Anaconda and Old Works

Our good friends, Bobby and Elaine from TN, met us in Anaconda, MT for a round of golf at The Old Works. This golf course is a Jack Nicklaus signature course and is built on a Federal Superfund cleanup site. Anaconda, named for the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., which was active from the late 1800s until 1959, was home of the largest copper smelter in the world during this time. Ore was transported by rail from neighboring Butte (25 miles to the east), which was once the largest source of silver and copper in the United States.

All that is left now of that operation is the towering Washoe Smelter which towers 585 feet on a hill over the golf course. In its heyday, the smelter could process 1,000 tons of ore an hour. The golf course itself is built on the site of the original copper smelting site, thus the name Old Works, which was built in two phases - the Upper Works and the Lower Works. The site was chosen because Warm Springs Creek provided enough water to refine the ore, unlike dry and arid Butte.

The Washoe Smelter replaced the Old Works, which lay idle until 1983 when the site became a Superfund site and the citizens of Anaconda advocated for development of a world class golf course on the site in cooperation with ARCO who had bought the site in the 1960s. The construction of the course took 2 years and is a fascinating process in itself - read for yourself on this link.

The course incorporates many of the remnants of the historic features of the original site. For instance, the slag left over from the mining operations is used in the sand bunkers on the course, making the sand bunkers black, in stark contrast to the usual white sand bunkers found on other courses. The course, from some of the elevated tees on the front 9 holes, is a strikingly attractive black and green pattern.

Hitting out of the sand bunkers is similar to the traditional white sand bunkers - I actually had plenty of experience in that regard on the day we played. It's a long course, 7700 yards from the back tees and 5300 yards from the women's tees, a tough course, but well worth the effort of getting there and experiencing the finest course in our area.

We spent the night in Anaconda at the Hickory House Inn, a bed and breakfast housed in the former church rectory for St. Paul's Church. This historic building has been beautifully restored in Anaconda's historic district. We enjoyed sitting out on the patio before dinner in downtown Anaconda, and after a good night's sleep, we were sent on our way with a good breakfast.

I couldn't resist this last photo. Ever wonder where to the find the road to Opportunity?? Well, I found it as we left Anaconda. I didn't follow the road to Opportunity, but now I know where to find it should I have the need in the future.