Northwest Golf + Travel | August 2022 by Northwest Golf and Travel

Nº 06 - AUGUST 2022 NORTHWEST GOLF + TRAVEL

ENTSCONT

Northwest Golf + Travel Magazine PO Box 85 Newman Lake,99025WA Director Tom Stebbins Creative Citywide Consultants 16 GOLFWANDERMERECLUB Golf Trekker 22 EPSON TOUR Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Aug. 26-28 5 SPOKANE IS A Great DestinationGolf 6 LATAH CREEK GOLF CLUB NW Golf Trekker 12 SPOKANE GOLF Doesn't Suck

RedStone

University

Bucket List Course: To Explore All Golf in the NW go www.GolfintheNW.comto Top 100 Golf Courses You Can Play in the NW!

COEURMOSCOWD’ALENEMOSES LAKE KIMBERLEY CASTLEGAR NELSON KOOTENAY BAY BREWSTER ELLENSBURG CLE ELUM WENATCHEE BELLINGHAMEVERETTREDMOND CENTRALIA SEATTLE OKANOGAN YAKIMA SANDPOINT WALLA WALLA PENDLETON 95 95 95 95 395 395 1952 90 90 90 90 90 82 82 84 84 EUREKA LIBBY 93 56 93 93 97 97 TRI-CITIES PULLMAN LEWISTON CLARKSTON CHEWELAH SPOKANE 395 124 11125 129 3 82 3B 3 3 31 6 95 95 6 MCCALL20090 5 5 5 405 12TACOMA12 PUYALLUPKENT PRIEST LAKELAKE PEND ORILLE 41 57 290 53 54 127 261 26 12 12 12 ROSSLAND 22 38 3 IDAHO University of Idaho GC Indian Canyon GC Downriver GC Gamble Sands Resort StoneridgeCircling Raven Kokanee Springs GR Hangman Valley GC Fairways at West Terrace GC Palouse Ridge GC Red Wolf GC Lewiston Golf & CC Bryden Canyon GC Chewelah Golf & CC Coeur d’Alene GC Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Galena Ridge GC Silver Mtn Esmeralda GC WASHINGTON CANADAMONTANAIDAHO OREGON Jug McCallMountainGC Wildhorse GC Wine Valley GC Liberty Lake GC Creek at Qualchan GC Granite Point at Nelson Golden Golf Club Priest Lake GC Birch Creek GC Meadowood GC Redstone Resort Ltd Spokane International Airport Regional Golf Courses For a complete listing of all courses visit the website. Course Name Phone Web Address Birch Creek GC, Pendleton 541-443-4653 www.birchcreekgolfcourse.com Bryden Canyon GC, 208-746-0863 www.brydencanyongolf.com Chewelah Golf & CC 509-935-6807 www.chewelahgolf.com Circling Raven GC 800-523-2464 x7273 www.cdacasino.com/golf/ Coeur d’Alene GC 208-765-0218 www.cdapublicgc.com Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf 208-667-4653 www.cdaresort.com/golf Creek at Qualchan GC 509-448-9317 www.spokanegolf.org Downriver GC 509-327-5269 www.spokanegolf.org Esmeralda GC 509-487-6291 www.spokanegolf.org Fairways at West Terrace GC 509-747-8418 www.golfthefairways.com Galena Ridge GC 208-783-1522 www.silvermt.com Gamble Sands Resort 509-436-8323 www.gamblesands.com Golden Golf Club 250-344-2700 www.golfgolden.com Granite Point at Nelson 250-352-5913 www.granitepointe.ca Hangman Valley GC 509-448-1212 www.spokanecounty.org/1141/Hangman-Valley Indian Canyon GC 509-747-5353 www.spokanegolf.org Jug Mountain Ranch GC 208-634-5072 www.jugmountainranch.com Lewiston Golf & CC 208-746-2801 www.golflgcc.com

