WORLEY, Idaho -- Circling Raven Golf Club – the sparkling amenity of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort & Hotel in the scenic Idaho Panhandle – today announces that LPGA Tour star Wendy Ward played the award-winning Gene Bates-designed golf course, becoming the latest celebrity to seek out Circling Raven to play.
Ward has four victories to her credit and has earned more than $3.5 million during her 10-year career on the LPGA Tour. Her most recent victory came at the 2005 LPGA Takefuji Classic where she shot a final round 65.
“Circling Raven is a lush, beautiful golf course that challenges you from start to finish,” says Ward, a 3-time member of the US Solheim Cup Team. “The greens are similar to U.S. Open setups in that it is helpful to position your ball in the correct quadrant of the green. And the setting of Circling Raven, out in the grassy, rolling hills, is so relaxing and beautiful.”
Currently ranked 27th on the 2006 LPGA Tour money list, Ward is next competing at the Weetabix Women’s British Open and just finished 11th at the Evian Masters. Both events feature only the premiere players on the LPGA Tour.
She joins a growing list of celebrities who have played and raved about the spectacular Gene Bates designed course. They include movie star Samuel L. Jackson, Dennis Franz (former NYPD Blue star), erstwhile motorcycle daredevil Evel Kneivel, PGA Tour star Rich Beem who holds the course record (65), Syracuse University men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim, NBA Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, NBA player Dan Dickau, Super Bowl MVP and former Redskins QB Mark Rypien, Major League Baseball Hall of Famers Joe Morgan and Harmon Killebrew, former NY Yankee and World Series perfect game pitcher Don Larsen, and many others
“We’re very excited that high-profile golfers like Wendy Ward visit Circling Raven to play, because these people have the wherewithal to play the very best courses in the world,” says Director of Golf Dave Christenson. “That they think we are a top-notch golf club is extremely inspiring.”
Golf, Golfweek , Zagat Survey, Golf Digest, Native American Casino and Fairways & Greens have all honored Circling Raven as a “best-of” course since its first full season in 2004.
Convenient to Spokane (Wash.) airport, the resort and Circling Raven are nestled on a reservation covering 345,000 acres of mountains, lakes, old-growth forest and farmland. The resort spans the western edge of the northern Rocky Mountains.
Golf, gaming (video gaming machines, off-track betting, bingo), brand-name entertainment, fine dining, plush lodging and a spectacular array of natural resources – including majestic snow-capped mountain views – define the resort.
For more information about Circling Raven Golf Club or the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, visit www.circlingraven.com, or call 800-523-2464.
About Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort & Hotel
Convenient to Spokane (WA) airport, the resort and golf club are owned and operated by the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe on a reservation covering 345,000 acres of mountains, lakes, old-growth forest and farmland. 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.
Circling Raven has been awarded a place in Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary System.
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: Peak season fees are $75 Mon-Thurs, $85 Fri-Sun and include golf carts.
CONTACT:
Dan Shepherd, Buffalo Communications
703-891-3320
dshepherd@billycaspergolf.com
