In a scene reminiscent of the hit TV show Yellowstone, a modern land battle is brewing in the small town of Clyde Park, Montana (pop. 332).

A developer is pushing forward with plans to build an ultra-exclusive private golf club on a historic ranch, stirring up controversy and raising concerns about water rights among local ranchers and landowners.

Recent developments reveal that the construction of the golf course greens is well underway, and pipelines have been dug out and installed to divert water for irrigation. This aggressive move not only disregards historic water usage but ignores the legal water rights of surrounding landowners.

This unfolding saga raises crucial questions about land rights, water conservation, and the ongoing conflict between development and preservation in Montana’s treasured landscapes. It’s a story with deep roots in the area’s cultural and agricultural history, and it highlights the growing tension between preserving heritage and catering to luxury real estate interests.

As John Dutton’s Yellowstone said in his inaugural speech as governor, “The question we all have to answer, the one that I will look to every day is, what will Montana look like in one hundred years? Much of that is dictated by the way the world sees us today. Right now, we are seen as the rich man’s plaything. We are New York’s novelty and California’s toy… What’s Montana’s most valuable resource? The answer is actually pretty simple. It’s you, the farmers and ranchers who live with the land, not on it. Protecting you now is how Montana still looks like Montana when none of us here tonight are here to see it.”

On Friday, May 16, 2025, representatives from Crazy Mountain Ranch (CMR) and Lone Mountain Land Company met with landowners in Clyde Park, Montana, to announce their plans to irrigate a newly constructed golf course—despite lacking the legally approved water rights to do so.

Not only has the irrigation infrastructure already been built, but representatives confirmed they started watering the turf last year and are already operating illegally this year. According to the CMR’s own estimate, the golf course requires 2,700 gallons per minute to irrigate.


With 17 minutes remaining in the meeting, CMR attorney Peter Scott said; “They’re planning to irrigate until someone forces them not to.”

To date, neither the water commissioner, the DNRC, nor the water court has intervened. Deb Stephenson, representing Crazy Mountain Ranch, said they plan to file at the DNRC this May but won’t have approval for 2025. Stephenson is Founder and Managing Director of DMS Natural Resources.

With just over a minute remaining in the meeting, a tense exchange abetween the two CMR representatives and various landowners began.

“Why isn’t the water court taking over?”

“The water court doesn’t deal with change applications. They only handle adjudication of rights. Separate jobs,” said Peter Scott, attorney for Crazy Mountain Ranch.

“I think the water court needs to know what the hell is going on.”

“They’re available if you want to contact them,” Scott replied. “They’re going to tell you to contact the DNRC.”

“You guys are so full of it. You’re going to change the whole damn outfit, and I don’t like it.”

“Did you irrigate the golf course last year?”

“Yes,” Stephenson and Scott admitted.

“You didn’t have the water rights or the permission to do it?”
“Correct,” said Stephenson.

“But you did it anyway?”

“Yes,” Stephenson confirmed.

“You know what you did last year—and you got away with it.”

“We already went through one season, and you just did it.”

“We’re trying to avoid conflict,” Scott said. “But as I said at the beginning, the ranch has to figure out how to keep that turf alive.” He added. “They’re going to put water on the golf course. And then you are going to have to decide whether we spend the summer arguing in court over how much water is being used or released. The preference we have is status quo…they have to keep that investment [turf] alive.”

The exchange continues:
“If this goes through, will it be complete in time to use for the 2025 season?”

“No,” said Stephenson.

“So what are you going to do in ’25?”

  They are planning to irrigate the golf course this year and we are hoping to operate as if the changes are approved,” said Stephenson.

“You are going to do it illegally then?”

“Let’s just confront that. The plan is to irrigate the golf course,” emphasized Scott.

“Ultimately, you guys need to decide which part of your fields you are going to put limited water on,” Scott stated. “All we’re missing right now, as you’ve all zoned in on is an approval from the DNRC to irrigate the golf course. I don’t expect any sympathy, but they have millions of dollars invested [in turf] and they don’t plan to just sit back and let it die.”

Again the plans were reiterated:
“In 2025, we’re not going to have approval for the golf course. And the intent is to irrigate the golf course, so that gives you a couple of choices. You can run straight to the court. You can run straight to DNRC. Or, hopefully, we can operate under the status quo,” said Scott.

They were then asked:
“Have you started to irrigate the course this season?”

“Yes. The greens.”

“That means you are operating illegally.”

“The sod showed up so we are stuck in this position.  Do we let it die and waste the investment, or do we make a deal and keep going?” Scott asked.

The meeting confirmed what many feared: the irrigation of the golf course is moving forward again this season without having the legal water rights to do so. For downstream water users, this could mean immediate reduced access to early-season water and a summer of uncertainty.   

Timeline of Events

July 2021: Historic Marlboro Ranch Purchased by Lone Mountain Land Co., a subsidiary of a private-equity firm that also owns other resorts in Montana.

Nov 2023: Details for golf course start to become public.

Winter 2024: Local landowners were informed of proposed changes to water rights being pursued by Crazy Mountain Golf Course to irrigate the golf course.

Spring 2024: Local landowners with impacted water rights file appeals to oppose changes.

May 2024: Crazy Mountain Ranch developers host community meeting to address landowner questions.

August 2024: Local landowners were made aware that Crazy Mountain golf course developers have moved forward with diversion of water and irrigation.

September 2024: Photo and video evidence shows water being diverted, and golf course irrigation has begun, ignoring water rights of local ranchers and landowners.

October 2024: New Yorker Coverage: A group of billionaires is maneuvering to secure acres of prime public land in Montana for personal use. Can anyone stop them? (Unrelated to water rights issue, but centers on CMR.)

May 2025: CMR developers hold a meeting with landowners in Clyde Park to announce plans to irrigate the golf course illegally again in the 2025 season.