15 Best Golf Courses in Idaho
With over 100 golf courses across the state, Idaho delivers no shortage of choices for a golf outing. Course options serve every kind of player, with private communities offering real estate for a golf lifestyle alongside public courses ready for a casual day or twilight visit. Many courses pair golf with other amenities like hiking and yoga. The fifteen courses ahead cover mountain resort settings and lake-adjacent layouts alongside championship private clubs. Top greens like the Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club anchor a varied list of the best golf in Idaho.
Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club
With a course rating of 74.4 and a 143 slope rating, located in Harrison, about 40 minutes away from the Coeur d'Alene Airport (KCOE) and 1 hour away from Spokane International Airport (GEG), the Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club was built on the homestead of John W. Gozzer, established in 1917. This location features a golf course designed by Tom Fazio as well as a Lake Club and two full-service marinas. Visitors to the Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club can also enjoy excursions on the nearby Coeur d'Alene Lake, spend time by the pool or in one of many comfort stations with food and drinks, enjoy the Red Barn fitness facility, as well as the annual Barn Dance and Carnival. In addition, real estate is available in the form of cabins, cottage homes, and more for those seeking a full golfing lifestyle. Fees and costs are not listed on the website, so curious visitors will have to inquire personally.
Tributary
Ranked as Idaho's second-best private golf course by Golfweek, the Tributary in Driggs, Idaho, was designed by David McLay-Kidd to complement the natural beauty of the area, including the 50 acres of wetlands housing local flora and fauna. The views of the Grand Tetons and Big Hole Mountains are also visible to golfers. This golf course is rated 73.9 with a 140 slope rating and offers both summer activities, such as fishing and hiking through their peatlands on The Fen, as well as winter activities, such as skiing, ice skating, sleigh rides, and even dog sledding. In addition to this, Tributary offers a special indoor golf simulator available during the harsh winter months that interrupt outdoor golf. This location also offers real estate for purchase in the form of cabins and homesites, offering golfers the option to live around this top-rated course in a private community. Interested visitors will have to inquire with Tributary about payment, as the costs and fees are private and not listed on their website.
The Golf Club at Black Rock
Located in Rockford Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene, the Golf Club at Black Rock is a luxury golf club and community designed by the renowned architect Jim Engh with a course rating of 72.8 and a slope rating of 144. This location includes the Black Rock Marina, a private beach, and amenities such as hiking, pickleball, yoga, and more. Membership may be available without purchasing real estate, though prospective members still need to apply and confirm current availability with the club. There are also two exclusive clubhouses for members to enjoy, as well as the option to enroll your children or grandchildren in Camp Coeur, which offers three programs for children of different ages: the Seekers, Adventurers, and Explorers programs that all offer activities like movie nights, farm visits, dance parties, and more. Anyone curious about membership costs will have to inquire personally.
Bronze Buffalo Ranch
At Bronze Buffalo Ranch in Victor, golfers can play the Bronze Buffalo Championship Course, designed in collaboration by Byron Nelson, Steve Jones, and Gary Stephenson, as well as the Byron Nelson Par-3 Course. With a 75.0 course rating and 139 slope rating, the golf experience at Bronze Buffalo also includes tournaments and events for men, women, and children as well as private lessons, PGA-led instruction, family friendly programming, programming for children, and more. The Lodge offers accommodations like one or two-bedroom luxury suites, and cabin and condominium rentals for short or long-term stays. The Ranch also offers lake access, pickleball and tennis, as well as activities for winter such as heli-skiing, snowmobiling, Nordic skiing, and much more. Visitors can also rejuvenate themselves at the Stillwaters Spa & Salon and then catch a bite of fine dining to eat at The Bronze Buffalo Grille. Interested golfers will need to inquire directly on their website about membership costs.
CDA National Reserve
In Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the CDA National Reserve advertises itself as a modern-day sporting club that offers much more than just golf. While it features a 75.0-rated golf course with 144 slope rating designed by Tom Weiskopf with comfort stations, a taco stand, and multiple tee options, there is also a climate-controlled facility and an indoor golf simulator for the winter months. The Clubhouse offers food, a wine cellar, and a fire pit for guests, while the Lakehouse offers a private beach, a full bar, and more. There is also The Outpost, which has fitness classes and yoga, and The Reserve Lodge, where visitors can throw axes, practice archery, and sporting-clay shooting. Finally, kids can join the CDA Explorers club, which offers them activities like archery, fishing, and scavenger hunts. Membership is conditional on making a homesite or residential purchase and being approved.