Red

Kokanee Springs Resort 800-979-7999 www.kokaneesprings.com Liberty Lake GC 509-255-6233 www.spokanecounty.org/1210/Liberty-Lake McCall GC 208-634-6740 www.mccallgolfclub.com GC 509-255-9539 www.spokanecounty.org/1234/MeadowWood Palouse Ridge GC 509-335-4342 www.palouseridge.com Lake GC 208-443-2525 www.priestlakegolfcourse.com Ridge GC 509-758-8501 www.golfquailridge.com Resort 250-362-2214 www.redstoneresort.com Wolf GC 509-758-2546 www.redwolfgolfclub.com GC 208-437-4653 www.stoneridgeidaho.com of Idaho GC 208-885-6171 www.uidaho.edu/golf Wildhorse GC & Resort 800-654-9453 www.wildhorseresort.com/golf/golf.html Valley GC 509-525-4653 www.winevalleygolfclub.com

Quail

Priest

MeadowWood

StoneRidge

Wine

DILLON 90 BUTTE MISSOULA 15 SALMON BOZEMAN 15 15 93 KALISPELL St. Ignatious 90 93MONTANAIDAHO

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DRIVING TO SPOKANE OPTIONS Coming from the West on Interstate 90 to Downtown Spokane • Rosalia GC – 9 holes • Fairways GC – 9 holes • Indian Canyon GC – 18 holes • Want to play the Kalispel GCC – stay

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GOLF

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At the heart of historic downtown is Riverfront Park, a 100-acre park anchored by the Spokane River. You’ll need to take a short drive to the course, but most hotels are walking distance to all the amenities the city offers. Fill your downtime exploring local breweries, wineries, distilleries, an incredible culinary scene, night life, spas, and the Centennial Trail. If you’re not worn out by the golf, you will be by what there is to do in Washington’s second largest city.

ver 35 golf courses within an hour of the heart of Spokane! Whether you drive or fly, you’ll enter a circle of economical golf highly regarded for challenging layouts, exceptional conditions, pristine fairways, and smoothly rolled greens. Pair that with convenient places to stay across the region and an abundance of things to do after you get off the course, and you’ll want to plan a multi-day visit.

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Coming from the West on Hwy 2 Harrington GC – 9 holes Davenport GC – 9 holes Indian Canyon – 18 holes Coming from the North Hwy 2 Dominion Meadows GC – 18 holes Deer Park GC – 18 holes Wandermere – 18 holes From the South / Palouse 195 • Palouse Ridge – 18 holes University of Idaho – 18 holes

Coming in from the west, the West Plains offers places to stay in Cheney, Medical Lake, and Airway Heights. If you desire to play the exclusive Kalispel Golf & Country Club course in Wandermere north of Spokane, you will need to book a stay and play at Northern Quest Resort & Casino as they are sister properties.

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VISITSPOKANE.COM IS A GREAT DESTINATION?!

SPOKANE SUCH

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For a complete listing of Northwest golf be sure to visit www.GolfintheNW.com

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WHY

• StoneRidge – 18 holes Twin Lakes – 18 holes Avondale – 18 holes From the East I 90 Galena Ridge – 9 holes Shoshone – 9 holes Pinehurst – 9 holes Coeur d’Alene Public – 18 holes Coeur d’Alene Resort – 18 holes Prairie Falls – 18 holes The Links – 18 holes Highlands – 18 holes • Liberty Lake – 18 holes

Flights from all major cities in the Northwest to Spokane International Airport can be found at www.spokaneairports.net at Northern Quest Casino Spokane – All within 30 minutes of DT Kalispel GCC – 18 holes • Indian Canyon – 18 holes Downriver – 18 holes Wandermere – 18 holes Esmeralda – 18 holes MeadowWood – 18 holes • Liberty Lake – 18 holes Creek at Qualchan – 18 holes Latah Creek (Hangman) – 18 holes Trailhead – 9 holes

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• Sandpoint Elks – 9 holes

Coming from the east on I90 through Idaho, Liberty Lake offers two of the region’s most popular courses, two hotels, and many food & drink options. The City of Spokane Valley is also a great place to stay where you will be centrally located between downtown and Idaho.

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• Colfax GC – 9 holes Circling Raven – 18 holes St. John GC – 9 holes Tekoa GC – 9 holes From the North in Idaho 95 The Idaho Club – 18 holes

Learn more about the region’s top courses at VisitSpokane.com/golf Explore everything about the Spokane including where to stay, food & drink, and a local events calendar at VisitSpokane.com

If you choose to stay in north Spokane, you will first run into lodging options roughly five miles from the city center. Brewery and restaurants options abound, but a slightly different pace leaves plenty of time for multiple days of 36 hole a day golf.

