Bill Roberts GC

The Helena Municipal Golf Course was founded in 1925. Early on, golfers at the nine-hole “Municipal Links” not only had to avoid errant shots, but airplanes as well, as the course doubly served as Helena’s first airport. Of particular note was the time Charles Lindbergh landed his famous Spirit of St. Louis plane there in 1927, having flown into town for a brief vacation and an appearance at the local fair. The next year the course was renamed Last Chance Golf Club to better reflect Helena’s famous 1864 “last chance” gold rush.

The Last Chance Golf Club became an abandoned prairie and given to the city during the depression era 1930s. Fortunately, Bill Roberts came over to Helena from Billings in 1940 to lease the course from the city. Right away he began molding the land into one of the state’s premier nine-hole municipal courses and didn’t stop working on it until he retired in 1965. As an appreciation for his efforts, the Helena City Commission renamed the course to Bill Roberts during the last five years of his tenure, in 1960. In 1976 the city of Helena decided to extend the course to 18 holes, and signed on the renowned golf architect Robert Muir Graves to design the new look. In the early 1990s, the city committed once again to substantial upgrades, with Billings golf-course designer Carl Thuesen being credited as the new course architect.

Bill Roberts Golf Course continues as a popular destination for local golfers, and frequently serves as a tournament site for MSGA events.