COEUR d'ALENE RESORT
Course Architect: Scott Miller (Redesign work in 2003)
Year Opened: 1991
Location: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Slope: 119. Rating: 71.1
Par: 71
Yardage: 6,803
Hole-by-Hole: 1 - Par 5 540 Yds 10 - Par 4 469 Yds
2 - Par 4 479 Yds 11 - Par 5 538 Yds
3 - Par 3 155 Yds 12 - Par 3 249 Yds
4 - Par 4 322 Yds 13 - Par 4 368 Yds
5 - Par 3 148 Yds 14 - Par 3 218 Yds
6 - Par 3 169 Yds 15 - Par 5 495 Yds
7 - Par 4 435 Yds 16 - Par 4 429 Yds
8 - Par 4 437 Yds 17 - Par 4 269 Yds
9 - Par 5 601 Yds 18 - Par 4 482 Yds
Par 35 3,286 Yds Par 36 3,517 Yds
Awards Won: #2 State-by-State Public-Access Courses (Idaho) - Golfweek (2007),
Top 100 Golf Resorts - Conde Nast Traveler (2007),
America's Top Golf Courses - ZAGAT (2007),
Gold Medal - Top 20 Courses in America - Golf Magazine (2000, 06),
#4 Best-in-State Rankings (Idaho) - Golf Digest (2005-06),
#57 Top 100 You Can Play - Golf Magazine (2006),
Most Underrated Resort (#2) - Travel + Leisure Golf (2006),
4 1/2 stars by Golf Digest - Best Places to Play (2006),
Audobon Sanctuary Approved (2000)
America's Most Beautiful Resort Golf Course - Golf Digest (1992).
Events Held: Merrill Lynch Shootout (1992),
Bank of America Quarterback Classic (1995),
Albertson's Northwest Classic,
American Seniors Golf Association (2007).
Websites: www.cdaresort.com and floatinggreen.com
HISTORY: Located just a short distance from Spokane, Washington, Coeur d'Alene Resort opened in the summer of 1986 to plenty of fanfare. What really opened people's eyes however, was the creation of the world-class golf course just a few years later.
Formerly part of the Jack Nicklaus design team, Scott Miller was awarded the task of creating something special from a piece of land used as an old sawmill back in the day, before the Hagadone Corporation purchased the property in 1987.
Miller, who became enthralled in golf design in his early teens, entered a contest to secure the job and the rest, as they say, is history. For more than 25 years, Miller has been crafting courses all around the world, most notably in the Far East and Arizona. Some of his most recent work, the courses at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club and the Golf Club at Eagle Mountain outside of Scottsdale,
have received many accolades.
It was his work at Coeur d'Alene, his first independent effort, that put Miller on the map. Opened in 1991, Coeur d'Alene was named just one year later as America's Most Beautiful Resort Golf Course by Golf Digest. Pretty high praise for an architect who drew plans for golf courses in the sixth and seventh grade and "didn't even know at the time that they had 18 holes on most
courses."
Miller has a simple design philosophy: maintain the natural beauty of the land, while at the same time varying the degree of difficulty. According to his website, the courses reflect his skills as an imaginative designer, provide challenges to the world's top players and enable the everyday golfer
to thoroughly enjoy their golf experience. What Miller has crafted is a wonderful and unforgettable golf experience.
As recent as 2003, Miller oversaw the redesign of the course, adding over 400 yards in length with several new tees and bunkers. It comes as no surprise that many publications have declared Coeur d'Alene as the best-conditioned course in America.
No expense was spared with the landscaping either, as 20,000 red geraniums dot the course, not to mention 35,000 junipers, wild flowers and hundreds of ancient Ponderosa Pines that accentuate the senses.
As expected, maintenance of the course is quite extensive, but no work is done on the course until the completion of play. In fact, the mowers are equipped with special lighting for night cutting, and the grounds crew are staffed 20 hours a day.
The Pièce de résistance of the course, however is awarded to the Floating Green at the 14th. An engineering marvel, the par three was the brainchild of Coeur d'Alene owner and resident mastermind Duane Hagadone. After watching tugboats pull logs through the water, Hagadone came up with the idea for the hole, but, as it turned out, that was the easy part.