Director of Golf Steve Nelke, who is one of the most experienced professionals in the region having served as a managing pro in the golf industry for over forty years, welcomed me and gave some history. A graduate of EWU, Steve first fell in love with the game at eleven or twelve and went on to win a state golf championship in high school before accepting his first job as an assistant at Sundance G.C. After another 5-year stint as a pro at Liberty Lake he

DARIN PATZER NW Golf Trekker 6 NORTHWEST GOLF + TRAVEL

n spite of living forty years of my life within a mere twenty-mile radius, I have not taken much time to consider the rich Native American heritage of my homeland, other than attending an occasional Spokane Indians baseball game. Surrounded by urban sprawl and interstate freeways it takes a little imagination to ponder that scarcely more than one-hundred fifty years ago, pioneers were still entering the Inland Northwest while Native Americans hunted and fished the hills, rivers and streams we kayak, tube and drive by today. Yet, the town of Spokane Falls – its original name before being shortened to Spokane due to the necessity of quick telegraph messages during the Great Fire of 1889 - takes its name from the Spokan Tribe

Hole #11 — Latah Creek Golf Club

Surrounded by Native American-themed golf courses - including Circling Raven, Qualchan and Indian Canyon – a historic course with headwaters in the St. Joe National Forest of Idaho winds its way through Palouse wheat country. Just a three-mile stroll down the road from my front porch is Latah Creek Golf Course, located in the Hangman Valley south of Spokane, WA, the site of this month’s Golf Trekker visit.

SPOKANE, WA LATAH CREEK GOLF CLUB

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When I asked Steve, who also teaches lessons, if he still enjoys the game after all these years he nodded and smiled, “teaching others to enjoy the game has always made the career meaningful to me.” And the industry has been good to Steve. Not only has he had the opportunity to play many of the finest courses in the Pacific NW region at pro-ams, but he also has attended The Masters on multiple occasions and has met stars, including Jack Nicklaus and rocker Alice Cooper. The latter, being a golf nut, was in Spokane for a concert and stopped by to play a round at Hangman. Steve shared that his most epic sports day ever was playing a morning round at the top-ranked, Pinehurst #2 course in North Carolina, followed by an evening visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium to watch a Duke men’s basketball game.

Visiting golfers today enjoy Latah Creeks floating driving range, and the par-72 course which plays to a distance of 6,328 yards (69.9/131)or a challenging 6,839 from the Blues (72.7). Much like another scenic Spokane course, Indian Canyon, Latah Creek proves a challenge for those who prefer walking due to its length and elevation changes. Other amenities include the newly updated terrace overlooking the water range and eighteenth green, perfect for group tournaments and postround socializing, and the gravel parking lot is currently being paved, including lighting and updates of handicap accessible ramps.

Today, roughly 15 miles from the present-day golf course in Hangman Valley, along the creek, can still be found the Hanging Tree Historical Monument, a large stone marking the site of the actual tree which played a role in this sad incident of regional history. No doubt the sensitivity to the loss of human life played a role in the rebranding of the course, the name changed to that of the famous creek which winds through the course and gobbles up so many golf balls day after day.

Chief Qualchan of the Palouse and Yakima region, with his wife and several braves under a white flag, rode into camp to negotiate with Colonel Wright one September evening in 1858. Unbeknownst to Qualchan, his father, Chief Owhi, had already been captured and a warrant was now out for his own arrest. In Colonel Wright’s journal is found this callous and fleeting entry: “Qualchan and braves came to the company village at 9pm. Hanged at 9:15pm.” Only the chief’s wife, Whistalks, traumatized by her husband’s swift and unexpected death, escaped to share the tale.

Latah Creek is actually referenced in the journals of explorers Lewis and Clark, by the Nez Perce spelling, ‘Lau-taw,’ (though history is unclear as to whether the explorers actually stopped and played a round on their way to the Pacific Ocean). The creek is known in federal records, by a more ominous name, ‘Hangman.’ In fact, Hangman Valley had been the golf course’s name ever since its founding in 1969, until a recent rebranding by County Commissioner in unanimous vote in 2021. Why the rebranding? As the Hangman story goes, in 1858 a U.S. Army Colonel by the name of George Wright was sent to quell some violent Native American uprisings – which in fairness to the natives, are said to have been a direct result of land treaties not being honored due to continual encroachment by settlers. All the same, frontier blood had been shed and the officer was in no mood for holding trial.

