Stock Farm Club- The Making of a Man
I dream about being a real man someday. A few weeks into our marriage Kelsey asked me “Why don’t you do more man things?”. She grew up in Montana, where if you didn’t have a 3/4 ton pickup with a deer carcass in the bed then you weren’t a real man. I asked her to clarify. She said, “You know, like camping, hunting, fishing…all you do is golf.” I’ll challenged her on her assumption of what a real man was. Aren’t golfers real men? The Stock Farm Club in Hamilton, Montana solidified my theory.
My Grandpa Fielding was a real man. He was a farmer and spent his time driving tractors, bucking hay bails, shooting guns, training horses, etc. That’s John Wayne type stuff. He lamented that most of his grandkids grew up to be city slickers…and lawyers. Grandpa also loved to golf. He taught me my first gambling game on the golf course when I was 10 years old: Bingo, Bango, Bongo.
Once while building a fence (Grandpa’s favorite hobby later in life) he smashed his finger, ripping the tip of it off. He finished pounding the post in the ground before telling my brothers he had better go inside. As an ER doctor at least I’d know what to do with his smashed up finger. Maybe I do have some “real man” blood in me.
Montana- Made for Men
I was a little nervous to meet my future father-in-law for the first time. He is a real man. Before I met him, my wife told me stories of him cleaning his guns when dates would come over to pick up her or her sisters. Hopefully my boys will learn some “man” things from Grandpa Vaughn.
I get excited for our annual summer pilgrimage to Montana so I can get some extra manliness. A few years ago my father in law took me pheasant hunting for the first time. One of the birds flew up right in front of me. He yelled “Don’t shoot”. I shot anyways. Apparently it’s not manly to shoot a pheasant close up.
I can see why people get addicted to hunting. I actually like hunting and fishing…in moderation. At least for one week a year in Montana I can feel like I am living up to my wife’s dreams. I consider all of the man sports ancillary to my real purpose in Montana though….Golf.
Golf in Montana
My father in law tones down his manliness when I come to town and will go play 18 with me. Golf in Montana is among the best there is anywhere. There are multiple Missoula golf courses which are incredible. For several years I’ve been itching to play a course in Hamilton, MT named The Stock Farm club. It has been named one of the top Montana Golf Courses.
The Stock Farm Club is private and exclusive. It was developed by Charles Schwab in the 1990s. The golf course itself was designed by Tom Fazio, a legendary golf course designer, who described the course as “The Augusta of the West”. With a pedigree like that no wonder it is considered one of the best Montana golf courses. They say it’s not what you know but who you know in life that matters. After making a few connections I got the green light to play there. I wasn’t going to miss it.
Stock Farm Club- First Impressions
Hamilton is well off the beaten path regardless of your starting point. From Missoula it takes an hour to get there. The drive itself is well worth the trip as you wind through the Bitteroot Valley. The course is tucked up on the side of the mountain and you can’t see any of the holes from the highway. It is definitely secluded.
The Stock Farm Club has anything a John Wayne type would need: a gun range, equestrian area, fishing, and of course golf. If you are doubting John Wayne’s devotion to golf check out the golf course in Arizona named after him, “The Duke”.
Considering it was developed by Charles Schwab, it is no wonder that The Stock Farm Club is surrounded by sprawling farmhouse mansions built on huge multi acre lots. The clubhouse is the most impressive that I have ever seen. I would have taken pictures inside the clubhouse but it didn’t seem like a classy move for a guest to do that. It is Montana at it’s core with large wooden beams and elk trophies on the walls. Fortunately the Stock Farm Club has posted pictures of their clubhouse online.
The Round Highlights
After playing the round a friend asked me where this course ranks on my top 10 list. I place it in the top 5 for sure. My father-in-law said it was the nicest course he had ever played. Here are a few of my round highlights:
- Pro V1s to hit on the driving range
- 5- # of Birdies I had
- 73- My score. One of my better rounds of the year.
The Course Highlights
My playing aside, the course itself is magnificent. These are my top three take always from the course:
1. Big Sky Golf
It is tough to ignore the Montana sky. The Stock Farm Club reminds you why they call it Big Sky Country. The landscape seems to accentuate the clouds. It was supposed to rain the entire day and we were worried that thunderstorms would ruin our round. We happened to catch a perfect 4 hour window without any rain. Nothing will make you feel more like a man than spending 4 hours in the Big Sky Country of Montana’s Bitteroot Valley.
2. Manicured Perfection
The main benefit of playing a private course is that they don’t get near the traffic as their public counterparts. These fairways were in pristine condition. The checkered mowing pattern was reminiscent of another lawn I have recently seen. I wish someone would write a blog post giving tips on how to get a golf course looking lawn.
The Stock Farm Club has a combination of natural landscape and manicured perfection to be suitable for the crudest cowboy or dantiest golfer.
3. Rugged Terrain
The course winds through the hills of the Bitteroot Valley making for some challenging holes and breathtaking views. This was far from a cookie cutter golf course. Tom Fazio made great use of the course terrain to create a perfectly designed track for the modern cowboy.
Jordan Spieth blaming his caddie for two misplaced shots. Not discounting the job of caddie but Surely a PROFESSIONAL golfer should take most of the responsibility for his yardage and club choicepic.twitter.com/mRp8t0YpfQ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 14, 2019
The Food
No round is complete without a juicy hamburger at the end. My father in law took me to an amazing burger joint in downtown Hamilton, Naps Grill. It was one of the best and biggest hamburgers I’ve had in a long time.
Becoming a Man
The Stock Farm Club definitely did not disappoint. As I played I envisioned my Grandpa breathing in the fresh mountain air, riding through the rugged terrain, battling the elements (80 degrees and partly cloudy). I may have came in a boy. I left a man.
About the Author
I am a husband, father, ER doctor, and an avid golfer. With a handicap of 3.8 I have a fairly legitimate claim to be among the Top 100 Physician Golfers in the United States. You can read more about my story on my about page. Feel free to contact me or follow my sites on social media.