A whopping 63 permits were required during the construction of the floating green, including one that provided the drainage water from the putting surface to be pumped back to holding tanks on land.
The green is made of 105 foam-filled concrete blocks and is computer-controlled, adjusting the yardage every day to play in upwards of 220 yards, but that of course is without figuring the correct club to use with the wind off the water. Built in a remote part of the lake, tugboats pulled the work of art six miles after its completion to its present location.
The name Coeur d'Alene is a French name adopted by the Schitsu'umsh tribe that inhabited the region. Meaning "heart of awl," it is believed to be the early settlers' acknowledgment of the tribe's astute trading tactics.
Coeur d'Alene has hosted several golf events over the years, including the 1992 Merrill Lynch Shootout, won by Chip Beck against a field that featured major championship winners Craig Stadler, Jeff Sluman, Lee Janzen, John Daly and Fuzzy Zoeller.
The awards continue to roll in for Coeur d'Alene, as Conde Nast Traveler just voted the resort as one of the top 100 Golf Resorts and ZAGAT survey named CDA as one of America's Top Golf Courses.
REVIEW: If you're going to take advantage of any of the holes at Coeur d'Alene, the first hole certainly fits that category. A modest par five stretching 540 yards and bending to the right, number one features a wide landing area with sand down the left side and mounding down the right. A
successful tee ball can lead to going for the green in two, but bail to the left, and a menacing bunker, not to mention the largest on the course, guards the entire right side of the putting surface. The green is fairly quiet, so birdie possibilities abound.
Although the ninth hole on the course is ranked as the most difficult, the second hole in my opinion is tops. From the gold tees its 479 yards from a chute of pines that run down both sides of the fairway to the green. Usually played into a headwind, a big drive down the left side is required to have any shot at getting home in regulation. The fairway angles to the right as you near the long, two-tiered green with views of the lake in the rear. A long iron or fairway metal will be your choice of club on the approach, if you're lucky. The best shot at par, chipping close and one-putting. Bogey is not a bad score, I kept telling myself.
The first of several delightful par threes, the third plays right along the lake and is the second-shortest of the five one-shotters. Just a short iron is needed to negotiate this gem, but beware of the left side, as anything tugged slightly offline is jail. The putting surface features a slight ridge in the
center, so stay below the hole for your best shot at a deuce. The first of six lakeside holes, the third is not to be taken lightly, but thank goodness for a left-to-right wind.
Just 322 yards in length, the fourth requires pinpoint accuracy off the tee, as the landing area is one of the tightest on the course. Sand and woods left and a slim fairway suggest a long iron or fairway metal off the box. This will set up a short iron to an uphill green fronted by a large rock outcropping. The putting surface is devoid of sand and long, as it slopes from back to front. Avoid missing left, as the out-of-bounds stakes are very close to the green.
Next up are back-to-back par threes. The fifth plays directly toward Lake Coeur d'Alene, offering stupendous views of the surrounding region. Focusing on the task at hand is quite difficult. The key here is pin placement. If the hole is cut back-right on the Y-shaped green, you must play to the center. In fact, that is the best advise regardless of the hole position. The putting surface is very undulating and the enormous bunker that traverses front and right is larger than the green itself. P.S. Avoid the rock outcroppings on theright and in front of the surface. They're pretty, but dangerous.
The lake views get better and better and the scenery on the sixth is outstanding. This downhill par three can play as long as 180 with a back flag and with the wind in your face, club selection is critical. The lengthy, two-tiered putting surface is guarded left and long by sand. This is not time for
indecision. Pick the right stick and go for it.
The closing three holes on the front nine provide quite a test, especially if you thought the short holes prior were difficult. Number seven is one of six par fours over 400 yards. From the elevated tee box, the player must dissect the chute of trees to reach the fairway, not to mention avoid the fairway
bunkers down the right side. The hole then swings to the left, requiring a mid to long iron to reach the well-guarded green. The putting surface is long with a tier in the rear and bunkers on either side. Hope for a front pin for your best shot at par.