A couple other holes of interest, the challenging hilltop fifth plays at over 600 yards, and the concluding eighteenth presents a dramatic finale to any player locked in a close match, with the thrill of a tee-shot squeezed between water guarding both sides of the fairway. The elevation changes of these and other holes add to the enjoyment of the park-like Latah Creek.

Often in the evenings, needing an unwind after a hectic day, I find my way down to my home course’s chipping green or out for a twilight nine ($19 weekends). Occasionally I’ve shared with a friend that the peace, beauty and solitude of a golf course in the evening can cause me to feel as close to my Creator as any other experience in life …perhaps a small taste of heaven to come.

"As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.”

— Ben Hogan

Personally, I’ve found my own nemesis in hole #4, with its narrow fairway edged by intrusive OB markers right and trees lining the left, providing no safe bailout (come to think of it, I don’t recall ever parring that darn hole). Pro Steve added that Latah Creek’s Signature Hole is #11, a par 3 set against a picturesque hillside with waterworks and a pond bordering the course’s sunsetting edge.

Today, Pro Steve still carries a sub-five handicap and competes in PGA Sectionals, having even qualified in the past for the PGA Senior Club Pro Championship in Port St. Lucia, FL. He mentions that his course is “fun to play for a diversely skilled public, not being extremely narrow, but challenging.” Steve has recorded two aces in his career but is still searching for one at Latah Creek, where his personal best score is 65.

settled at Latah Creek where he’s provided stability to this Spokane County-owned course for the past thirty years. Steve has been tenured long enough to have stories of major floods (in ’97 and ’18) which damaged parts of the course when Latah Creek overflowed its banks, to major firestorms, one of which burned down trees on the course and threatened the clubhouse before sweeping up to the overlooking Hangman Hills neighborhood, consuming several homes.

With green fees in the mid $40s or less, just about anyone can enjoy a round at one of Spokane’s popular public courses, even one special course featuring a meandering, historic creek from Palouse wheat country lore. In Pro Steve’s philosophy, “You can learn more about a person on a golf course than in a job interview, and it’s a game you can play your whole life …you’re outdoors just hitting a ball with a stick.”

Reach out to Darin at: darinpatzer@yahoo.com

One of my golfing friends, Bob Little, who has played a weekly round here for years and considers this his favorite local course adds, “Latah Creek offers all the challenges I seek in a test of my game, while my playing partner conveniently can ride his cart directly from his home on the ridge.” Bob warns that “holes #7 and #17 have not been good to me over the years,” both being long par 3’s with drop-offs surrounding the greens.

Hole #11 Latah Creek Golf

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WSU HOME WEEKENDFOOTBALLGOLF G O COUGS $159 per player $129 for WSUAA card carrying members & Students/Juniors Includes golf, cart, range, taxes & hospitality card, Friday & Saturday of 2022 Home Football Weekends, through October 1. Food Truck + Beverage Cart • Wedge Give-away • 50/50 Raffle Best Coug Spirit • Corn Hole • Mini Golf Reserve your tee time Visit palouseridge.com or call (509)335-4342

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You will find Latah Creek nestled in the southwest area of Spokane. Whether heading from the east or west, scenic drives lead you to the course where you will spot it in a valley just below the road, with its beautifully green fairways, contrasted by fluffy white sand traps. The course itself has valleys and hills alike. It is walkable for those who do not mind the few glute activated climbs between tee boxes. Fairways provide golfers ample opportunity to stay on the short grass; however, fitting into what seems to be the county motto, the rough lives up to its name with thick grass. Play it smart! Greenskeepers keep the putting surfaces fairly consistent. You’ll need to study the breaks. Consider undulation, as this course does lie in a valley with hills.

Like Latah Creek, both have fairways that provide fair opportunity to strive for green in regulation. Landing in the rough adds challenge to that same goal. Putting greens vary between the two courses. Liberty Lake may keep its a bit quicker, from personal observation — only a Stimpmeter can say for sure. Likewise, Liberty Lake golfers will shoot to the only double green within the municipal courses.