Circling Raven Golf Club
Conveniently housed at the Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel in Worley, the Circling Raven Golf Club has been named the top public-access golf course in the state of Idaho. Located about an hour away from Spokane Airport, Gene Bates designed this golf course, which covers 620 acres and features natural views of wetlands, woodlands, and Palouse grasses, and has a course rating of 74.1 and a 144 slope rating. Their website advertises their peak season as running May through October, and daily rates vary between $99 and $229, depending on whether it is peak season or shoulder season. Stay & Play packages are offered at $435 for shoulder season and $547 for peak season. In addition to golf, this resort boasts its 60,000 square foot Casino with video game machines and a bingo hall for guests. This location also offers access to Spa Ssakwa'q'n, multiple restaurants, and hotel rooms on-site.
Coeur d'Alene Golf and Spa Resort
Designed by Scott Miller and located in Coeur d'Alene, the 6,803-yard, par-71 golf course at the Coeur d'Alene Golf & Spa Resort is only accessible by boat and features their famous 14th Hole, nicknamed The Floating Green because it is a 15,000 square foot floating island whose location changes every day due to its computer-controlled underwater cable system. To reach the 14th Hole, visitors must board a "Putter" boat that will shuttle them to the floating island. The rest of the course features fairways and panoramic lake views throughout. This course is rated 71.6 with a 124 slope rating. The Resort also offers exclusive golf, spa, dining, and seasonal packages for guests to enjoy, as well as 338 dog-friendly guestrooms and suites that visitors can book. Prices to book a tee time range, with prices such as $150 in the Fall and $270 in the Summer. The price of booking Golf Packages also varies by package from $260 to $481, depending on what time of year you are booking.
Blue Lakes Country Club
Blue Lakes Country Club, a private club in Jerome, traces its golf-course history to 1949, when founders broke ground on the original nine holes; the second nine followed in 1978. The slope rating is 131 with a course rating of 72.3. Nearby, Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered Skycycle on September 8, 1974; the dirt ramp remains visible east of the Perrine Bridge. Visitors can enjoy the nearby Snake River Canyon, offering members more than just golfing. This Country Club offers five different memberships, all with limitations on the number of members allowed, with monthly fees ranging between $215 and $465 and initiation fees ranging between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on which tier of membership is chosen. Both residents and non-residents have membership options.
The Idaho Club
Located in Bonner County near Sandpoint and designed by Jack Nicklaus (the only one in the state designed by him), the Idaho Club golf course is rated 74.2 with a 149 slope rating. This golf course features views of the nearby Moose Mountain and is surrounded by the Lower Pack River. Additionally, there is access to the nearby Lake Pend Oreille and the Schweitzer Mountain ski resort. The Clubhouse Restaurant on-site is open to the public, and visitors can also enjoy non-golf activities such as fishing, hiking, watersports, and more. A Golf Membership is offered for $695 monthly with a $20,000 initiation fee, and a Social Membership is offered with a $5,000 initiation fee and $150 monthly dues, both offering different levels of golf course access. Unlike some other courses, this location offers Tee Time options to non-members of the Public for as low as $130. Lastly, real estate options in the form of lodges, cabins, homesites, and estate homes are all available.
Canyon Springs Golf Course
Within the Snake River Canyon and close to the Perrine Bridge, the Canyon Springs Golf Course is located in Twin Falls and was designed by Bob Baldock with a course rating of 71.2 and slope rating of 123. This family-owned golf course, run by the McCollum family, is uniquely located where the weather is almost always good, meaning this course is open year-round. This course offers daily fees for juniors at $10 during the week, and $20 during the weekend for 9 or 18 holes. For adults, these costs vary from $25 to $57 depending on which season it is, and whether it is a weekday or a weekend. Visitors can also rent buckets of balls as well as carts and clubs at varying prices. For those looking for season passes, they are available to Juniors at $300 to $400, and adult passes run between $1,050 and $2,000 for Single, Weekday, Couples, or Family Season Passes. Corporate Passes are also available for inquirers. Local accommodations include the nearby Hilton Garden Inn and the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham, among many others.
