Golf atop Bully’s breathtaking buttes

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May 03rd, 2023

Golfers will immerse themselves into the Badlands, golfing along the Little Missouri River at Bully Pulpit Golf Course near Medora. Courtesy photo

Stand at the No. 15 tee at Bully Pulpit Golf Course near Medora and you may forget about the game for a moment, as a backswing atop the butte feels like it may scrape the sky.

Golfers will immerse themselves into the Badlands, golfing from atop the buttes along the Little Missouri River on a challenging, but entertaining, course.

An 18-hole course, Bully Pulpit Golf Course opened in 2004. It’s a par 72 layout, with renovations continually improving the grounds.

“We’ve actually built a 19th hole on the golf course to allow us to shut down any hole at any time to do necessary repairs and work on it and still keep it as an 18-hole layout,” says Patrick Rominger, the course’s head golf pro.

Bully Pulpit Golf Course has two different personalities. The first nine holes meander through the Little Missouri River valley.

“You’re playing down in the valley, where there’s a kind of classic golf. There’s a little bit of links style, with a lot of the tall fescue lining the fairways,” Rominger says.

“As you get past hole 14 and on, you’re playing some unbelievable canyon golf up in the Badlands in North Dakota, where you get a 360-degree view from the top of our signature hole No. 15, the Bully Pulpit, where you can see all the way over to Montana. Some of the beautiful Badlands of North Dakota completely surround you, with the Little Missouri carving through the edge of our golf course as well,” he says.

No. 15 is a butte-top par 3 with no room for error.

“It’s a challenging shot, but it’s high risk, high reward and very rewarding if you hit that green,” he says.

Five different tee boxes allow for different skill levels, and environmentally sensitive areas bordering the course enhance the natural beauty of the setting.

The course is 7,100 yards from the black tees, and GPS units are being installed on golf carts this year to help golfers navigate the 200-acre course. New golf cart paths are also being added.

“Have fun. There’s unbelievable scenery out here which can add to the time it takes to play a round a golf if you’re taking time to take pictures with family. We’re all about the atmosphere and creating a friendly and open atmosphere for any age group, any level of play,” Rominger says.

The course is 3 miles south of Medora on East River Road, and is served by Roughrider Electric Cooperative. The clubhouse has a fully stocked pro shop, the Sage Brush Grill is located at the turn, and beverage carts scoot around the grounds. Amenities also include a driving range and a putting green.

Juniors ages 17 and under play for free with a paying adult to encourage the future of the sport.

“It's a great opportunity to get more families and kids involved in the game of golf,” Rominger says. “We want to make sure we can get as many juniors out playing this place and having the time of their lives.”

“We want every golfer to come out and enjoy themselves and take in the beauty that North Dakota and the Badlands have given us,” he says.