Cascade Golfer Short Game Extra

Circling Raven’s bold moves lead to mesmerizing journey through forest and wetlands

At the start of the century, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe began speaking with architects about designing a golf course on its ancestral land 35 miles southeast of Spokane, and only one suggested building it on the east side of Highway 95. Gene Bates knew it was a bold move, as the plan put forward by others had none of the potential obstacles his proposed site had, but he was convinced it had the potential to produce a far better golf course.

“I knew it was risky as the wetlands and railroad might make it unworkable,” says Bates. “But that was before I developed a better understanding of tribal politics. Because the course would be on sovereign land, it would be controlled by the Tribe’s own environmental department. So, though they certainly wanted to be sensitive and respect their land, they didn’t feel nearly as nervous about using it as I had.”

Bates did grow a little anxious, though, when the original contractor hired to build the course went bankrupt a few weeks into construction. But it didn’t take too long for a replacement contractor to be found.

“After considering all the options,” says Bates, “I asked the tribe if my brother, Gary, could come on as project manager and his son, Casey, as lead shaper. Tribal members worked on the course, too. We hired the occasional sub-contractor, but basically, we built the course ourselves.”

Circling Raven would eventually cover an astonishing 620 acres, roughly 100 of which are maintained. Golfers are taken on a mesmerizing journey through forest and wetlands, over high ground and low, with a majority of holes completely cut off from the others. Bates’ team worked hard to create a few of them, but many were simply waiting to be discovered and shaped into something attractive and compelling.

“We needed to do some drilling and blasting to create the sixth and eighth holes and move a lot of dirt around the second and fourth,” he says. “But a few months into construction after we’d cleared everything and could start shaping holes, we were hit by how amazing a site it really was.”

Bates is rightly proud of all the holes, but says the 581-yard, par 5 12th might be his favorite.

“There’s a few ways to play it,” he adds. “Off the tee, you can take the safe route left of the tree or take on a tougher drive to the right of it, and hopefully catch the speed slot which might get you within range of the green for your second shot.”

No doubt the 12th is an exciting hole − and many people’s top pick − though Director of Golf Operations Chris Runyan chooses the par-4 15th, where Bates had encountered a number of moose when building the course.

“It’s just a beautiful hole through the trees and down the hill,” says Runyan. “But there’s so many wonderful holes here. And they’re separate from each other, so you usually have this great feeling of being out there by yourself.”

Runyan, who has been at Circling Raven since November 2022, first visited the course in 2004. At the time, he was the head professional at Priest Lake GC (about 100 miles north) and started bringing groups to play there. He says that thanks to the efforts of Superintendent Kal Zaranec and his predecessor Brian Woster, who arrived in January 2001 and remained at the course for two decades, it is invariably in excellent condition.

Since 2021, it has hosted the Epson Tour’s Circling Raven Championship (Aug. 25-27). Last year’s event was won by China’s Yue Ren, who beat Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen in extra holes after both players had completed three rounds at 13-under 203. Ren made six birdies between her third and 10th holes on Sunday, going bogey-free, and eventually carding an eight-under 64. Anyone that has played Circling Raven knows how impressive that is.

The course frequently appears in major golf publications’ top-100 U.S. public course rankings. Though Bates worked with Ron Kirby and Gary Player in the late 1970s, Jack Nicklaus in the 80s, and later with Fred Couples and Johnny Miller, his design at Circling Raven might be better than anything he built prior. His other Northwest course on tribal land, Salish Cliffs, should probably be part of that conversation, too. It took talent, experience, vision, and guts to conceive, design and build the course, though Bates will tell you he couldn’t have done it without considerable help from the Coeur d’Alenes.

“I will never forget the faith they showed in me,” he says. “They backed me every step of the way, and there was no way I was ever going to let them down.”