One of the few times in golf you'll be penalized for hitting down the middle, the eighth hole requires a play down the left side, as a tall Bull Pine stands watch in the center of the fairway over an otherwise majestic par four. Sweeping to the right, your approach is played some 30 feet downhill to the very undulating putting surface. Bunkers down the left side of the fairway towards the green can prove costly when you're forced to layup. Any shot landing short of the surface, will roll back down the fairway, leaving a tough, uphill pitch.
The ninth is a marvelous hole to finish the front side. Stretching now to over 600 yards from the gold tees, the hole bends to the left and requires a big tee ball towards the right-center of the fairway. Bunkers down the right side provide a nice target to start your draw from the box. You'll need another big play with a fairway metal to set up a nice approach, as you're usually into the breeze from the lake in the distance. A short iron should remain to a very deceiving green that falls off hard on all sides, making up-and-downs quite difficult. FYI. Avoid the right, greenside bunker at all costs. This could prove hazardous to your round.
After a fairly short front nine, the inward holes begin with a strong par four reaching 469 yards. Bending ever-so slightly to the right, the fairway is quite generous and with the wind at your back, you might have just a mid-iron for your approach. Right-center fairway sets up the best angle to green that slopes from right to left. Sand right and grass hollows left are not the easiest spots for up and downs. A par here goes a long way.
The first of four consecutive water holes, the 11th is by no means a pushover just because of its par-five status. Trees border both sides, but the real treachery is the water down the entire left side. Fernan Creek which sneaks in and out of the trees, crosses in front of the putting surface, making going for this green in two quite risky. Not only that, the wind off the lake is usually quite fresh into your face. With just one bunker to contend with at the end of the fairway, the smart play is to layup to a confident yardage and go at the pin. Pin placement certainly has to be brought into the equation, as the green features three tiers and is very undulating. Three over in two days
was not the way I wanted to remember this hole.
Think about this? The par-four 17th hole is just 269 yards from the tips, while the 12th is a par three of 249 yards! With the creek winding around the back as it leads towards the lake, the green stands out like a finger in the middle of danger. Not only do you need to be long, you must negotiate the right to left wind and the long green that rises in the rear. When Billy Casper won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, he purposely laid up short on the par-three third hole and made par each day. That is the play here. Rely on your short game and you'll be fine.
Target golf defines the next two holes at Coeur d'Alene. The short par-four 13th is situated alongside the lake and requires two pinpoint shots. First off, a drive of 255 yards will leave just a wedge to a fairly wide green. Easier said then done, as the wind blows hard off the water and any shot right
of the cart path down the right side is OB. The smart play is a fairway metal off the tee, leaving a short iron to a well-protected putting surface. Plenty of sand surrounds the green, however the front is wide open, so go for it. Who knows, maybe you'll make birdie. During the 1992 Merrill Lynch Shootout won by Chip Beck, local lore states that Fuzzy Zoeller actually drove the green.
That brings us to one of the most famous holes in golf. For you golfers on the east coast, it's not the 17th at Sawgrass, it's the amazing 14th at Coeur d'Alene. The signature "floating green," is one of the most beautiful and treacherous holes in golf. Ranging anywhere between 95 and 220 yards, the 14th green is moved daily by computers to adjust distances from each tee. That's right! The two-tiered green is 15,000 square feet and is built upon a mobile pontoon structure, weighing 4.6 million pounds. Unique is the understatement of the year. You'll need a long iron from the tips, especially when the wind is up. Then it's a boat ride on the vessel, "putter" for your chance at par. Maybe you'll be fortunate enough to receive a special certificate after your success on the green. I did.
Playing downwind, the par-five 15th is certainly reachable in two. They key is avoiding the humungous fairway bunker down the left side and staying clear of the trees on the right. You'll have to cut a fairway metal or long iron into the long undulating green to have any shot at eagle, but birdies are a definite possibility. The putting surface features a ridge in the center that runs from front to back with deep bunkers on either side. Any ball slightly off line will positively roll into the sand. If I can make a pair of birdies on this hole, so can you.
The 16th is a dogleg left, medium-sized par four that requires a draw off the tee. A good aiming point are the fairway bunkers, some 300 yards from the tips. A quartet of bunkers loom short of the green, which gives the appearance that the putting surface is closer than it seems. Don't be fooled. Trust your caddie and the yardage and you'll get home in regulation. The green sits in a bowl of sorts, engulfed on three sides by tall pines, so wind should not be a factor.
