WORLEY, ID – GOLF Magazine has ranked 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, a 100-plus panel of experts 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 Laura Penney, resort CEO. “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.