Idaho’s Golfing Treasures
Coeur d’Alene sounds more like a French-Canadian place in the traditions of Coureur des bois, those famous unlicensed fur traders from New France. But this beautiful and small city resides in the sliver of land in northern Idaho right on the border of Washington State at Spokane and not far from the Canadian border. I had heard nice things about the city when I first moved to West Kelowna but it was the golf and the famous 14th hole with the floating green that was the real raison d’etre for driving from Interior British Columbia.
When entering through the Coeur d’Alene Golf Course security gates after speaking with the congenial gatekeeper, the short drive offers you great views of the immaculately kept golf course. A young lad waved us over to offload our golf bags and introduced us to our forecaddie. Every group is provided with such a useful guide to help you navigate the differing nines.
We went into the clubhouse to enjoy a fantastic omelette. As we waited patiently we had a grand view of the floating green, the practice grounds and the high end condominium building that looks out onto the lake. This sparkling lake reminded me of Lake Muskoka back in Ontario. But it was the pristine conditions, the souped up golf cart with dispensing tees and amiable forecaddie that set the tone for us to play with a nice, older couple from Mount Everett, Washington.
The front nine starts with an open par 5 before the course goes through an uneven but intriguing mixture of five holes that include three par 3’s—2 that are mere wedges but very treacherous. Precise shots are required or hazards will gobble the balls. You are enveloped by trees with great views of beach and boats. Tight dogleg rights and lefts and a nice finishing par 5 to round out the nine make for a good opening act.
The back nine is longer and offers all golfers a series of holes that can give you heart palpitations. Water on the par 5 in front of the green, water by the Par 3, water on the Par 4 and lots of water on the island green. Stand on the 14th tee and take a photo. Ensure you hit an extra club so the ball does not sink into Davy Jones locker in front. And say hello to the Captain as he shuttles you, by boat on cable, out to the green and back for a memorable hole. The last few holes finish off a very enjoyable golfing experience.
A different Captain takes us for a five minute boat ride (you can also access the hotel by land but we wanted the full experience). We then meet Steve Carey, Coeur d’Alene’s friendly Sales Manager at the resort whom I originally met at the NAC Conference in Palm Springs in 2015. This is a magnificent oasis with gorgeous views of the water and a nice selection of wines in their high end restaurant. We did not have time to explore the city of 50,000 but saw the charm through the window during a lunch in a neat bike themed restaurant.
Another golf course to visit south of Coeur d’Alene is Circling Raven. This course gives you a different feel as you are surrounded by the never ending gold wheat fields of Idaho. The course is a challenge and fairly wide open. The back nine adds a bit more character. We played the course in 3 and a half hours thanks to Bob, our host. The 100 plus degrees environment made drinking water a necessity. This is a course you should play when visiting the area and you can also try your hands at the card tables in the casino hotel.
We can joke about Idaho potatoes. But in this beautiful state that flies under the radar golf also is a very popular pasttime. Albertans, British Columbians and players from both states flock to the area. Make the trek and you will be pleasantly surprised. And au revoir.