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    Best in State

    The best golf courses in Idaho

    By Derek Duncan and Stephen Hennessey
    June 27, 2023

    Idaho is "top heavy" in terms of its golf. While the majority of the population lives in the southern section of the state near Boise, the best golf is located toward the northern tip, around Coeur d'Alene and the large lakes nearby. This includes the top two courses, Gozzer Ranch and The Club at Black Rock, and six of the top eight on our latest ranking of the Best Golf Courses in Idaho.

    Below you'll find our 2023-'24 ranking of the Best Golf Courses in Idaho.

    We urge you to click through to each individual course page for bonus photography, drone footage and reviews from our course panelists. Plus, you can now leave your own ratings on the courses you’ve played … to make your case why your favorite should be ranked higher. 

    1. (1) Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club
    Photo by Stephen Szurlej
    Private
    1. (1) Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club
    Harrison, ID
    4.8
    17 Panelists
    When it won in 2008, Gozzer Ranch was the 13th Best New Course triumph for architect Tom Fazio. Gozzer won in part because of its gorgeous views of Lake Coeur d’Alene to the north and west, and the panoramic farm valley to the east. Little details elevate the architecture of Gozzer Ranch: a slight false-right-front edge on the first green, the backboard slope behind the sixth green, the fairway contouring on the dual-fairway drivable par-4 12th that kicks even a short drive to the base of the putting surface. Its shaggy-edged bunkers are more than mere set decorations. Some define targets off the tee; other pose options and challenges.
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    2. (2) The Golf Club At Black Rock
    Courtesy of Black Rock
    Private
    2. (2) The Golf Club At Black Rock
    Coeur D Alene, ID
    4.3
    15 Panelists
    Jim Engh’s architecture is all about turning fantasies into realities, and Black Rock delivers on that goal like few others, with some bobsled-run fairways (where one can putt from landing area downhill to the green), rollicking putting surfaces framed by squiggly bunkers and a par-4 11th pinched by towering rock formations that bring to mind a pinball machine. Unusual and controversial (it won Best New Private in 2003 ahead of No. 15 Friar’s Head and No. 83 Dallas National), Black Rock is a thrilling round of golf.
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    3. (3) Tributary
    Courtesy of the club
    Private
    3. (3) Tributary
    Driggs, ID
    4.6
    10 Panelists
    David McLay Kidd built Huntsman Springs G.C. for billionaire Jon Huntsman on an old cattle ranch in tiny Driggs, Idaho, on the west side of the Grand Teton Mountains. The site was originally flat and lifeless, between a highway and a river, with lots of wetland bogs. Kidd’s solution was to recess the entire course into the landscape to screen out undesirable buildings and generate some interesting topography. Digging down meant the holes filled with water, so he designed a course with acres and acres of lakes, ponds and interconnecting streams. If all that sounds more like a Tom Fazio design than a David Kidd one, that’s understandable. For a Scot who loves bump-and-roll, Huntsman Springs, with bluegrass fairways rough, is a radical departure. It also demonstrates his flexibility as a designer.
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    4. (4) CDA National (formerly The Club at Rock Creek)
    Private
    4. (4) CDA National (formerly The Club at Rock Creek)
    Coeur D Alene, ID
    4
    11 Panelists
    CDA National sits on bluffs overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene in northwestern Idaho. There are some tremendous elevation changes, which not only present captivating shot options but offer golfers stunning vistas of the lake below. The front nine is relatively open, while the back nine is a far more secluded, forested layout. Given the sloped terrain, the course can be a strenuous walk—but if you get the chance, don't turn down an opportunity to play this stunning Tom Weiskopf design.
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    5. (5) Bronze Buffalo Sporting Club at Teton Springs
    Private
    5. (5) Bronze Buffalo Sporting Club at Teton Springs
    Victor, ID
    3.9
    3 Panelists
    View Course
    6. (6) Circling Raven Golf Club
    Public
    6. (6) Circling Raven Golf Club
    Worley, ID
    4.1
    15 Panelists
    View Course
    7. (7) Coeur D'Alene Golf Club
    Public
    7. (7) Coeur D'Alene Golf Club
    Coeur D Alene, ID
    3
    5 Panelists
    View Course
    8. (8) The Idaho Club
    Public
    8. (8) The Idaho Club
    Sandpoint, ID
    3.5
    6 Panelists
    View Course

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