MyGolfSpy Experiences: Coeur d’Alene Resort Course

MyGolfSpy Experiences believes there’s one fundamental truth in the universe and it’s this:

The best golf trip ever is the next one.

Chances are that when you’re putting together a buddy trip, eastern Washington/northern Idaho might not be all that high on your radar. It probably should be. While it’s not Pebble, Whistling Straits or even Streamsong, there’s a surprising amount of really good golf in that area. And it can be had for a relative bargain.

The keyword there, of course, is relative.

MyGolfSpy Experiences recently had the good fortune to play the Resort Course in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a figurative long par-5 from Spokane, Wash. While it’s best known for its signature 14th hole, the Resort Course at Coeur d’Alene more than holds its own when it comes to fun golf holes and gorgeous views.

It’s not a “bucket list” destination but if you’re planning a fun trip with some friends, you could definitely do worse than Coeur d’Alene.

MyGolfSpy Experiences: Coeur d’Alene Resort Course

Coeur d’Alene touts its famous 14th hole as the world’s only “floating green.” It’s literally a floating island controlled by a computerized underwater cable system that can be moved back and forth each day. And as you walk from the parking lot toward the clubhouse, it’s the first and most imposing sight you’ll see.

The Coeur d’Alene resort course opened in 1991. It’s a par-71 course designed by Scott Miller. Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., Miller earned his chops with Jack Nicklaus’s design firm. He has several high-profile courses to his credit, including the Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa and the Golf Club at Eagle Mountain in Arizona and Deer Creek in Colorado.

Miller’s courses manage to pull off the neat trick of being both challenging and playable. That’s especially true of Coeur d’Alene. As the name suggests, it’s a resort course (you don’t need to be a resort guest to play it) and the entire experience is designed to make sure you have a good time. From the well-stocked pro shop and free pre-round massages to the stunning views and predominately ample fairways, you will enjoy your visit.

Coeur d’Alene itself is a popular destination, even without golf. A former logging center, Lake Coeur d’Alene is 25 miles long and anywhere from one to three miles wide. It’s a prime location for spotting bald eagles and the lake is loaded with bluegill, bass, salmon and pike. And if you’re into boating, kayaking or cycling, there’s plenty there to keep you busy.

Getting There, Getting Started

The Coeur d’Alene resort course is about 40 minutes east of Spokane just off I-90. Once you arrive, the 14th green glares at you as if to say, “Go ahead. Make my day.” It’s daunting but it’s a good thing you have to wait until the back nine to give it a whack.

There’s no traditional driving range to speak of. Instead, you head to a tee area on the shore of the lake and hit balls into the water. They’re limited-flight floaters but it’s enough to get loose. There’s also a large chipping and bunker area as well as a putting green. If you’re lucky enough to have a later tee time (ours was early on a Sunday), you get a free neck and shoulder massage from a masseuse just before you head to the first tee.

Forecaddies are mandatory at Coeur d’Alene and are reasonably priced at $30 per person which includes tip. Any additional gratuity is up to you. The forecaddie’s job includes traditional green reading and playing advice But their most important job is to keep the foursome moving. The course has a 15-minute-per-hole rule and the goal is to get you through 18 in four hours and 20 minutes. Our guy did his job.

The Front Nine

Coeur d’Alene’s opening hole is a friendly handshake. It’s a par-5 with a generous fairway and is reachable in two for the long and accurate. The course defends itself with small-ish greens but even the larger ones demand you to be in the right spot. And a good rule at Coeur d’Alene is don’t miss long. Nothing good happens behind the green.

The course has five par-3s with three in the first six holes. The third is the first hole along the lake and is a mini-Whistling Straits’ par-3. It’s nowhere near as dramatic but you have zero room to miss left, right or long. Short isn’t great, either.

The fifth and sixth are spectacular back-to-back par-3s heading back toward the lake (the par-4 fourth takes you away from it). Both holes are surrounded by pine trees and juniper bushes. The fifth green is guarded by a large rock formation and an even larger bunker. The green itself is shaped like a three-leaf clover.

And outside of the 14th, the par-3 sixth may be the hole you remember most: a spectacular downhill tee shot to a green guarded by 80-foot-tall pines. Long, left or right is trouble.

And you will come to appreciate a quirky local rule. Caddies give you a free drop if you hit into one of Coeur d’Alene’s 25,000 juniper bushes. Not strict rules of golf but 15 minutes per hole is 15 minutes per hole.

