Emigrant, Montana
Rising Sun at Mountain Sky sets the standard for exclusive, scenic, championship-level guest ranch golf in Montana. Johnny Miller's design, refreshed by Davis Love III’s team, pairs links-style bunkering with panoramic Absaroka views and a strong, walkable layout. Not a bucket-list national icon, but an unforgettable Western golf adventure for those lucky enough to stay.
Rising Sun at Mountain Sky is a masterclass in merging mountain drama with links-style design. Johnny Miller’s original vision capitalized on the rolling grasslands and towering Absaroka backdrop, creating bold lines and sweeping vistas. The 2026 Love Golf Design renovation elevated the course’s defenses and playability through a strategic bunker overhaul—removing and adding sand hazards to sharpen shot values and enhance the rugged Western links look. Expect natural movement, intelligent angles into contoured greens, and a routing that rides the undulating valley from open prairie into dramatic mountain corridors. From the first tee, the course sells the story: wild, wind-shaped Montana, demanding creativity, and rewarding precision.
Johnny Miller’s championship instincts shine through the risk/reward layout, now enhanced by Davis Love III and crew for even more strategic bite and visual flair.
An early epic—a true beast. The second hole stretches out along the open grasslands, asking for a precise tee shot to a generous fairway flanked by newly refreshed bunkers. Players are rewarded with sweeping panoramas of Emigrant Peak as they plot their climb toward an elevated green.
Keep your drive center-right to set up the second; a layup short of fairway cross-bunkers is wise unless you’re confident in navigating the angles for a long iron attempt at the green. The approach demands precision to a green guarded left and long.
Stray left off the tee or misjudge the wind and you’ll find the new, steep-faced bunkers; try to bite off too much with the second and deep native roughs or a misplayed short game await.
Excellent turf, fast greens, and newly rebuilt bunkers—expect championship setups, resilient drainage, and natural rough.
Relaxed, uncrowded—tee times spaced for guests and a mellow ranch atmosphere.
Welcoming ranch luxury—a blend of Old West mystique and top-end golf experience.
Resort casual with golf-appropriate attire; collared shirts recommended, denim discouraged.
Plan for 6,000 feet—your drives will fly, but so will misses. Practice clubbing down and get used to thinner air.
Study forecast and prevailing valley breezes: the course is exposed, and many holes change drastically as the wind shifts.
The renovated bunkers and tight chipping areas demand excellent sand play and touch around fast greens.
Mountain Sky Guest Ranch founded
Course opens as 9 holes by Johnny Miller
Expansion to 18 holes completed
Named first Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary course in Montana
Davis Love III's Love Golf Design tapped for major renovation
Bunker rebuild and upgrades completed with enhanced drainage and rugged styling
Featured in Golfweek’s Best: No. 2 in Montana for guest access
The 'Rising Sun' name and logo are inspired by the ranch's historic cattle brand, chosen for the epic sunrise views over Emigrant Peak and Big Creek Valley. Players experience this history on the tee each morning as the valley lights up in gold.
The 2026 renovation by Love Golf Design didn’t just refresh the sand – it reimagined bunker placement, added drama, and gave the course renewed strategy and style. EcoBunker edging now mixes with native grasses for that rugged-modern Western links look.
Rising Sun became Montana’s first Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary golf course, balancing championship play with wildlife corridors and eco-friendly turf management. Even the cart paths were redesigned to use permeable pavers to protect the valley environment.
What began as a cowboy escape in 1929 now draws golf enthusiasts for the ultimate mountain round – a blend of Western tradition and modern championship design, all in an exclusive guest-ranch setting. The vibe is pure Montana charm with world-class ambition.
Rising Sun’s logo is a real Montana cattle brand.
The course is Montana’s first ever Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.
Nearly 50 bunkers were rebuilt or newly added with EcoBunker technology in 2026.
The valley setting was a real cattle-grazing ranch for nearly a century before golf arrived.
The green complexes were rebuilt with an eye to the wild, wind-swept links courses of the British Isles.
Montana’s elite private mountain club, less than 90 minutes from Rising Sun—ultra-scenic and highly rated.
Bozeman’s standout public option—fun, affordable, with mountain views and strong regional acclaim.
Bozeman—for easy flights, local food, and access to both Paradise Valley and Big Sky.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: The Wilderness at Fortune Bay is a natural next stop after Rising Sun at Mountain Sky: it shares a memorable sense of place.
Why it matches: If Rising Sun at Mountain Sky is your kind of course, Bronze Buffalo Sporting Club at Teton Springs is worth a look because it makes the landscape part of the experience.
Why it matches: What links these two? Makes the landscape part of the experience — a familiar feeling, expressed in Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club's own setting.
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