2016 T-Bone Classic Gala and Golf Scramble

Ranchers and leaders from Montana’s business communities had a great time at Big Sky last week for the 2016 T-Bone Classic. The event included a gala dinner and golf tournament, Calcutta auction and a day of great golf on the Big Sky Golf Course with great views below Lone Peak.

The event benefits Montana Stockgrowers’ Research & Education Endowment Foundation and provides an opportunity for networking among leaders of Montana’s leading businesses and industries. The T-Bone Classic is the second largest tournament held at the Big Sky Golf Course.

This year’s winners included first place finisher – Tilleman Ag Equipment, second place – Erickson Financial Strategies and third place – Showdown. The calcutta winners were as follows: 1st place – Tilleman Ag Equipment, 2nd place – Bill Donald and 3rd place – Holden Herefords.

Teams getting ready!

The teams getting ready to tee off!

Thursday night’s gala dinner featured specialty cut T-Bone Steaks from cattle raised by Fred Wacker’s Cross Four Ranch in Miles City and provided by Open Prairie Natural Angus Beef.

A Calcutta auction raised $16,075 with prize money being paid out to the top three teams. The remaining dollars go to support MSGA’s Foundation programs in the areas of youth, education and leadership in Montana’s ranching communities.

Friday morning kicked off with a Welcome Brunch, teams then teed off for a shotgun start and played all 18 holes at the Big Sky Golf Course. An awards reception concluded the day’s events recognizing tournament and calcutta winners.

Montana Stockgrowers’ Research and Education Endowment Foundation wants to thank all sponsors and teams who showed up in support of this year’s T-Bone Classic. Pencil in the 2017 T-Bone Classic, August 2017 in Big Sky! To reserve your team’s spot in next year’s tournament, fill out the form provided below or click here to open the form in a new window.

2016 T-Bone Classic tournament winners - Tilleman Ag Equipment

2016 T-Bone Classic Tournament winners – Tilleman Ag Equipment

To view photos of this year’s T-Bone Classic events and golf teams, visit the Montana Stockgrowers Association Facebook and Flickr pages.

A big thank you to the sponsors that made this year’s T-Bone Classic a success: Timeless Spirits, Rabo AgriFinance, Montana Natural Poultry, LLC, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Erickson Financial Strategies, Waddell and Reed, Northwest Farm Credit Farm Services, Ehlke Herefords, Loomix, Gorgeous Vodka, Pure West – Christie’s International Real Estate, BNSF, Wipfli LLP, and Grande Ranch!

Highlights from the 2015 T-Bone Classic Gala Dinner & Golf Tournament

Hole in One prize provided by Montana Ford Stores

Hole in One prize provided by Montana Ford Stores

Ranchers and leaders from Montana’s business communities had a great time at Big Sky last week for the 2015 T-Bone Classic. The event included a gala dinner and golf tournament, Calcutta auction and a day of great golf on the Big Sky Golf Course with great views below Lone Peak.

The event benefits Montana Stockgrowers’ Research & Education Endowment Foundation and provides an opportunity for networking among leaders of Montana’s leading businesses and industries. With 28 teams participating in the tournament, nearly filling the Big Sky course, this year’s event was the most successful to date.

The top placing teams in this year’s golf tournament included Wasson Ranch, Green Mountain Angus Ranch and Wortman Construction.

Chef Tony was excited to meet the rancher behind the night's beef!

Chef Tony was excited to meet the rancher behind the night’s beef!

Thursday night’s gala dinner, sponsored by BNSF and CHS, Inc., featured specialty cut T-Bone Steaks from cattle raised by Fred Wacker’s Cross Four Ranch in Miles City and provided by Open Prairie Natural Angus Beef.

A Calcutta auction raised $14,700 with a payout of 35:20:10 to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams, respectively. The remaining dollars go to support MSGA’s Foundation programs in the areas of youth, education and leadership in Montana’s ranching communities.

Friday morning kicked off with a Welcome Brunch, featuring a great spread sponsored by Wipfli-Galusha, Higgins and Galusha. Teams then teed off for a shotgun start and played all 18 holes at the Big Sky Golf Course. An awards reception, sponsored by MSU Alumni Foundation, concluded the day’s events, recognizing individual hole and tournament winners.

Montana Stockgrowers’ Research and Education Endowment Foundation wants to thank all sponsors and teams who showed up in support of this year’s T-Bone Classic. Pencil in the date for the 2016 T-Bone Classic, August 25 & 26 in Big Sky! To reserve your team’s spot in next year’s tournament, fill out the form provided below or click here to open the form in a new window.

2015 T-Bone Classic tournament winners - Wasson Ranch

2015 T-Bone Classic tournament winners – Wasson Ranch

To view photos of this year’s T-Bone Classic events and golf teams, visit the Montana Stockgrowers Association Facebook page.

Teams participating in the golf tournament included: 3C Cattle Co, American Angus Association, Anderson Zurmeuhlen, Big Muddy Bancorp, Inc., BNSF, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cross 4 Ranch, Ehlke Herefords, Erickson Financial Strategies, First West Insurance, Frontline Ag Solutions, Grande Ranch Co., Green Mountain Angus Ranch, Independence Bank, IX Ranch Co., Jones/Haughian, LaSalle Ranch, Lund Law/Yellowstone Cellars, Montana Land Reliance, MSGA Board of Directors, MSU Extension, Northwest Farm Credit Services, Open Prairie Natural Angus, TransCanada Corporation, Waddell & Reed, Wasson Ranch, WIPFLI LLP, Wortman Construction.