Sun Valley Resort
The Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley offers golfers not one but three separate courses with a total of 45 holes throughout, as well as lodging options on-site. The Trail Creek Course features 18 holes rated at 72.9 with a slope rating of 138 and was redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Jr. with fairways, bunkers, and water features; the Elkhorn Course features a front 9 designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and a back nine designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. rated 72.7 with a slope rating of 139 with challenging sand traps and bunkers; and finally the White Clouds Course features 9 holes in the Wood River Valley, with a course rating of 75.0 (when doubled as an 18-hole equivalent) and a slope rating of 145. There are Green Fees available for both Peak and Value Season, 18 or 9 Holes, with options for Hotel Guests, the Public, Military, Juniors, and even for Twilight Hours at a slight discount. Prices range between $45 and $225, depending on your choice. Activities include fly fishing, yoga, bowling, shopping, a spa, and much more.
Whitetail Club
Featuring an 18-hole golf course rated 72.5 with a slope rating of 122 and designed by Andy North and Roger Packard, the Whitetail Club in McCall is a private community offering views of the surrounding Salmon River Mountains and Payette Lake. Visitors can also enjoy the Golf Grille for breakfast, lunch, and drinks, as well as The Studio, the Whitetail Club's practice facility. The location also offers residences in the form of ranches, cabins, homesites, and more for anyone looking for a full golfing lifestyle. Activities offered in spring, summer, and fall include horseback riding, whitewater rafting, shooting, biking, morel mushroom hunting, and more. Winter activities include ample skiing and access to the hot springs. There are three levels of membership available: Resident Full Membership, Resident Social/Sport Membership, and Non-Resident Membership, but curious visitors will have to inquire personally about prices.
Hillcrest Country Club
The private, family-friendly Hillcrest Country Club in Boise boasts an 18-hole championship course, with the first 9 designed by George H. Otten and the rest of the course later finished by A. Vernon Macan in the 1940s. Then, in the 1960s, the course was redesigned by Robert Graves. This Country Club has also hosted the Albertsons Boise Open since its inauguration in 1990. The course rating is 72.6, and the slope rating is 134. Outside of golfing, members can enjoy other activities such as dining, aquatics, wellness in the clubhouse gym, year-round tennis and pickleball courts, as well as a 7-week summer camp option for children. Hillcrest Country Club is also conveniently located less than 10 minutes away from Boise Airport (BOI). For those looking to become a member, membership options include: Golf Memberships, Non-Resident Golf Memberships, Social Memberships, and Sport Social Memberships. Prices are not listed on the website, so curious golfers will have to inquire personally.
Jug Mountain Ranch
In Valley County near McCall, the Jug Mountain Ranch boasts an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Donald Knott that features panoramic views of the Jughandle Mountain, with a course rating of 74.1 and a slope rating of 137. Equally, this location has a practice facility as well as a 6-hole par 3 course also designed by Don Knott. This location also offers homesites available for purchase for those looking for a full golfing community and lifestyle, with work being completed on the Jug Mountain Village that will offer dining, shopping, and exercise for residents. In addition, this location also offers Mountain Biking Trails as well as Nordic Trails for skiing and fat biking in the winter along Boulder Creek and the Jughandle Mountain. The Ranch also offers access to The Clubhouse Restaurant and its Trackman Golf Simulator with over 125 courses.
Quail Hollow Golf Course
Designed by Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin, the golf course located at Quail Hollow in the Boise Foothills is public and features a scenic 18-hole par 70 layout with views of the nearby Treasure Valley. There is also an all-grass driving range, putting and chipping greens, as well as a full-service Golf Shop on-site. This course is rated 70.7 with a slope rating of 129. Golfers can take group lessons for $110 for adults and $89 for youth, with a $119 half day option as well. Green Fees for the weekend & holidays run $43 for 9-holes and $55 for 18-holes, with weekday rates for 9-holes at $42 and 18-holes at $50. The senior rate is $42, while the junior's rate is $14 for weekdays and $19 for weekends. The Twilight rate (after 4pm) runs at $39, and golfers can also rent carts, clubs, and buckets of balls for varying prices. While accommodations are not offered, visitors can stay at nearby hotels such as the 24th Street Hideaway and the Arcadia Hotel, both in Boise, among others.
A Golf-Lovers Haven in Idaho
For golfers looking for courses in Idaho, there is no shortage of options available. Golf lovers have the option to choose from over 100 total golf courses in the state of Idaho. Real estate, outdoor activities, casinos, watersports, summer camps for children, and winter sports are all available at many of these highly rated locations. Whether looking for a private, exclusive golf experience, a golfing community, or just casual golfing, golfers of all kinds can find something that satisfies their needs.