This is where I’ll stand on my soapbox momentarily to say choose wisely and commensurate with your skill to keep up pace of play. Enough said there, moving on…

MeadowWood and Liberty Lake courses may be close neighbors, but they are not clones. Each has its own character, providing golfers with unique experiences. Many area golfers have distinctly divided opinions. Randomly question folks, and you’ll find some love Liberty Lake and just “meh” about MeadowWood; ask another to get the opposite response, although many love both and could alternatively play both courses with zeal often throughout the season.

Similarities in the two courses do include teeing off from some elevated tee boxes. Wide fairways allow for great opportunity for a great second or third shot – a few of those to elevated greens. Doglegs, water and sand at each course provide the challenging must haves that keeps golf an exciting sport. Find these courses 20 minutes east of downtown Spokane. Drive east on I-90 to the DOESN'T

HASHTAG SPOKANE GOLF

SUCK SUE CONARD Northwest Golf + Travel Esmeralda Golf Course 12 NORTHWEST GOLF + TRAVEL

F ollow the popular hashtag - #spokanedoesntsuck – and you will find many reasons to visit. Next to that hashtag another should include - #spokanegolfdoesntsuck - to include the golfers’ perspective, Spokane enthusiast find the quality of the municipal golf courses some of the best around, making the courses worthy of their own hashtag (and notoriety). If you are not familiar with these “muni” courses, do not expect cookie cutter designs, or the simplicity of executive courses. Golfers find pleasure and challenges at each. Tee boxes provide yardages from around 5,000 to more than 6,600 yards.

Starting with the three managed by the county, they include Latah Creek (fondly remembered as Hangman Valley by many), Liberty Lake and its next-door neighbor MeadowWood. All provide great visuals to enjoy when not focusing on getting that little white orb to and in a 4.25-inch hole in the ground.

Indian Canyon’s (est. 1930) notable history includes hosting major tournaments and mention in Golf Digest as one of the “top public courses.” Home of the long standing Rosauers’ Open, a PNW Major Open Invitational Pro-AM tournament, for more than 30 years players have helped raise more than $3 million for a local charity. Walking this course can tire out those not conditioned to traverse hilly courses. To get a good look at the well-kept undulating greens, players need to place tee shots with some accuracy. Hilly lies require shot-making thought. Sound challenging? Yes, but still a great course to play and possibly the reason that makes this course a favorite for area enthusiasts. The course is located a few miles west of downtown, just north of Sunset TheBlvd.city constructed Esmeralda Golf Course in 1956. Adopting the name Easy Essie for its open spaces, flat fairways and minimal hazards, its slope ratings hover just around the 113 baseline. Before you go in to thinking “Easy Essie,” know that the once juvenile trees now fully matured can find a golfer paying bail to get out of tree jail. Walkers find this course easy trekking with just hole 12 bit of a hike. On this hole, walkers usually leave their clubs below and carry a few wedges to hit a scenic downhill tee shot to the par three green. Tucked away in a neighborhood north of the river, east of downtown, this golf course in great shape and worth the outing. When you pull up you may say, “wow, this is a busy course.” Not all those folks are on the course. Its parking lot shares space with cyclist and hikers there to trek Beacon Hill trails.

Tee times for Spokane area municipal courses are available online or by calling the course. To get information or tee times follow the links to the city and county sites: Spokane City Golf and Spokane County Golf. Hole #7 — Liberty Lake Golf Club 13

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Despite its challenges, the course still allows pleasurable play for all levels. Errant shots do not require much trickery to recover, although it may require trickery or golfers’ luck to make par.

Liberty Lake exit and keep straight off the highway to Molter Rd. Head south where you will first see MeadowWood on the left. Keep heading south and view Liberty Lake golf course – and a peak of the namesake 708-acre Spokane’slake.four city courses each present their own distinctive experience. All are located less than 10 minutes from Downtown Spokane, according to the Spokane City and Parks brochure. The oldest, Downriver (est. 1916), is located just east of the Riverside State Park and Spokane River in the lower Northwest side of town. Many folks walk and enjoy exercise from slight hills. Sand traps and water do not pose significant troubles, unless you hit a super-sized slice off tee box three, which could potentially get a good bounce of the river’s frontage road and land in the river to eventually settle in Long Lake (tongue in cheek). Recommend aiming for the fairways, most easily targeted. If not, trees test a golfers ability to accurately punch out a good recovery shot. As all city golf courses, various tee boxes provide pleasure and challenges to each golfer’s ability.

