EMIGRANT, Montana – Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of the nation’s premier guest ranches since 1929, announces that its Rising Sun Golf Course debuted at No. 2 in Golfweek’s “Best: State-By-State Courses You Can Play” rankings.
Currently open exclusively for Mountain Sky guests, Rising Sun is a Johnny Miller design that offers championship golf set against the jaw-dropping Big Sky scenery. Located in the shadows of Emigrant Peak and the Absaroka Mountain Range, the par-72, links-style layout incorporates the natural rolling hills and grasses found in Paradise Valley.
Through their conservation efforts, Rising Sun is the first golf course in Montana to become a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International.
Mountain Sky owner Arthur M. Blank added Rising Sun Golf Course to his AMB West portfolio of properties in 2011 as an exclusive golf opportunity for ranch guests. This fall, Rising Sun will also be open to guests of Auster at Dome Mountain, the newest property in the AMB West portfolio.
Golfweek’s team of course raters determines the publication’s annual course ranking lists. Each year, the panel evaluates courses, grading each nominated layout based on 10 criteria. According to Golfweek, “[the raters] also file a single overall rating on each course. Those overall rankings on each course are averaged, then each course is ranked against other courses.”
Rising Sun finished ahead of Old Works Golf Club, Canyon River Golf Club and the North Course at Whitefish Lake in Golfweek’s Best State-By-State Courses list for Montana. The Wilderness Club in Eureka took top honors in the rankings.
“We’re thrilled to be ranked among the top courses in Montana by Golfweek,” says Mike Petersen, Rising Sun superintendent. “Debuting in these rankings reflects the efforts our team has made to provide our guests with a truly memorable golf experience.”
Earlier this year, Rising Sun achieved top-100 status in its debut in Golfweek’s Top Resort Course Rankings. Golfweek’s “Ultimate Guide to Golf Courses Living and Great Escapes 2026” ranked Rising Sun at 94th in its “Top 200 Resort Courses in the U.S.” rankings, tied with SentryWorld in Wisconsin and the Osprey Meadows Course at Tamarack Resort in Idaho. Rising Sun was one of two Montana courses listed in these prestigious rankings and one of six U.S. courses debuting in the top 100.
Late in 2025, Rising Sun completed an extensive enhancement project to the bunkers. Spearheaded by Davis Love III’s Love Golf Design, the project included the removal of 10 bunkers, while adding 30 more.
The existing bunkers were modified and updated for improved drainage and edged using the Eco Bunker system, creating sod walls typically seen throughout links-style courses in Scotland and Ireland. Heritage Links began working on the bunker enhancement project in mid-March and completed work this past September.
For more information on Rising Sun Golf Course: www.mountainsky.com/activities/golf