There are a couple of ways to skin the 17th and both require plenty of thought. At just 269 yards, you can either layup short and make birdie the old fashioned way, or go for the big tee shot and try and get home. Option one is the sensible play. The fairway is as tight as it gets with tall pines on
either side, so a long iron down the right side will leave 50-60 yards to the narrow putting surface. The second choice is to take driver, play a high draw and take your chances. Any shot left of the green will most likely end up in the greenside bunker, that's next to impossible to get up and down from. Let's put it this way, you won't be able to see the top of the flagstick from the bottom of the trap. Sometimes the "easiest" of holes prove to be the hardest.
If it's brawn that you want, the 18th packs plenty of punch. Playing directly into a headwind, this 482-yard par four reacts like a manageable par five. From the gold tees you'll have to bust a drive to clear bunkers on the right, while avoiding the traps on the left. Bending slightly to the left, a long
iron or fairway metal will be needed to reach another long, slick green. Sand guards the right side of the putting surface. A great finishing hole to complete a marvelous round of golf.
FINAL WORD: I've been to Augusta National or Muirfield Village, but you'll be hard-pressed to find another course in this country in better condition than Coeur d'Alene. The story goes that when current superintendent Kevin Hicks was brought in, Mr. Hagadone asked him about the maintenance machinery. Hicks responded that the equipment was in superior condition, but
he enjoyed working with a different brand. When asked if this new equipment would improve the golf course, Hicks responded with a resounding "yes." That was all Mr. Hagadone needed.
Never one to rest on his or the resort's laurels, Mr. Hagadone is all about making his resort the most enjoyable and spectacular place to visit.
It all starts with a 10-minute, water taxi ride from the resort to the course, where your personal, uniformed forecaddie is waiting for you. The custom golf cart is fully equipped with heated seats, wood-grain, tilt steering wheel, closed compartments for valuables and liquid libations and even a cubbyhole for trash. Top that off with a tinted windshield, 13-inch chrome alloy wheels and fully carpeted floors. You'll feel like you're riding in a Mercedes.
The practice facility is as manicured as is the golf course, as you warm-up by hitting balls into the lake. Your forecaddie is very knowledgeable about the history and the yardages of the course. Just ask for Eddie - he'll be the guy running down the fairway of each and every hole, giving you exact laser
yardages to the pin and what you need to carry each and every bunker. By the way, if you want a massage prior to going out, a therapist is available at the driving range for complimentary treatments.
The golf course is exquisitely maintained. Believe me when I tell you, there is not a blade of grass out of place. The Kentucky Bluegrass rough is very consistent and can be quite gnarly. Even the seed mix to fill the divots is specially colored to make it essentially invisible. Sand trap rakes are hidden in special in-ground tubes near each bunker. I also need to mention the two restrooms on the course. So concealed to the visitor, unless told where they are, you'd never find them, as they are built underground at the seventh and 10th tees. The aesthetic beauty of the natural wildflowers, beds of
luscious red geraniums and hundreds of Ponderosa Pines, make Coeur d'Alene awe-inspiring.
With five sets of tees, ranging from 4,448 to over 6,800 yards, Coeur d'Alene is for all levels of play. Some might think that under 7,000 yards is a pushover. I'm here to say, don't be misled. CDA plays as long as many of those so-called bombers' paradise venues, especially when the wind is blowing off
the lake. So if it's a challenge you're seeking, this is the place.
Over the past several years, numerous changes have been made to the course, such as new tee boxes on the fourth and 12th holes or adding several bunkers on the seventh, 10th and 15th holes. With the subtle refinements, the course statistics need to be adjusted, as the rating is only 71.1 with a slope of 119. Both figures should be higher.
The enormous golf shop features an extensive selection of men's and women's apparel, equipment and accessories. The golf academy includes two and three-day schools, led by Director of Golf Bob Nuttelman, who's been with Coeur d'Alene since its inception.
When it's all said and done, it's the unforgettable, floating green that you'll remember forever. However, you also won't soon forget the wonderful hospitality of the staff or, of course, the amazing conditions and beauty of one of the finest resort courses in the United States. Wake up east coast,
you're missing the "boat."