After finishing up my first round on the Johnny Walker course I headed to the proshop to see about playing the Elmer Link course at Pryor Creek. What I didn’t know is that Elmer Link is reserved for members and their guests. However, the proshop explained that since I live outside the county I could play it and that the replay rate was $16. I didn’t ask any more questions, paid the $16 and darted to the first tee!

The round went quickly for me. I teed off at 4:30pm and finished right at 7:30pm. I played fast on the front nine, got past a group on the 12th hole and then paired up with a member to play the final two holes. The last two holes were the best since the member shared the best route to Yellowstone, which was a different way than what we had planned. If you are headed to Yellowstone from Billings, make sure to take the Beartooth Highway – the views are incredible!

Alright, back to the course. I had no idea what to expect from Elmer Link, besides knowing that it was the better of the two courses at Pryor Creek. What I found is that Elmer Link is a sneaky good golf course with a lot to like. At 6,981 yards, Elmer Link is longer than the Johnny Walker course and has a more championship feel about it. There are two funky holes on the front nine, but besides those holes I greatly enjoyed my round.

The thing I liked the most about the course was how it showcased the fascinating landscape of Eastern Montana. The terrain around this area is rugged while the course itself has an established parkland look to it. Most of the front nine is located in a low area next to a creek while the back nine plays across a small ridgeline. While playing the course it was easy to see how the lush Midwest meets the rocky West around these parts.

I played the blue tees which are 72.7/127/6981 and there seems to be a little bit of every challenge here. There are uneven lies, a handful of tricky greens, a couple areas of out of bounds, a few blind shots and some tight driving holes. Some courses are repetitive throughout the round, but that is not the case here.

I thought the front and back nines were equally memorable on Elmer Link. Both nines include plenty of interesting holes and have a good amount of land movement. The front nine is longer and tighter than the back nine. The 3rd and the 6th are par-5’s on the front nine and were a bit strange to play for the first time. The 3rd is significantly downhill, doglegs left and is an easy hole to drive the ball through the fairway. The best line with driver has a completely blind landing area. Then, the 6th is a weird double dogleg. Other than those two holes, the front is solid.

The back nine has most of its length in the par-5’s (the 605 yard 11th and the 586 yard 18th). The back nine is highlighted by a good closing stretch. The 16th is a 321 yard par-4 that is steeply uphill. Even with just 60 yards into the green I couldn’t see the extra tall flagstick. The 17th goes back down that same hill and the best play is a 200 yard club off the tee. My drive got a big bounce and ended up near a hazard. Then the 18th is a long closing hole.

The conditions were impressive and the bargain replay rate made Elmer Link an incredible value. The maintenance here was better than on the Johnny Walker course. The tees, fairways and greens were lush, except for a few browned out spots from the summer heat. The rough was playable and not too long. The greens were smooth and fiery.

Elmer Link isn’t the most flashy or dramatic golf course I’ve played – but it does many things right and I have nothing but positive things to say about it. Out of the three Billings courses I played while in town, Elmer Link was my favorite. If you can find a way to get out here and play, I say go for it.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):