The ratings are in and expert panelists for GOLF Magazine (golf.com) rank Circling Raven Golf Club as Idaho’s top public course. The best-in-kind accolade comes via the recently released “Best Golf Courses by State, 2024-25” compilation. Of the five Idaho courses cited for this distinction, Circling Raven was the only public-access venue to be included.
As part of GOLF’s rigorous ratings process, its cadre of 100-plus expert panelists identified the best golf courses in every state. According to GOLF, “The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 127 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries, some over 2,000. Their handicaps range from +5 to 15.”
GOLF’s choice of Circling Raven means that the Gene Bates-designed course holds the No. 1 public course distinction in the game’s top three U.S. golf publications (GOLF, Golfweek, Golf Digest).
“We work tirelessly to ensure that Circling Raven is an exceptional amenity of Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, and we are constantly enhancing the course and golf club,” said resort CEO Laura Penney, MBA. “This honor from GOLF Magazine reinforces that our efforts to present a premier golf club and experience to our guests are on point, something we are committed to maintaining.”
Like the casino resort, the championship golf course is owned by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. Located in the lush, scenic Idaho panhandle, Circling Raven is ingeniously routed across 620 stunning acres of Palouse Region terrain. Named for a seminal tribal chief, the course sits amid woodlands, wetlands, and wildlife, including eagles and moose. Nature and reverence for the land are essential to the course and Tribal custom.
Located approximately 55 minutes from Spokane International Airport (GEG), Circling Raven measures 7,189 yards from the rear tees. Many who play Circling Raven, which includes a nationally honored retail shop and the excellent Twisted Earth restaurant with bar, claim it as an immediate member of their all-time best golf experiences.
For more information about Circling Raven and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, including stay-and-play packages, value-laden Raven Cards, and instructional programs, visit www.cdacasino.com or 800-523-2464.
About Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel
The brawny, sinewy 18-hole layout snakes magnificently through 620 acres, nearly four times the number of acres found on golf courses worldwide. Its gleaming white sand bunkers are large and strategically placed and its hole variety ingenious. With no surrounding development and a plethora of pristine flora and fauna gracing the landscape, Circling Raven is an inspirational oasis. As the Creator intended.
Other Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel amenities and activities include the full-service Spa Ssakwa’q’n (pronounced Sock-wock-en); 300 hotel rooms and suites; bars, restaurants, lounges, and eateries; cultural tourism options; and more. The casino completed a $15 million renovation of its gaming floor and Events Center in 2019. Circling Raven has garnered numerous best-in-kind honors since opening, including being rated a Top 100 Resort Course, Best in State, and a Top U.S. Casino Course. Its golf shop has won national and regional awards for its excellence and its variety of products, displays, and performance.