The rest of the front is fun but not particularly memorable. Most of the fairways have mounds on either side to funnel your ball back into play. It’s like a bowling alley with bumpers when your tee shots get a little cattywampus.

The Back Nine

Coeur d’Alene gets really interesting on the back. The long par-4 10th winds through pines to another small, tiered green. The course likes to compare the par-5 11th to 13 at Augusta and I suppose it is … kinda. It is a par-5 and there is a creek running down the left side of the fairway that widens in front of the green. After that, well …

The 12th is a long downhill par-3. With the lake and hotel in the background, the green looks like a peanut surrounded by water from the tee box. It’s a nice foreshadowing for what’s to come.

After the short but daunting par-4 13th, it was time to play the hole we came to play.

From the tee, the 14th green looks a lot smaller than it really is. It’s 15,000 square feet overall and is made from concrete cells filled with Styrofoam. At five million pounds, it’s as stable as a real island. It can be moved via cables to anywhere from 190 yards at its longest to maybe 120 yards at its closest.

We played it at 134 yards that morning. You get two tries to hit the green before heading to the drop zone. Three of our foursome made it while our fourth donated two Kirklands to the lake.

After teeing off, you take a little electric boat called “Putter” to the green. Once you get there, you realize just how big the green really is. If you could replace the water with grass, it’d be a relatively benign short hole. But, of course, you can’t–it’s water everywhere and you don’t want to blow your chance.

Which is why they give you two whacks at it.

The Rest of the Way

After 14, the remaining holes are relatively tame. Picturesque to be sure and challenging. But not what you’d call overly memorable. The 15th is a wonderful par-5 that’s reachable in two if you aren’t spooked by hitting into a long, skinny, well-bunkered green. The 16th is a medium-length par-4 with plenty of bunkers guarding a false front to keep you honest while the short par-4 17th is the narrowest driving hole on the course (save for maybe the fourth hole).

The finishing hole features one of the largest greens on the course and is a fine although not memorable finishing hole.

Which kind of sums up the Coeur d’Alene resort course. There will be stretches of holes you won’t remember a week later but you will have a hell of a good time playing them. It’s considered by many to be one of the most beautiful courses in the U.S. I can’t really dispute that. And as a resort course, it’s trying to help you have a nice time, just like the friendly bartender or the helpful concierge.  

And you will have a nice time.

MyGolfSpy Experiences: Is Coeur d’Alene Worth It?

I can’t really tell you that Coeur d’Alene is a bucket list destination course. But it is worth looking at if you’re planning a buddy trip. If you aren’t staying at the resort, the rack rate is $165 through May, $225 in June, $275 in July and August, $250 in September and back down to $165 in October through closing. If you do stay at the resort, room and golf packages start at $345 per person based on double occupancy (one night, one round).

At $165, Coeur d’Alene is a no-brainer. The high-season rates are a little steep but if you’re up for an off-the-beaten-path buddy trip, it’s a great place to go, especially if you want to include a little fishing or kayaking. And Circling Raven is another must-play course in the area. It’s just outside of town and is part of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort.

Buddies On a Budget

If you want to do a unique buddy trip on a budget, Coeur d’Alene and Circling Raven would be must-play stops. But there’s also a remarkable amount of very good, very affordable golf in the area. We didn’t play it but we heard several people sing the praises of the Coeur d’Alene public golf course. You wouldn’t travel all the way to northern Idaho to play it but it’s just $50.

Spokane is home to some of the best county and city courses going. MeadowWood, Latah Lake and Liberty Lake are county courses and are all less than $50 if you walk and under $40 if you’re over 60.

The Spokane city courses are some of the best munis around. There’s Esmeralda, Downriver and Indian Canyon but the jewel just might be the Creek at Qualchan. I’ve played it three times in my visits to Spokane and it’s one of those courses that the more you play it, the more you like it. It has some quirky holes, especially on the back nine, but they’re fun quirky as opposed to “what the hell is this?” quirky.

The MyGolfSpy Experiences’ verdict on the Coeur d’Alene Resort course is simple: If you play golf for fun, you’ll enjoy yourself. Coeur d’Alene wants you to have a nice time and it wants you to come back.

And you’ll definitely want another crack at 14.

MyGolfSpy Experiences: Where To Next?

We hope you enjoyed this non-bucket list edition of MyGolfSpy Experiences. We hope to bring you more looks at unusual, off-the-beaten-path but still very cool golf destinations. If you’ve played Coeur d’Alene, let us know what you thought of it.

And let us know what destinations you’d like MyGolfSpy Experiences to visit next.

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