An Experience that is All Yours

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

an-experienceThe fall season is short, but spectacular in Montana. It’s worth it to explore the mountains at this special time. The summer crowds at Yellowstone National Park are gone, the winter skiers have not arrived yet and a simple day on the golf course will turn into an animal track lesson along the fairways. Fall is beautiful here. Take a last minute trip and see it for yourself by visiting Spanish Peaks during the first two weeks of September. Call (406) 993-5555 for reservations.

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Club Notes from the GM

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

steveSummer may be winding down; however, the weather continues to be outstanding! Highlights from August include a great Member-Guest Golf Tournament, fun Kid’s Camps and this Summerfest we added an exciting, new activity- downhill mountain biking. Members took mountain bikes up the Lewis & Clark chair lift and biked down trails of various challenges. Participants ran the gamut from kids as young as eight and old-timers over 60.  I actually biked downhill on my vintage 1985 mountain bike with Member Gena Haas’ son Garret who proceeded to shoot down the hill and leave me in the dust…it was great fun!

It has been a very busy and active summer at Spanish Peaks straight  through the Labor Day Weekend. As is normally the case, activity at the club is anticipated to drop off dramatically after the second week in September. In light of the current economic situation, we have decided to keep the golf course open into October and to close the Clubhouse for the Fall on September 18. Thank you all for your support this summer and we look forward to seeing you when the club opens for the Winter Season.

Regards,

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Follow the Lewis & Clark Trail

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

lewis-and-clarkYou don’t have to do a cross-Montana road trip to introduce your children to the historic Lewis & Clark trail. You can plan a weekend and hit a couple of the best spots. For example, in Great Falls, Montana you can take a guided canoe tour along the same paths Lewis and Clark took. Plus, check out the new interpretive center that opened just along the falls, with hands-on exhibits and displays.

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Drive the Beartooth Highway

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

beartoothhwy01Record snowfall last winter guarantees the 53-mile Beartooth Highway route, between Red Lodge and Cooke City, will provide plenty of white stuff ready to be made into snowballs. Drive to the 11,000-foot summit and see how glaciers and glaciated valleys dominate the high alpine ecosystem, where grasshoppers froze some 10,000 years ago in what’s called Grasshopper Glacier. For directions and more information go to www.beartoothhighway.com.

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Ladies Golf Day Every Tuesday at 9:30AM | Join the Fun!

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

ladies-golf-dayHOW TO PARTICIPATE:

1. Call the Clubhouse at (406) 993-5801 to sign up and let them know you will be attending. Please also tell them whether you expect to play 9 or 18 holes.

2. Continental breakfast is available at the clubhouse beginning at 7AM for $10 for anyone wanting to convene in advance of the round. Please call Member Services at (406) 993-5555 to let them know you will be having breakfast.

3. Tee off time will be at 9:30AM. Dave and Brian will assemble the pairings dependent upon how many ladies we have sign up.

We are very much looking forward to having you join us on Tuesday!

Best Regards, Members Judy Katany and Randi Betz

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Tidbits from the Golf Shop

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

tidbits2The Rendezvous Member Guest/Member-Member was a big success. 16 teams fought it out over two days. The gross division was won by Tim Drumhiller and Mike Anderson. The net and overall division was won by Judy Katany and Dan Taft. The Katany/Taft twosome was nine shots back after the first day, they then shot a team score of 56 to win by two shots and their two-day score was 123. Second place was a tie at 125 for the teams of Babs Vanyo/Suzanne Baetz and Steve Sigourney/Louie Loucks. 

Following is the breakdown of all winners in the Member-Guest events: Six Shooter Shoot Out: Geoffrey Williams/Charlie Williams; Mountain Man Putting Course: Larry Adelman/ Jeremy Perelman; One-Eyed Jack Hole-In-One Contest: Charlie Williams; Four-Hole Chip and Putt: Mike Anderson; Closest To Pin Hole #3: Tucker Vanyo; Closest To Pin Hole #13: Louie Loucks; Closest To Pin Hole #8: Judy Katany; Closest To Pin Hole #15: Tim Drumhiller; 1st Place Gross (Score 138): Tim Drumhiller/ Mike Anderson; 2nd Place Net (Score 125-Tie): Babs Vanyo/Suzanne Baetz and Steve Sigourney/Louie Loucks; 2011 Overall Member-Guest/Member-Member Champions (Score 123): Judy Katany/Dan Taft. Congratulations to all winners! 

