Palouse Ridge, Coeur d'Alene and Circling Raven make for a dynamic golf combination

Designed by John Harbottle III, Palouse Ridge Golf Club at Washington State University opened with much fanfare last year, and from what I saw, it deserves it. It seems like every time you get to a tee box, you’re treated to panoramic views of the course and beyond that stretch 50 or 60 miles.

Much of the course plays like a links course, which can make for some very interesting bank shots and strategy. In other words, golfers need to play the slopes around the greens and even off the tee, often coming up short on a hole intentionally trying to get the right carom toward the hole.

And, there isn’t a house in sight and only a few trees.

If you add the already established Scott Miller-designed Coeur d’Alene Resort Course and Gene Bates’ Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley, Idaho, to the mix, you’ve got a dream golf vacation. You could use Coeur d’Alene Resort or the Coeur d’Alene Resort and Hotel next to Circling Raven as your home base and play these three courses, which are within 90 minutes of each other, all week.

They are all very different from each other, so boredom is impossible. No need to mention their magazine accolades even; these courses are just flat-out great and should be on every golfer’s bucket list.