A quick jaunt down Highway 195 from downtown leads you to the newest city course, The Creek at Qualchan requires course management skills. Water hazards and sand traps will challenge your target practice, providing pleasure when you play the hole as the designer intended.

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You are missing the low-hanging fruit. Let us ﬁnd it. citywideconsultants.com

To appreciate the story of Wandermere Golf Course, one must travel in time back to the 1930s. As written in Ty A. Brown’s enjoyable book: Wandermere, Legacy on the Spokane River, the Pacific NW was in the midst of the Great Depression. Today, most golfers take for granted the choices various courses provide. But with only one other public golf course in town - Downriver GC - most of the public not able to afford a private club membership (at Manito or Spokane Country Club) often had to wait hours in line for their chance to try their hand at the new sport sweeping America. Enter Robert C. Ross, a businessman with a vision to create a year-round family recreation facility.

his month’s Golf Trekker takes us to the banks of the Little Spokane River, twenty-five minutes north of downtown Spokane, WA. The word Wandermere is of Piute Indian origin, a combination of two words, literally “a pleasant place” and “clear lake,” and from a 108-acre apple orchard and a lake once used for ice harvesting, a family’s legacy has been carved, five-generations in the making.

On an overcast early spring day, I had the chance to meet Wandermere’s current PGA Head Professional Bobby Moore, who welcomed me warmly and shared that he is now a fifth-generation family-member involved with the course. In fact, his 81-year-old grandfather, co-owner Bob Ross, still works

SPOKANE GOLFWANDERMERECLUBT

Holemany#8—Wandermere Golf Club DARIN PATZER Golf Trekker 16 NORTHWEST GOLF + TRAVEL

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Wandermere Golf Club PGA Head Pro Bobby Moore with his wife Shauna

Bob Little and Steve Rodgers (left to right), laughing about how close their tee-balls landed (on #12)

With a par of seventy, and a white tee rating of 65.8, our three-some elected to play the blue tees with their slightly longer yardage and rating (6,050/68.5). There was a hint of promise as my opening drive flew straight and found the left fairway, but on approach to the blind first green my ball caught a tree and I had to scramble just to save bogey.

The best told story of the day was shared as we reached #17, a par three over the spring-fed creek. Bob shared how a few of the back nine holes were redone in 1995, and he played in a group the very first day the new routing was unveiled to the public - and had the shot of his life, an ace! Bob nearly became the first ever hole-in-one recorded at the new #17, just hour’s earlier someone had recorded the same feat on the same brand new hole. Still, an ace is an ace, and a lifetime achievement which few have the pleasure to experience.

When making a trip to the Spokane region, along with Riverfront Park, the Spokane River and Centennial Trail, be sure to place Wandermere Golf Course on your checklist of enjoyable and affordable outdoor family activities. Experience for yourself this recreational, Legacy on the Little Spokane River. www.wandermere.com

Course Pro Bobby shared that Wandermere’s Signature Hole is #16, an elevated dogleg left with OB on both sides of the fairway, but which tempts the golfer to try a shortcut through a stand of Ponderosa Pines. My experiment with Russian Roulette this day went further left than intended and struck one of the tree sentries standing guard, punishing me with a double bogey, tightening our match.

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— Robert Duvall, Seven Days in Utopia

How can a game have such an effect on a man’s soul. You don’t choose the game it chooses you, and when it does life and golf become forever connected.”

Steve jumped to the lead with a par, utilizing his coveted draw-shaped is the first of the elevated and water-guarded par three’s at Wandermere, and with the hole having been newly-lengthened this season all three of our balls were not struck crisply enough to hit the green, and we all settled for bogey. In fact, I didn’t get my first par until the seventh-hole, but fortunately avoiding any major trouble I was able to hold together a score of 43 on the outward track. Good enough to be tied for the lead as we headed to the back nine.

