A Golf Experience Like No Other

In and along the crystal-clear waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene in northwest Idaho is a golf experience unlike any other in the U.S.

The signature element of the Couer d’Alene Resort Course, a manicured marvel set against the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest, is undeniably the iconic floating green – the only one of its kind among the nation’s nearly 16,000 golf courses.

But the experience goes much deeper at the CDA Golf & Spa Resort.

There’s the practice range where guests hit floating balls into a lake that’s been recognized by National Geographic as one of five most beautiful in the world, and the complementary pre-round chair massage that not only works out any kinks and tightness but promises to “take six shots off your score,” at least according to one optimistic masseuse. There are the excellent forecaddies that accompany each group around the scenic and sometimes tight confines of the impeccably manicured resort course, reading greens, offering strategic advice, finding errant shots, raking bunkers, serving as a steady presence when their player’s swing goes south, and even offering a bit of a history lesson on the course and the area. There are the luxury golf carts with ultra-comfort seating, and water the taxis to and from the resort every half hour.

The Floating Green

But for many golfers, that’s all a pampered and dramatic buildup to the par 3 14^th hole, one of the most unique in the world of golf.

The 2,200-ton floating green is a show-stopper and an engineering marvel, tethered offshore by underwater cables and surrounded not only by water but the stunning scenery that defines the Pacific Northwest.

The distance of the hole can be adjusted by operators as they see fit – typically the main guest tees play in the neighborhood of 150 to 165 yards, and the only access to the green is via a classic, mahogany wood boat called ’Putter’ that ferries guests and golfers back and forth. Divers pull between 25,000 and 30,000 balls out of the lake every year, going in every couple of weeks during peak season.

While the 14^th hole is the exclamation point, the par 3 holes overall at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Course are absolute stunners, most playing either along the lake or having downhill shots that employ the lake as a visually arresting backdrop. Three of the first six holes are par 3s, with the par-71 layout having five overall.

CDA Resort Hotel

The golf course is just down the street from the CDA Resort’s 17-story, 338-room Lake Tower, which rises above downtown Coeur d’Alene on the water’s edge. The location makes for an easy walk to restaurants, shops, and of course the sizeable marina. Hundreds of boats are docked in the water just behind the hotel and seaplanes at one of the neighboring slips invite visitors on scenic rides along the 26-mile-long lake.

While there are a host of restaurants nearby, the CDA Resort offers Beverly’s, which houses the largest wine cellar in the Pacific Northwest and boasts panoramic lake views, and casual dining at Dockside, which is famous for its 18-foot-long salad bar and its popular Gooey desserts. The latter are sundae behemoths, with the Chocolate Obsession Gooey, for example, including chocolate and vanilla ice cream with frosted brownies, hot fudge, chocolate chips, Hershey’s bars, milk chocolate and white chocolate chunks, chocolate mousse, chocolate covered toasted almost clusters, and Ghiardelli’s White Chocolate Sauce.

The resort amenities extend to its 30,000-square-foot spa, 32,000 square feet of convention and meeting space, and of course Lake Coeur d’Alene.

The golf course itself opened in 1991, five years after the resort was co-founded by Duane Hagadone and Jerry Jaeger. The vision of the overall 200-acre resort was straightforward: establish a pillar of excellent hospitality in the Northwest. The golf course has achieved similar positioning, with memorable holes, scenic beauty and a manicured setting that rivals many botanical gardens.

It’s both an escape and an experience – and one of the most unique in the golf world.