a little slogan: A thoroughbred ranch and wildlife habitat invite you to enjoy a Dye-designed golf course in the little Tongue River Valley. It's a little hard to find, and a little harder to leave,"

Wood, who has been with the privately owned club for four years, names #5 as the club's signature hole, a par three. "A lot of people call it illegal because from the tee box you have to go over the tops of pine trees to reach the green - well, you could try to go through the pine trees but that wouldn't work very well," he says. The budget-conscious will appreciate the club's early bird special $10 before 9:00 a.m. on weekdays.

The Buffalo Golf Club: Thirty minutes from Sheridan, at Buffalo, Wyo., the nationally recognized Buffalo Golf Course received a 4-star rating (out of 5) from Golf Digest, and was featured in U SA Today. The fun-to-play 18-hole course is a scenic, up-and-down course with water running through 11 holes, and jagged mountain views.

"Our most talked about hole is the 4th hole, par 3, with a 90-foot drop in elevation and the scenic Big Horn Mountains as a backdrop," says Bill Poirot, golf professional at the course for the past 30 years. "Most people learn about the course through word of mouth," says Poirot of the par 71 course. And that word can travel far and wide. "In one year we'll have visitors from 40-45 states and 8-10 countries," he adds.

Kendrick Municipal Golf Club: Built in 1930, and named for former Wyoming governor John B. Kendrick, this hilly 18-hole public course has been rated one of Wyoming's top five courses by Golf Digest. On a hill overlooking Sheridan, this vintage course, like the other courses, boasts breathtaking mountain views, but then goes them one better with some gorgeous town views, as well, from some of the higher holes.

The Kendrick Municipal course plays long--over 6,800 yards--and golfers will face both open and narrow fairways featuring Bermuda turf In keeping with its historic bent, walking is allowed. Other amenities at the golf course include a driving range, putting green, chipping area and practice bunker. Food and beverages also are served at this course, and tee times are taken a week in advance.

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