Learning a little more about Head Pro, Bobby Moore, who’s grown up at the course since he was five years old. Bobby shared that he first worked at Chase Bank after graduation but soon felt drawn to follow in his family’s footsteps and became a licensed golf pro. A personal highlight was shooting a career-best 63, but his uncle Bill Ross still holds the Wandermere course record of 60. The head pro is responsible for the pro shop, personnel, managing the cart fleet, tournaments and other facility operations, along with lesson instruction. On this day Bobby had brought his wife Shawna and his own young son to the course, continuing the family tradition. As our group of three made the turn I had my one errant penalty of the day, finding a large pond on the par-five tenth hole. But Steve and I remained neck and neck as we progressed through the back nine, and my nerves and heart-rate began to rise as I silently contemplated a chance for a win over my nemesis’ on the waning holes. Meanwhile, Bob who has been a low-handicap player for many years, was goodnaturedly commenting about posting a “personal record for number of sixes on my scorecard today.” Watching him utilize his taller ‘face-on’ putter was unique, the stance being to strike the putt while facing the hole, rather than the traditional sideward putting stance.

COME FOR THE GOLF, STAY FOR THE adventure

While the full eighteen-hole course was not completed until 1948, by the time the inaugural nine-hole course was opened in 1931, Wandermere was already being celebrated as a popular year-round family destination for seasonal winter sledding, ice-skating and summer swimming, diving, horse-riding and camping. Wandermere Lake was stocked with fish and patrons could enjoy an hour with their pole and reel for a halfOndollar.this day, my playing partners for a round at Wandermere were retired Vietnam War vet Steve Rodgers, who served our country honorably as part of a mortar group, and then as military police. Steve went on to work for many years in the Pacific NW as an educator. Also joining us was long-time Spokane radio broadcaster Bob Little. Bob shared how he grew up caddying nearby at (today’s) Kalispel Golf Club, in the days when young caddies were a common sight at most golf courses.

Holeshots.two

Most days my golf game resembles a real-life impersonation of the old Smother’s Brothers song, “Mediocre Fred,” with the occasional par and rare birdie interrupting a string of bogeys. But today, proceeding up the 18th fairway near the natural springs which have fed the property’s recreational activities for over a century, I was able to wave to my imaginary gallery of fans, coasting in with a three-shot victory. A rarity I will savor against these more experienced and talented partners, matching my front-nine with a respectable back-nine 43. As we collected our bags and headed out, we passed the newly finished outdoor patio which complements a full-service clubhouse banquet room, well-stocked for hosting tournaments and groups, and bringing to mind stories of the dances and winter parties hosted for guests of Wandermere, in bygone eras.

LEWISTON, ID • CLARKSTON, WA

Book a trip and enjoy a few rounds of golf and the mild weather in the Lewis Clark Valley. When the 19th hole rolls around, hang out at one of our many wineries, breweries, and restaurants. Adventure into Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge, on an exciting white water jet boat tour and explore the scenic vistas, world-class ﬁshing, and tales of legend and lore.

www.visitlcvalley.com | (509) 758-7489

Golf Cour seCour Kellogg, Idaho Visit silvermt.com for tee times Wandermere Golf Club 19NORTHWEST GOLF + TRAVEL

DAN SHEPHERD Circling Raven Golf Club M any of the world’s top professional golfers will tee it up in the Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY News 4 Now, as they compete in the Epson “Road to the LPGA” Tour’s season-long pursuit for 2023 LPGA Tour membership. Players from more than one dozen countries and several continents will descend upon Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel’s award-winning golf course – rated the No. 1 public course in Idaho and one of the best casino courses in America – for the second consecutive year. They will battle for shares of the $200,000 prize purse and they include two golfers with Idaho ties – Sophie Hausmann, who attended University of Idaho and has hovered around the tour’s top 10 throughout the 2022 season, and Gabby Lemieux (Caldwell, ID), the only Native American on a professional golf tour. Hausmann, a native of Germany, particularly enjoys coming back to Idaho and is a fan of Circling Raven and its tournament as she articulates in this video clip.

STELLAR FIELD, IDEAL CONDITIONS EPSON TOUR COEUR D’ALENE CASINO RESORT AUG. 26-28 Circling Raven Golf Club 22 NORTHWEST GOLF + TRAVEL

Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel

Circling Raven garnered rave reviews from players in the inaugural event last August and motivated players to return this year as this video testimonial from standout player Bailey Tardy illuminates.

