Idaho Golfing Experience above Par

BOISE, Idaho—From world-class resorts to undiscovered municipal gems, Idaho has golf courses that both challenge and delight. In fact, Golf Digest recently rated Idaho's Circling Raven Golf Club as No. 7 among the top ten “Best New Upscale Public Courses in America.” In addition, the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course has added air conditioning to one green.

Golfing in Idaho is so memorable that the state has put together an Idaho Golf Trail, a golf vacation package that combines six of Idaho's best courses with five scenic byways, four river corridors, three gorgeous lakes and two national recreation areas into one incredible vacation.

Idaho's Circling Raven, designed by Florida architect Gene Bates, is owned and operated by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, complementing the tribe's Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel. The 7,189-yard course, named for one of the great leaders in tribal lore, is unique in design and atmosphere, meandering among 620 acres of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands.

The course opened in August 2003 to high accolades and has generated overwhelming popularity among golfers across the entire continent. In January 2004, Circling Raven was listed among the "Top 10 Best New Courses You Can Play" by Golf Magazine, and it was also honored by Audubon International, which included the facility in its international Cooperative Sanctuary System.

The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course, renowned for its floating green and other innovations, opens April 15 after adding a completely new green complex on Number 4, which features a sub-air system to air condition the turf during summer's hot weather and heat it on cool mornings in the spring and fall. Another round of improvements, the second phase of a multimillion-dollar makeover, includes adding new trees on the course's celebrated floating green. New green surrounds are also scheduled for Number 16, with new contouring and sod on holes 3, 4 and 6. Irrigating systems and landscaping have also been improved.

The Coeur d'Alene course has been the proud recipient of a wealth of awards and accolades for its design, playability and grooming. All the fairways are constructed of bent grass, usually found only on greens, providing an unparalleled playing surface. The course has two full-time maintenance staff per hole, and landscaping includes more than 1,500 wildflowers, 25,000 junipers and 30,000 red geraniums.

These two courses are only a sampling of the many courses scattered throughout Idaho. Each has its own memorable holes and noteworthy features, and collectively, they make up an impressive offering for the golf enthusiast visiting, traveling through, or even living in Idaho.

To find out more about Idaho golfing or the Idaho Golf Trail, call 208-334-2470 or visit www.visitid.org .

CONTACT: Ron Gardner
PHONE: 208.334.2470
E-MAIL: rgardner@idoc.state.id.us
WEB: www.visitid.org