Eagle Bend Golf Club (Eagle/Bear)

Overview: The Eagle/Bear profile at Eagle Bend Golf Club represents two nines within Bigfork's 27-hole championship complex on the north shore of Flathead Lake. The course combines the original Eagle Nine, shaped by William Hull with input from touring professional Lon Hinkle, and the Bear Nine, most of which was completed by Jack Nicklaus and his son. The setting moves through open Montana ground, wooded edges and lake-country views, with the two nines offering a blend of traditional parkland strategy and wider mountain corridors. It is a distinctive public golf experience because the full property contains three contrasting nines rather than a single fixed 18.

History: Eagle Bend's first nine, essentially today's Eagle Nine, opened in 1984. Work on a second nine closer to the lake reached its next milestone in 1988, creating the original 18 holes that earned critical recognition and a place on Golf Digest's Best New Courses list. After the 1994 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship was held at Eagle Bend, Nicklaus Design completed a third nine in 1995. The present Eagle/Bear combination therefore brings together the course's earliest Hull work and the later Nicklaus expansion.

Did You Know? Eagle Bend hosted the 1994 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. The champion was Guy Yamamoto of Hawaii, who won the week-long event in his 11th attempt, while future PGA Tour players Notah Begay III and Matt Gogel were also in the field.