2011 Club Championship was a great event at Spanish Peaks this year. Tucker Vanyo out-played defending champion Drew Vanyo to claim another title for the Vanyo Family with a score of 77. Defending champion Drew Vanyo shot 78 one-shot back. The net division winner for the men went to Chris Shaida. The ladies division low gross winner went to Stephanie Smith with an excellent score of 82. Low net winner went to Karen Roberts shooting 71 net. The overall winners include: Low Gross Men: Tucker Vanyo; Low Net Men: Chris Shaida; Low Gross Women: Stephanie Smith; Low Net Women: Karen Roberts; Closest To Pin Hole #15: Drew Vanyo; Closest To Pin Hole #8: Trent Smith. Congratulations to all winners! 

Results of the Spanish Peaks One Club Tournament on August 13th: Low Gross (Score 78): Nick Wyer; Low Net (Score 76- Tie): Judy Katany and Masood Solaimani; Closest To Pin Hole #8: ME Brown; Closest To Pin Hole #15: Masood Solaimani 

Be Kind to the Course. With the course open into October and limited access to the Clubhouse, remember to be kind to the course when you are out there. Observe cart rules. Repair your divots in the fairway. Repair your ball marks on the green. Always rake sand bunkers after hitting to erase your footprints and damage to the area where your ball was. And finally, avoid taking a divot on a practice swing. Thank you for caring for the course and we’ll see you on the greens!

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Kids Camps 2011 | What a Hit

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

kids-campsAugust Kids Camps were full of kiddos! Camp Small Fry kicked things off with the best activity first: Pony Painting. Dynamite, the horse, was painted head to hoof with a full spectrum of color while Blaze was saddled up for pony rides around the corral. The little ones also made picture frames and birdhouses into colorful masterpieces. 

Camp Grayling hooked into some huge rainbow trout at Gallatin River Guides Pond. Wills Maw snagged a big one that took awhile to reel in. During a visit to the West Yellowstone Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, return camper Mina Solaimani showed the rest of the children how to hide food for the grizzlies. Don’t worry, the bears were in a closed off area! 

The Camp Cutthroat kids took Big Sky by land, river and air as they rafted the mad mile, rode horses through the wilderness and flew high above the forest floor on three enormous zip lines. A lot of fun was also had on the golf course when 10 year old Henry Maw set a new personal best score for 18 holes with a whopping 99! Great job, Henry! 

For the first time ever, we had kids camp overnight at Fish Camp. Matt and Kim hosted five kids for a unique wilderness experience that included being dropped off by horse, fly fishing for cutthroat trout, grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, roasting s’mores and loads of camp games. This is sure to be a popular activity for years to come! 

Just because it’s September, it doesn’t mean summer is over! There are still several guided hikes, mountain bike trips and special kids activities on the schedule through the end of the season so don’t forget to sign up. See you soon!

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Montana Team Competing in the Little League World Series

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

littleleagueoptimizedThe Big Sky All-Stars became the first little league team from the state of Montana to earn a spot in the Little League Baseball World Series. The team from Billings, Montana has become the sentimental favorite and surprised everyone when they made the tournament, won the Northwest Region and competed for the semifinals of the American region.

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Big Sky’s First Football Team

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

footballBig Sky’s Lone Peak High School started practice for its first six-man football team. This is an exciting addition to the new school with 20 of the 30 boys attending LPHS participating. Six-man football is a variation of 11-man tackle football. It tends to be faster paced with higher scores. A school must have less than 65 students to qualify for a six-man team. The students, school administration, community members and local businesses all helped bring the sport to Big Sky. Season tickets are now available by contacting bighornboosters@gmail.com.

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From the SP Kitchen

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

from-the-kitchenAugust was filled with great Nine & Dine BBQs on the deck and one very special night, the Winemakers Dinner. We were fortunate to host Clay and Margarita Shannon of Shannon Ridge Winery and Vineyard. They tempted our taste buds with their Ranch Wine Collection and Single Vineyard Collection as well as their grass-fed lamb. It was a wonderful evening full of the best wine and food. 

Believe it or not, we are already thinking of winter and wondering when the first snow will fly. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner reservations are already filling up. Be sure to contact us at (406) 993-5555 to put your name on the books. Join us with your friends and family for these traditional holiday meals and leave the cooking up to us this season.

