[Pete_Pittock]

  Last month I travelled along with my brother as he attended a national confererence of the Oregon-California Trail Association (OCTA) in Scotts Bluff, NB. I found that they were as committed to their preservation efforts as we are to GCA.
  Golf did occur as we played Old Works in Anaconda on the trip out from Oregon. Ballyneal was about 175 miles south so I played hooky from the conference for 30 hours and two rounds, and we went east to Gothenberg to play Wild Horse. Enough has been written and photod about them.
  In Nebraska and southeast Wyoming, the trails closely followed the (North) Platte River, which is on the southern border of the sand hills. US 30 generally follows the trail.

These sand hills are a few miles east of Torrington WY and less than a mile from US 30. If you can stand a cattle feed lot and a state prison as neighbors, this is prime territory waiting to be developed for golf.
   
 A convention bus trip took us to Guernsey WY to view ruts cleaved into a sandstone ridge. Running around taking pictures I found Trail Ruts GC, where a depression from the ruts runs through the middle of the golf course towards the camera from a point about one inch right of the river.
 
  Tracing the trail back to Oregon, the Soda Springs, ID golf course, named Oregon Trail CC has the hollow of the trail visible coming out of the reservoir on the 9th fairway

its is seen across the bottom of the picture then diagonals back as the lighter strip towards the background flag

continues just left of the first green as the hollow

and then crossing the 8th fairway about 25 yds short of the green and heading towards the maintenance area. The cat is parked on the Trail. The equipment shown is not contemporary to the trail.

[Garland Bayley]

I don't see the pictures. Does anyone else see the pictures?

[Pete_Pittock]

Garland,
I can see the pictures.

[Garland Bayley]

Pete,

You were the one person I expected could see the pictures. Can anyone else see the pictures?

[Norbert P]

I see the pictures.  Cool.

 So, golf carts were available 150 years ago.  Perhaps with Johnny Chapman lining the courses with apple trees.



 

[Pete_Pittock]

Slag,
  The closest thing was the Mormon hand cart. That deep cut was made by prairie schooners and countless feet. The Mormon Trail paralleled the Oregon Trail, but by choice kept the Platte River(s) between them and the Oregon Trail and Pony Express routes to the south. Wild Horse in Gothenberg is just north of the routes.
   The land just east of Torrington WY was chop hill dunes very similar to Ballyneal. If you google earth the North Platte River the land to the immediate (3 miles) north is highly condusive to golf between Torrington and central Nebraska.

[Bob Jenkins]

Pete,

When I saw the reference to "Trail Ruts Golf Course" I just had to Google it. 9 holes, right on the Oregon Trail as you say, $55 for a 14 day vacation pass. Great stuff.

Look forward to seeing you next weekend at the Home Course.

Bob Jenkins

[Tom_Doak]

Pete:

Cool pictures, and thanks for sharing.

There is an ancient Roman road off the back of one of the greens at Deal in England, if I remember correctly.

Also, if you went by Old Works (on the Clark Fork) then you were even closer to our new Rock Creek project, which is just a couple of miles above the Clark Fork outside of Deer Lodge.

[Doug Ralston]

Read about another, similar trip, in detail? Here are a couple of references.

http://www.golfkentuckylinks.com/Pages/Golf%20Trips/MoeLewisSacaTrip.html

http://golfkentuckylinks.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=771

Moe has his own methods, his own likes and dislikes. Take it as you will.

Doug

[Joe Hancock]

Another neat thing about the Oregon Trail, if you look closely you can see evidence of the once mighty, but now extinct Wolverine....

 

[David Schofield]

Perhaps I'm dating myself with this reply, but am I the only person who immediately thought of Oregon Trail for the Apple IIe?

[Lyman Gallup]

I've played that Oregon Trail CC in Soda Springs.  Fun little 9-hole course.  They have about a 6-month season as the elevation is around 5,000 feet.  
 
There is another short golf course in Glenns Ferry, Idaho where the Oregon Trail crosses the Snake River.  It is called Carmela Vineyards and the course winds through the grape orchards on the north slope of the Snake.  Really nothing too notable about the golf course, all short holes with quite small greens.  The winery is fun and flavorful though.

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