Coeur d'Alene course receives high praise

COEUR d’ALENE — The readers of Golf World Magazine ranked The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course among the best in the country in the latest edition of the publication set to hit newsstands this month.

In the magazine’s second Readers’ Choice Award The Resort course was rated No. 4 among resort courses for 2010, and among the top 10 in several categories. The online poll resulted in 46,000 votes, twice that of the 2009 poll, the magazine reported.

“It is the ultimate compliment from readers who have come and played the course,” said Jerry Jaeger, president of Hagadone Hospitality, owner of the course and resort.

The recognition comes on the heels of being named by Golf Digest as the No. 24 course in the country earlier this month.

The Readers’ Choice poll ranks courses in more than a dozen categories, including overall quality and value, condition, reputation, practice facilities, speed of play, clubhouse, hotel accommodations, pro shop, food and dining, off-course activities, service and overall value.

The top three courses are Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon and Turning Stone Resort in Verona, N.Y. Circling Raven, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s course at Worley, was ranked 19th overall, second in overall value and sixth in condition.

The Resort ranked second in condition.

“Idaho is one of only four states with more than one course in the top 20,” Jaeger said. “There were none from California or Washington.” Only Hawaii, Florida and Georgia had more than one in the top 20.

The Resort course also ranked fifth for speed of play.

“The rap on resort courses is the time it takes to play,” Jaeger said. “Pebble Beach (ranked 28) takes six hours; The Resort about four hours and 15 minutes.”

That is in part due to the “fore-caddy” program at The Resort, which prepares bunkers, cleans balls and gives golfers their distances.

“We just pamper them,” Jaeger said.

Service was another category where The Resort was recognized, ranking third. Food and dining facilities placed The Resort in 9th spot.

“This is the most comprehensive rating ever seen,” Jaeger said.

Also factoring into the total score of 91.93 out of 100 earned by The Resort is the number of other activities available for visitors, which was given a 9.03 of 10 rating.

“Coeur d’Alene is part of this too, with all the other things to do,” Jaeger said. “The reputation and the prestige is a reward for Coeur d’Alene as a community, with the shopping and the lake.

“It’s pretty neat being the fourth highest in America. We’re very excited about it.”

The Golf World survey is available online at www.golfdigest.com/golfworld/2009/09/golf_readers_choice_top_50_resort.

The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course and the Columbia Basin Herald are owned by the Hagadone Corporation.