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2011-2012 BIG SKY SKI SEASON PASS SALE

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

plan-to-be-here-winterPurchase your Big Sky Frequent Sky Card or Season Ski Pass by Sept 30 and receive the following prices:

Frequent Sky Card: $49 for all ages (purchase by Oct 31: $89; purchase after Nov 1: $139). Enjoy 14 free days of skiing Nov 28–Dec 4 and Apr 9–Apr 15, receive $20 off the regular season window rate and one week half price of regular season rate between Jan 2– Jan 8.

Season Ski Pass: Adult/Senior: $999; Junior: $799; and College: $589. Big Sky season pass holders may ski up to 10 days at other Boyne Resorts including Brighton, UT; Crystal Mountain, WA; Summit at Snoqualmie, WA; Boyne Mountain & Boyne Highlands, MI; Cypress Mountain, BC; Loon Mountain, NH; and Sunday River/Sugarloaf ME. For complete info, check out this link.

Stay tuned for details on the 2011-2012 Biggest Skiing in America™ Season Passes. With one season pass, you can ski or snowboard seamlessly between Moonlight Basin and Big Sky Resort on the largest interconnect for 5,512 acres of downhill terrain, 4,350 feet of vertical, 27 lifts and 220+ trails.

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Plan to Be Here This Winter

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

season-passWe’ve developed a tradition in our house at Christmas. Every year the kids ask for a Wii, and every year they don’t get one. This isn’t because we are the meanest parents in the world. This is because my husband and I share a theory about presents…they have to inspire the gift-receiver to get outside. Here’s a little advice from our family to yours, this year give the kids the gift of a white Christmas and join us in Montana! 

The February holiday of Presidents Day makes a three-day weekend worth celebrating because in Big Sky we have snow, snow, snow. Whatever your snow pleasure–downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling–this holiday weekend is the time to play in the snow. 

The complete Spanish Peaks Winter Calendar is online here. See you in the winter!

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Mortgage Rates at Historic Low

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

mortgage-ratesThe Montana Board of Housing recently announced the historically low rate of 3.875 percent for its 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. This rate is less than the previous low by a full percentage point. 

These are extraordinary times for buying a home – houses are selling at the lowest prices in years and mortgage rates are at unprecedented lows as well. 

For more information, call 406.841.2840 or go to www.housing.mt.gov.

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Montana to Reach One Million Residents by 2012

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

1-montanatoreach1millIt is true, Montana is about to hit its next population milestone– one million residents by 2012! Following are a few facts: Montana has six people per square mile. The Montana population is 50% female and 50% male. 6.4% of residents are under five years old, 22.5% are under 18 years old and 14.6% are over 65 years old.

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Recent Press | A Majestic Mountain Golf Escape

Posted on August 29, 2011 by wbrunner

recent-pressExcerpt from WorldGolf.com | Southwest Montana is “America the Beautiful.” It’s that land of spacious skies and purple mountain majesties that we sing about.

Just seeing it is enough for most Americans, but imagine playing golf in this environment. And not on just any old course, but one that’s well laid out, incredibly conditioned and supported by first-rate service and accommodations.

Such is the case at the Club at Spanish Peaks, a private ski and golf club with limited resort play located near Yellowstone National Park. Here you can experience eagles of both kinds, on the scorecard and in the sky.

Golf carts come equipped with a can of grizzly bear mace, and the scenery around the golf holes is so breathtaking, the occasional blow-up hole that Tom Weiskopf’s splendid 7,200-yard layout occasionally produces isn’t that upsetting.

A four- or five-day trip to Spanish Peaks — whether with a group of buddies, families or another couple — is the great escape from everyday life. Here time has little meaning as you soak up the long summer days, wondering about the super volcano underneath that formed this remarkable landscape millions of years ago.

And golf is just the beginning. As a ski resort, Spanish Peaks may be one of the best in the country and certainly one of the most exclusive. But this story is about summers and falls.

Guests here can enjoy everything the great mountain West has to offer — fly-fishing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting. You name it, anything outdoors — they can hook you up at Spanish Peaks. But best of all, you can stay here in a rustic but luxurious environment, whether it’s at the resort’s clubhouse or one of its other stay-and-play options.

“There are a lot of great mountain golf courses, there are a lot of great ski hills in the West, but nowhere can you combine the year-round activities all under one roof,” said Scott Johnson, Spanish Peaks marketing director and host extraordinaire. “You can ski out the back door or tee off out the back door.

“And we’re still wild. We’re part of the Yellowstone ecosystem. You can see wolves, moose, and grizzly bear at any time. It’s something that makes it a little more exciting than some other cool places.”

To read the complete article visit: http://www.worldgolf.com/features/club-at-spanish-peaks-big-sky-montana-12349.html

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