For more details about this year’s tournament, contact Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel and Circling Raven at: 1.800.523.2464 or visit Aboutwww.cdacasino.comCirclingRaven

NORTHWEST GOLF + TRAVEL

Owned/operated by Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Circling Raven is in the scenic Idaho panhandle approximately 55 minutes from Spokane International Airport (GEG). Measuring 7,189 yards from the rear tees, the 18-hole layout sprawls magnificently through 620 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and Palouse grasses. Its gleaming white sand bunkers are large and strategically placed and its hole variety ingenious. 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; bars, restaurants, lounges, and eateries; cultural immersion options; and more. The casino just 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.

Spectator passes are available for purchase here and offer options of 1-, 2-, or 3-day passes. A week-long pass offers the best value ($40). One-day passes start at $10.

Lemieux is a three-time Idaho Golf Association Women’s Amateur Champion who played collegiately at Texas Tech. Her participation is fitting as the Coeur d’Alene Tribe owns and operates the casino resort and golf course. Perhaps the Native American essence that permeates Circling Raven – named after a seminal Tribal Chief and honoring generations of forebears via paying homage to them throughout the ancestral homelands – inspired Lemieux last year when she recorded her career-best Epson Tour finish of T3 at the 2021 Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY 4 News Now A compelling aspect of professional tour events is the option of host venues to secure participant exemptions for players who would not have been eligible to compete. Such is the case with Suzie Tran, a rising high school junior from Poulsbo, WA. Tran shot 71-70-65—206 (10-under par) to win the Notah Begay III (NB3) National Junior Golf Championship in Coushatta, La., last November in the girls 14-18 age group. Other players of note expected to tee play in the Circling Raven Championship include Linnea Strom and Grace Kim, nos. 3 and 6 on the money list, respectively, and both have won tournaments during the 2022 season. Other winners during the 2022 season who are currently committed to the field include Dottie Ardina, Gabriela Then, and Alexa Pano, currently no. 4 on the money list.

“We’re excited to host these exceptional players in the Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY News 4 Now,” said Laura Penney, CEO, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel. “We support empowering women and youth through the game. Speaking of support, we couldn’t undertake this immense endeavor without our sponsors who have stepped forward to help us stage a premier regional event.”

Testament to the exceptional talent found on the Epson is seen through its “graduates” who include Nelly Korda, Inbee Park, Patty Tavatanakit, Lorena Ochoa, and Madelene Sagstrom. Fourteen graduates competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.

Gabby Lemieux of Caldwell, ID, during last year’s inaugural Circling Raven Championship 23

ABOUT EPSON TOUR

ABOUT EPSON Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.

The Epson Tour (formerly the Symetra Tour) is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 42nd competitive season in 2022. With the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. In the last decade, the Epson Tour has grown from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in prize money to $4.41 million awarded across 20+ events in 2022. With more than 600 graduates and alumnae moving on to the LPGA Tour, former Epson Tour players have won 459 LPGA titles. Follow the Epson Tour at www.epsontour.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Circling Raven Golf Club

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion. Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and AllyMEDIAInstagram.CONTACT:Lutter,TourMedia Official, ally.lutter@lpga.com, 386-451-2155 Dan Shepherd, Circling Raven Golf Club publicist, danshepherdpr@gmail.com, 703-403-5317 Yvette Matt, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel Marketing Director, ymatt@cdacasino.com, 208-500-9989

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From the restaurants,award-winningascenicriver and mountainous backdrop, to culture like you wouldn’t believe, Boise has it all. There’s 15 public courses to try and over 200 days of sunshine a year – so no matter what time of year you come, you’re bound to enjoy. Visit boise.org to plan your next adventure.

wild foothills. manicured

courses. Indian Canyon Golf Course 26 NORTHWEST GOLF + TRAVEL

18 hole Championship Course 9 hole Freeman Course* 9 hole Robin Hood Course* 36 Holes of Great Golf! * Opening this fall Click to Book a Tee CTime lick to Book a Tee Time 208.362.8897 Reveille All Age Community Trilogy 55+ Resort Community® valoridaho.com Sign up to receive updates on the Northwest's newest golf communities: Kuna, Idaho Click to MAP it! 27NORTHWEST GOLF + TRAVEL

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