Constructed in the Fall of 1999 at a cost of $300,000, The Big EZ Buffalo Links  Course covers two scenic acres.  Each hole provides exceptional views of the surrounding mountains.  The course�s rough and surrounds are composed of Montana Bluegrass sod and special Bentgrass sod from Colorado was brought in for creating the greens surface.

The putting course was designed by Walter Raleigh Stewart of WRS, Inc., which is located in the San Francisco Bay area.  The company is a multi-disciplinary design firm that operates worldwide and specializes in full-length championship golf courses, country clubs, five-star hotels, ski resorts, and the master planning of high-density urban centers.  The firm has worked on projects with such golf �greats� as Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Gary Player, and golf architect Desmond Muirhead (both as a partner and associate).

Championship quality course

The Big EZ Buffalo Links Championship Putting Course is designed to provide an 
exceptional golf experience and offer a challenge to all golfers � from beginners to low 
handicappers to the best in the world.  The course can be played in 60 to 90 minutes.  It offers a full range of putting experiences and situations to replicate conditions found on full-length courses.  
 
As the course was designed to host a professional putting competition, it is
championship quality.   Every aspect of it is first-class and for the serious golfer.  However, since the course omits the requirement for woods and irons, it provides easier play for persons with dramatically different skill levels.  

Each hole of The Big EZ Buffalo Links Course has been constructed as a �green� and only contouring and shot length provide golf hazards.  The course provides a par-72 layout with four par 3�s, ten par 4�s and four par 5�s, and is designed in a �returning 9 hole� layout.   Each hole has designated tees and pin positions as well as preferred �landing areas� similar to full-length golf holes.  Club selection is limited to a regulation putter and course rules stipulate that the ball never leaves the ground.  A practice putting area and small clubhouse facility for viewing and refreshments is also available.

Opportunities to practice the most important aspect of golf -- putting

The Big EZ Buffalo Links Championship Putting Course allows players significant
social interaction with other players on the greens and tees -- which makes the course perfect for business and conference groups, resort and family activities.   The course also offers an excellent opportunity to practice perhaps the most important aspect of golf, putting.  Experienced golfers know success on the course varies directly with one�s ability to putt.  The Big EZ Buffalo Links Putting Course presents every type of stroke, strategy, and shot condition a golfer is likely to find on regulation golf courses.

Nearby is a large grass sport court suitable for lawn bowling and croquet.  This court (slightly smaller than a tennis court) was constructed to the same standards as the putting greens, and is also available for large gatherings or other lodge functions.    A large grass gallery was created along the edge of the sport court offering spectator space for court events and other gatherings.  The Lone Star Suite Putting Green is a small �private� putting green located adjacent to the premier lodge accommodations at The Big EZ Lodge.

The extraordinary Big EZ Lodge

One of the nation�s most exclusive boutique properties, The Big EZ Lodge opened in September, 1999, under the management of Benchmark Hospitality.  The five-star quality Lodge blends the finest in American antiques and original fine art appointments with the traditions of the 19th-century American Arts & Crafts period.  Several of the individually decorated guest rooms feature river-stone fireplaces and all provide breathtaking mountain views.   The Lodge offers superior meeting facilities as well as high-speed Internet access and laptop computers in each guest room.  Superb dining with a specialty in wild game is available in the Lodge�s main dining room.   

Recreational amenities include an enormous free-form outdoor hot-tub spa (Montana�s largest) accessed by heated paving-stone walks, a fitness center, a fire pit, herb garden, cascading ponds stocked with trout, The Big EZ Buffalo Links Championship Putting Course, downhill / cross-country skiing in season at the Big Sky Ski Resort located nearby, and year-round fly-fishing considered some of the best in the world.

With headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas, Benchmark Hospitality is a recognized leader in resort, conference center and conference hotel management.