The scenic Idaho panhandle wasn’t on my radar as a top golf destination until recently when I began hearing increasingly more buzz about it by my industry colleagues. So I quickly accepted when an invitation came to experience what the golf destination has to offer.

And, boy, am I glad I did.

The area features as good a one-two punch of resort courses as perhaps exists in North America, and they’re less than 25 minutes apart.

First up was Circling Raven Golf Club, an easy and picturesque 45-minute drive from Spokane Airport in extreme western Washington. Circling Raven is named in honor of the powerful, prophetic and spiritual chief of the Coeur d’Alene people. According to legend, Circling Raven had the power to communicate with the raven, a mystical bird that would speak to him about the future. He walked the ground in a time when game was plentiful, fishing was bountiful, and seasonal plants and berries were close at hand.

Today, the Coeur d’Alene people carry on the traditions of their chief with an enduring respect for their land, their neighbors and members of their tribe. The golf club and adjacent Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel are owned and operated by the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe on a reservation covering 345,000 acres of mountains, lakes, old-growth forest and farmland.

The par 72-championship layout meanders through 620 acres of wetlands, grasslands, and woodlands, with only 100 representing cultivated ground. It’s easy to feel as though you might be in the only group on the course… or in the county. Although I never spotted any moose, which have a tendency to wander through the course, I did catch myself wondering what the area might have been like in the days of Circling Raven.

On the back nine, the only hole you see is the one you’re playing which left me plenty of time to marvel at the abundant wildlife, the beautiful birch trees, and the seemingly limitless shades of color in the surrounding hillsides. I think I now know the meaning of the term “big country.”

Measuring 7,189 yards from the tips, this Gene Bates design will give you everything you’re looking for in a championship course. The shortest par 3, number 16, measures 192 yards. Play that from the back tees into a prevailing wind and you’ve got a handful. From the tips the course can be a beast, but the beauty comes in the five sets of tees so any player will find a comfort level.

Golf carts are equipped with a GPS navigational system, providing instant mapping and distances to bunkers, hazards, and pins, as well as other relevant features. I never had to guess whether I could carry a bunker or reach a green. With its welcoming 6,500 square foot clubhouse, 25-acre practice facility, and service-oriented staff, it’s no wonder Circling Raven Golf Club has won numerous awards including Golf Magazine’s “Top Ten You Can Play,” and Golf Digest’s “#7 Best New Upscale in America.” It is also a member of the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary and has been accorded best-of status by Golfweek Magazine, Cigar Aficionado and ZAGAT Survey.

The Coeur d’Alene Casino has also won its share of awards including the “#1 casino in the Inland Northwest” three years in a row. With 1,800 Vegas-style machines, High Stakes Bingo, Off-Track Betting, great food and year-round entertainment you won’t be bored when the sun goes down. The four-star, 200 room hotel is designed in the style of a dramatic western lodge to remind you that you have indeed “gotten away from it all.”
Stay and Play packages are reasonably priced. PGA professional David Christenson, director of golf, explained, “Circling Raven and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel puts our guests at the forefront of everything we do and our rates demonstrate our commitment to exceeding their expectations.”

For more information about Circling Raven, check the website at
www.circlingraven.com and www.cdacasino.com or call (800) 523-2464.

The Coeur d’Alene Resort

When you tee it up at the par-3, number 14, the famed floating green at CDA Resort, which is about 25 minutes from Circling Raven and CDA Casino Resort Hotel, the wind is often in your face and the distance measures somewhere about 172 yards. A daunting shot to say the least.

Trying to take in the grandeur of the scene while steadying one’s nerves for a shot that doesn’t find the surrounding water seriously tests one’s concentration. With a backdrop of the stunning Coeur D’Alene Lake, the green seemed smaller than its 15,000 square feet!

The 5,000,000-pound green is quite a marvel. It is moved by underwater cables and controlled by a computer system. It can be played as close as 100 yards or as far as 175 yards depending on lake level. In winter, the green is moved 267 yards off shore for storage. After hitting your tee shots, you are taxied to the green in a hand crafted Honduran Mahogany watercraft. Years of anticipation about playing that hole lived up to the reality. It is a one-of-a-kind blast.

The Coeur d’Alene Resort Course is much more than its famous floater, however. It may well be the most manicured course you ever experience. With two full time maintenance positions for each hole and all maintenance done at night, the course is pristine.
Designer Scott Miller took full advantage of the sparkling location and built a golf course that will long live in my memory bank. The experience of the floating green may be what most people remember but you won’t be able to get several holes out of your mind.

The experience is heightened by a Forecaddie for each group. He provides laser distance readings for each shot, as well as finding errant balls, cleaning clubs, and raking traps. Prior to the turn, he faxes your lunch order, which are delivered in picnic baskets to the tenth tee.

Other amenities include custom designed golf carts featuring heated seats, beverage cooler, shoe storage, trash receptacle, and a ball and club washer. The driving range is over the lake and uses floating golf balls.

Golf Digest magazine wrote, “The Coeur d’Alene Resort is what every resort should be. It’s not just upscale, it’s posh. You aren’t just pampered here, you’re spoiled. It’s not just an escape, it’s an experience.”

I couldn’t have said it better. And when you combine Circling Raven and the CDA Casino Resort Hotel – both Circling Raven and CDA Resort Course are members of the Idaho Golf Trail – you’ve got a golf trip worth making again and again.
You can learn more at www.cdaresort.com or call (800) 935-6283.