Courtesy of Jon Cavalier
Courtesy of Jon Cavalier
Courtesy of Jon Cavalier
Courtesy of Jon Cavalier
Courtesy of Jon Cavalier
Rock Creek Cattle Company
Rock Creek Cattle Company
105 Pauly Dr
Deer Lodge, MT 59722-9634
United States
Overview
In the Rocky Mountain foothills north of Deer Lodge, Mont., Tom Doak fashioned a splendid inland links from a working cattle ranch. His broad, looping routing starts in pasture, makes a slow but steady climb to the seventh tee, then plays through pines and over the ravines of Rock Creek, as gorgeous a fly-fishing stream as can be imagined. At the ninth, the course bursts back into the open, atop rolling hills offering hogback, punchbowl and sideslope fairways, then rolls downward and homeward, finishing back along the stream. Doak moved little earth because it was so rocky. Greens are huge to fit the scale and bunkers shaped to emulate those blown out by constant winds. Rock Creek Cattle Co. is high-country golf at its finest.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 2021.
Previous ranking: 56th (highest).
2025-'26 ranking: 65th.
Second 100 Greatest: Ranked from 2013-'20.
Best in State: Ranked first, 2011-'14, 2017-'24. Ranked second, 2015-'16.
2025-'26 ranking: 1st.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“This was some of the most fun I have had on a golf course in a very long time. The course layout requires all types of shots and imagination. The layout keeps holes fresh and not seeming like you just played the hole either at this course or another one by the designer."
Read More2025
Review
“Love the vibe of this place! The setting is perfect! And the golf is architecturally very good!"
Read More2025
Review
“The name Rock Creek Cattle Company may not sound like a top golf course but step one foot on property and you know you are experiencing something unique. Located amid a 30,000-acre working ranch in Deer Lodge Montana, Rock Creek Cattle Company is a Tom Doak design carved from wild terrain with the beautiful peaks of the Flint Creek Mountain Range as a perpetual backdrop. Playing at a 4,800-foot elevation and as a par 71 stretching to 7,486 yards from the Championship tees, RCCC is a golfer’s dream. The winding dirt road through the barren ranchland leading to the golf course speaks of desolation and austerity. As you approach the golf course, that perception changes with verdant green fairways splayed on the rocky terrain glimpsed in the distance. As the course peaks through the trees, other subtle signs of what is to come appear – from the cabins for guests to the on-property spa to the heated pool and clubhouse to the understated log cabin pro shop. The expectation after making the trek is that RCCC must be special to thrive in such a remote area and the course does not disappoint. Options abound as wide fairways with very little tree trouble allow any type of shot shape from the tee. Well placed bunkers and waste areas place a high premium on accurate approaches where errors are compounded near the fast, sloped greens. All but the par 3 17th accept low running approaches, at least to a portion of the green, although potentially tucked pins on 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 15 require lofted shots to have a reasonable putt at birdie. Knobs, ridges, and swales on and around the greens permit creativity as one can putt, chip or pitch, often from the same location. The front 9 at RCCC works its way up in elevation as the par 4 2nd, 4th, and 5th are the only uphill holes on the course. The remaining holes all play at least slightly downhill except for the flat 3rd, 6th, 9th, 13th and 16th. The bulk of the holes play fairly straight except for the dogleg right 1st, 3rd, 10th, and 14th and the dogleg left 7th and 18th but the wide fairways and difficult approaches necessitate choosing a particular side of the fairway to create the best attempt at landing on the green. There is a good mix of short, medium, and long holes at RCCC with each nine offering a short par 4 (5 and 15) that can tempt big hitters. The par 3s range from the 175-yard 12th to the 221-yard 13th. The par 3 8th and 17th are both downhill 190+ yard plus holes but the 8th has an open green while the 17th is all carry. The three par 5s are all stout tests of at least 575 yards but can be attacked in two by longer players due to their downhill nature and the 4,800-foot elevation. Rock Creek Cattle Company is a challenging test from the combo I and II tees at 7,122 yards but will play shorter due to the elevation. Fairways are wide without too many bunkers or hazards in play but positioning is key to avoiding a difficult approach. The greens are well protected, undulating and sloped with two putts not guaranteed, especially above the hole. The greens complexes are where RCCC will punish anything but well executed shots. RCCC is in excellent condition with very fast, firm but receptive greens that will hold a well-struck approach. The fairways are generous and consistently firm. All the bunkers were very well-maintained and well-sanded. Rock Creek Cattle Company’s conditioning certainly met expectations. The entire experience at Rock Creek Cattle Company was first class from the amenities, the staff, and most of all, the course. Not many courses live up to the hype, but RCCC is an exception. This is a course that is well worth traveling to the remote wilds of Montana and should continue to be highly acclaimed and well-respected."
Read More2024
Review
“Diverse surroundings as the architect takes the routing through dessert mountain landscape, forested areas, and across the Rock Creek on 3 holes. Beautiful views of the mountains in western Montana throughout the round. Wonderful set of green complexes that seamlessly blend into the land and offer great variety and challenge hole to hole. Unique routing that offers only 1 par 3 and 1 par 5 on the front nine and back to back par 3's on the back nine."
Read More2024
Review
“Several blind shots of tees, crazy fun fairway undulations. Greens large and challenging, course is in great shape. Fun course but feels tough to remember a signature, iconic hole. I do love the options for two gettable par 4s that add a great element to the round."
Read More2023
Review
“The front nine has some breathtaking views particularly the drop shot 8th. The next 6 holes are excellent and then the last three are excellent AND have breathtaking views. 18 is probably Doak at his finest. It is so wide and really a simple hole except he wants to pull you close to the creek, and then when you get tot the green the difficulty ratchets up."
Read More2023
Review
“beautiful Doak course on a great site"
Read More2023
Review
“A remote private course that was average."
Read More2023
Review
“Lay of the land Tom Doak design in the Big Sky country of Montana. Big, bold course that has beautiful views and terrific conditions. Not easy to get to but worth the effort. Welcoming staff and membership make for an enjoyable day. Do not turn down an invitation to play here."
Read More2022
Review
“Believe this is an even better Doak course than Pacific Dunes. Reason for this is that Doak gives player a chance around the greens here due to fact that it's not incredibly firm turf around greens at Rock Creek. Player has a chance to both pitch and chip ball from around greenside and this really strengthens shot options and general playability of this course. LOVE the two short par 4s. It's so rare that a course designer appropriately creates a hole that is truly drivable with a good tee shot while providing appropriate punishment for player who does not pull it off. Far too often, a "perfect" shot needs to be hit to give player a good birdie chance on short par 4. Not the case with Rock Creek. Vistas perhaps not as strong as some other top area courses, but landscape blends in very naturally with the surrounding land to extent the whole experience feels incredibly natural and not something manufactured. Finally, more courses should employ these types of wide fairways. Absolutely love that Doak punishes a player with a blind approach or tough angle rather than a lost ball for a wayward tee shot. More courses should have fairway design like this."
Read More2022
