WORLEY, Idaho -- Circling Raven Golf Club – the sparkling amenity of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort & Hotel in the scenic Idaho Panhandle – today announces the addition of three new member courses to the Idaho Golf Trail.
The new member courses are Tamarack Resort in Donnelly, StoneRidge in Blanchard and MeadowCreek Golf Resort in New Meadows.
This brings to nine the number of member courses on the Idaho Golf Trail, which began in 2003. The Idaho Golf Trail is unique in that all of its member courses have a resort component, whereas virtually all other trails are a mix of facility types.
“This promotes a more consistent and high-quality experience for Idaho Golf Trail visitors and its something we all felt strongly about ensuring when we decided to band together,” says Circling Raven Director of Golf Dave Christenson, who was named the 2005 Top Resort Merchandiser of the Year by his peers in the PGA’s Pacific Northwest Section.
Tamarack Resort features a 7,340-yard, Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed golf course which includes five par 5s, five par 3s and eight par 4s. It is located in Central Idaho, 90 minutes north of state capital Boise.
MeadowCreek Golf Resort is in New Meadows, Idaho, which is part of the state’s West Central region and just northwest of McCall. Designed by Bob Baldock and his son, Robert, the 6,700 yard layout sits 3,868 feet above sea level and offers amazing vistas.
StoneRidge Golf Course also measures 6,700 yards and recently enjoyed a $3 million course enhancement program which includes the unique 236-yard 19th hole, “The Gambler”, which is proving to be a popular round-closing option by golfers who wish to further settle their matches.
StoneRidge is located 35 miles north of Coeur d’Alene and is the newest member of the Northern Loop of the Idaho Golf Trail. Other members or the Northern Loop include Circling Raven, Coeur d’Alene Resort Course and Hidden Lakes.
Circling Raven, which earned best-new course honors from Golf, Golfweek, Golf Digest and Zagat Survey upon opening (2004 was its first full season) and Coeur d’Alene Resort Course, home to the world-famous floating green, are located 25 minutes from each other and offer a high-demand stay-and-play package. These two renowned properties are increasingly being cited among the best one-two resort course punches in the U.S. given their proximity to one another and Spokane Airport, from which it is a 45-minute drive to Circling Raven.
Fairways & Greens Magazine named Circling Raven and Coeur d’Alene Resort Course No. 7 in their “Top 101 Golf Experiences” (January 2006 issue). Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach and Trump National were similarly ranked and demonstrate the quality of members on this “best-of” list.
“Golfers are coming to the Idaho Panhandle – and from far away! – specifically to play Circling Raven and Coeur d’Alene Resort Course, and also to enjoy our many other amenities,” says Circling Raven Director of Golf Christenson. “We hope the addition of these high-quality resort courses and properties to the trail will entice even more visitors to discover why we’re quickly becoming known as one of the country’s best golf destinations.”
BanBury, Sun Valley and Whitetail are the Idaho Golf Trail’s other three member properties and they are in the Southern Loop.
About Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort & Hotel
Located in the four-season climate of Northern Idaho 45 minutes west of Spokane, Wash., Circling Raven’s season begins on April 1. This will be the third full season for the golf club, which is owned and operated by the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe.
Contributing to Circling Raven’s acclaim is the price point and value it affords players. Its peak playing fee in 2005 was $79 with GPS-equipped cart and full privileges at the top-line practice facility.
In keeping with the Coeur d’Alene tribe’s reverence for its land on which Circling Raven rests, the golf club has pursued and been awarded a place in Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary System. This means it has taken numerous rigorous steps to ensure that it is environmentally friendly and fosters wildlife habitat.
For more information about Circling Raven Golf Club or the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, visit www.golfcirclingraven.net, or call 1-800-523-2464.
Convenient to Spokane (WA) airport, the resort and golf club are located on 345,000 acres of mountains, lakes, old-growth forest and farmland owned by the Coeur d’Alenes. The resort spans the western edge of the northern Rocky Mountains.
Golf, gaming (video gaming machines, off-track betting, bingo), top sporting and entertainment events, fine dining, plush lodging and a spectacular array of natural resources define the resort.
Circling Raven was created amid a unique blend of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands. At 7,189 yards, the par 72 championship layout meanders through 620 acres, only 100 representing cultivated ground. Wildlife is abundant, including elk, deer, moose and an occasional black bear. In fact, the opening was delayed due to damage on two greens by migrating elk.
The player’s experience is that of a links-style course. On the back nine, the only hole a golfer can see is the hole he or she is playing. Wetlands impact play on 13 holes, natural grasses complement the wetlands on 16 holes and a mix of Ponderosa Pines, Aspens, Cottonwoods and Birch blend into the scenery throughout. The blue grass fairways and bent grass greens are closely manicured, as would be expected at a premier resort golf course.
The player’s greatest challenges are “Tees and Threes,” meaning accurate driving and careful management of the four par 3s, all measuring over 200 yards from the back tees. White sand, brought in from Emmet, Idaho, fills 60 bunkers.
The course namesake is revered in Coeur d’Alene tribal lore. Circling Raven was an 18th century headman, or chief, whose vision foretold the coming of the “black robes” and the dramatic change they would bring to the tribe. When Fr. Pierre DeSmet, the famed Jesuit missionary, arrived in the region in 1842, Circling Raven’s vision had already been shared with several generations of tribal members. As a result, the tribe embraced Catholicism and in short time built the Old Mission Church at Cataldo. Completed in 1852, it remains the oldest standing building in Idaho.
Tribal history also tells us that Circling Raven was a spiritually powerful leader, his name coming from his close relationship to the raven, who helped guide him on his journeys, warn him of danger and show him where to find fish and game.
Golf Specifics
Yardages: Gold, 7,189; Blue, 6,578; White, 6,108; Red, 5,389; Green, 4,708
Total Acreage: 670 (including practice area, practice green and clubhouse)
Amenities: The clubhouse is 6,500 square feet, including the Twisted Earth Grill and full service bar. Both locker rooms include showers and lockers. The practice facility covers 25 acres; separated into areas for wedges, sand play and all clubs in the bag. The resort adjacent to the course includes 202 hotel rooms, casino, events center, buffet, and restaurant, off track betting and conference/convention facilities.
L93 Bent Grass Greens
Bluegrass tees, fairways and rough
Golf Carts: Equipped with a Global Positioning System
Greens Fees: 2005 peak season fees were $69 Mon-Thurs, $79 Fri-Sun includes cart and GPS. The 2006 fee structure will be announced soon.
For more information about Circling Raven Golf Club, e-mail Director of Golf Dave Christenson at dchristenson@cdacasino.com or call 1-800-523-2464
CONTACT:
Dan Shepherd
Buffalo Communications
703-891-3320
dshepherd@billycaspergolf.com