Individual hole winners received cash prizes in the tournament and included:

  • Long Putt at Hole 1 – Don Rehm, Cross Four Ranch
  • Long Drive at Hole 2 – Mike Kellam, LaSalle Ranch
  • Closest to Pin at Hole 3 – Gary Adams, Waddell & Reed
  • Closest in Two at Hole 4 – Tim Todd, Green Mountain Angus Ranch
  • Long Drive at Hole 5 – Jane’a Ehlke, Ehlke Herefords
  • Long Drive at Hole 6 – Mike Kellam, LaSalle Ranch
  • Closest in Two at Hole 7 – Mike Kellam, LaSalle Ranch
  • Hole in One at Hole 8 – No winner
  • Long Putt at Hole 9 – Nate Baltrusch, Independence Bank
  • Long Putt at Hole 10 – Jack Holden, MSGA Board of Directors
  • Long Drive at Hole 11 – Ben Erikson, Erickson Financial Strategies
  • Closest in Two at Hole 12 – Lance Wasson, Wasson Ranch
  • Closest to Pin at Hole 13 – Jeremy Wortman, Wortman Construction
  • Closest in Two at Hole 14 – Don Ravellette, Green Mountain Angus Ranch
  • Long Drive at Hole 15 – Barry Barker, Grande Ranch Company
  • Closest in Two at Hole 16 – Jeff Bader, MSU Extension
  • Closest to Pin at Hole 17 – Roxanne Berg, American Angus Association
  • Long Putt at Hole 18 – Lee Daniels, Waddell & Reed

Stockgrowers Foundation to host Gala Dinner and Golf Tournament

TBone Classic LogoLeaders from Montana’s ranching and business communities are invited to gather for a round of golf and networking at the T-Bone Classic Gala Dinner and Golf Tournament at Big Sky Resort, August 27-28. The annual event benefits the Research and Education Endowment Foundation (REEF) of the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA).

“The T-Bone Classic is organized to address the need for stronger relationships between leadership from Montana’s business and ranching communities; both essential parts of our state’s leading economies,” says John Grande of Martinsdale, Chair of the Stockgrowers Foundation. “The Classic provides the opportunity to network in the atmosphere of a gala dinner event and friendly golf tournament at one of the best locations in Big Sky Country.”

Events at the T-Bone Classic will include a fundraiser gala dinner and auction at Huntley Lodge on Thursday evening, August 27. Starting early Friday morning, attendees are invited to a brunch followed by a friendly round of golf on Big Sky’s golf course. An awards banquet with announcement of winners will close out the event on Friday afternoon.

MSGA’s Research and Education Endowment Foundation (REEF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to ensure the future of Montana’s livestock community and businesses through producer and public education. REEF works to educate our future generations on the importance of values, work ethic, leadership, innovation, respect, collaboration and optimism.

With these essential elements, the Foundation can continue to work towards MSGA’s vision, “to be the premier institution that exemplifies leading global beef innovation while preserving Montana’s complex natural landscape, history, economy, ethics and social values.”

Tickets for the T-Bone Classic are now available on our Events page. Teams will consist of four players and individual tickets are available for the gala dinner event. A block of rooms at Huntley Lodge is reserved through July 27. For more information, contact Montana Stockgrowers Association at (406) 442-3420.

T-Bone Classic Golf Tournament & Gala at Big Sky, Sept. 12

By John Grande, Martinsdale, Research & Education Endowment Foundation Chair.

Tbone Classic Golf Tournament Gala Montana Logo JPEGPlanning for the Montana Stockgrowers’ Foundation T-Bone Classic is off and running in a new location. After several years of the Montana Stockgrowers holding the T-Bone Classic Golf Tournament in Billings, the tournament is now being hosted by the Research, Education and Endowment Foundation (REEF) and has been moved to Big Sky. A full itinerary is planned with the golf tournament being held at the Arnold Palmer –designed Big Sky Golf Course on Friday, September 12, followed by the T-Bone Classic Gala that evening at the Huntley Lodge.

In addition to the new host and new location, another new feature is the expanded T-Bone Classic Gala banquet. Anyone is welcome, non-golfers as well as those in the tournament. We are particularly reaching out to the business community to get others outside of the beef industry to attend so we can all get acquainted and work together.

The MSGA board and the REEF trustees will both be meeting at Big Sky prior to the T-Bone Classic. The REEF trustees will be using this as an opportunity to do some goal-setting and long-term planning in addition to our normal business, so if anyone has input as to where our foundation should be headed, please provide your input to any of the trustees. As always, we appreciate any support you can give to help us in our educational efforts on behalf of the Montana Stockgrowers Association.

Sponsorship opportunities for the T-Bone Classic are almost filled up and as of this writing we have sixteen golf teams confirmed and about ten more in the works so if you’re interested in golfing, sign up now before the field is full. For more information, contact the MSGA office or any REEF trustee. Details and registration are listed on the website at mtbeef.org/tboneclassic.