I Heart Coeur d’ Alene
July 26th, 2011 | 1 Comment
Written by guest blogger Danielle Gruden
Blue skies for miles. Blue waters beyond what the eyes can see. Coeur d’ Alene — This place is crazy-beautiful. The Coeur d’ Alene Resort is filled with treasures, from the lakeside rooms, to an out-of-this-world wine cellar, to the new event center. You can take a walk at Tubb’s hill, grab a bite at the famous and exquisite Beverly’s restaurant or take a cruise on Lake Coeur d’ Alene for dinner and entertainment.
It didn’t take long to pick my favorites: First, Lake Coeur d’Alene. It was beautiful and I couldn’t help but stare. People were sailing, fishing, boating and water skiing while the lake cruise boats passed slowly by. Blue waters lapped at sandy beaches and giant trees painted the landscape green. A bad picture isn’t possible – trust me, I tried. I thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks, but somehow at every awkward angle, the shots were still stunning.
Another favorite – my meal at Beverly’s. What a treat. From the service, to the wine, to the orange muffins – everything was perfect. The view of the lake only heightened the experience.
And finally, the wine cellar at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Tours of the wine cellar are offered, so I jumped at the opportunity. I was lucky enough to hold a 1945 French Bordeaux in my hands and wanted to cry when I let it go. Shelves and racks covered the cellar, creating an elaborate display of not only amazing worldly varietals, but the best selection of Northwest wines I have seen. I kept reminding myself I was in Idaho.
I am in no way a jet-setter, but have been lucky enough to travel quite a bit. One of my favorite places in this world is Italy – and now I’m adding Coeur d’Alene to that list. I have fallen in love. Coeur d’ Alene stole my heart the second I stepped onto the sandy beaches. Miles away from work, school and life, I found calm in this serene setting. This place was like having ice cream – but in a chocolate dipped waffle cone, topped with hot fudge, fresh whipped cream, roasted almonds and a cherry.
Golf at Teton Springs Resort and the Headwaters Golf Club
June 29th, 2011 | 1 Comment
At Teton Springs, green grass has poked through the moisture rich earth and the trees have sprout. The creeks are bulging and the whitewater rafts are out of storage. I’m so happy! This means a new and dynamic summer is here for everyone to enjoy, both the residents who call the Teton Valley home, and for all the visitors who come to play and stay with us over the next 3 months. Soon, we all will be playing outside and constantly wondering – what to do – what to do – what to do next!
The late Byron Nelson, one of golf’s most legendary professionals, and also one of the nicest men you’ll ever meet (I’ve had the pleasure), designed the Headwaters Course (actually two at Teton Springs, there’s a fun par 3 course here too). You will often see the term “award-winning” in the same sentence with Headwaters and it’s easy to understand why. This course is simply gorgeous and set in Teton Valley’s most spectacular landscape. It also appeals to golfers of all ability levels with its five sets of dedicated tee markers. So, whether you’re a scratch golfer, or a duffer like me, the joy is the same when playing Headwaters. There’s also an amazing pro staff standing at attention and ready to help get the kinks out of your swing, or, get you started with the basics. Matt and his staff will even play the course with you as part of the instruction. It’s relaxed and ever so pleasant at this facility; you’ll learn fast.
All golfers know that the key element to success in this game is keeping your head down and watching that silly white ball. Easier said than
done when all you want to do on this course is take in the sights and sounds that surround you in virtually every direction; the lakes, the mountains and especially the resident bald eagle who often hangs on the 7th hole. It’s definitely not easy keeping your head down on this course.
Play one of the best courses in the Rocky Mountains. Trust me!
Golfing at Eagle Hills Golf Course
June 27th, 2011 | 1 Comment
Written by guest blogger Shane Quarles
It’s Saturday morning, 6 o’clock. My 17-year-old son, me and two of my buddies have an 7:54 tee time at Eagle Hills Golf Course. Excited, you bet, our first round of the season.
To prepare for our champion style day, my son and I have a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon and potatoes with a big glass of OJ. We put on our golfing attire, which has definitely improved over the past couple of years – very fashionable if I might say so. With Bermuda shorts and a collared shirt slightly tucked in – we are ready to rock the course.
We load up the clubs and we’re off. We arrive at the golf course just after 7 o’clock. Time to hit a bucket of balls and spend some time on the practice green. It is a beautiful morning. The sound of birds singing, the smell of freshly cut grass and that unmistakable sound that a driver makes when it cracks the ball. We spend the next half hour warming up on the driving range. The swing feels pretty good for being this early in the season. Next stop, the putting green. It’s a busy morning, a lot of golfers are out. It’s going to be a great day here in Idaho.
We perform the ceremonial tee toss to see who gets to hit first; my son is the unlucky winner. He, who has played little golf,
is up. He pulls out the driver and makes a couple of practice swings. Then, whack, straight down the middle about 230 yards. He smiles as if he has done that a thousand times.
Now, it’s my turn. I opt for the 4 iron. I know that if I hit it well, I will only have about 140 yards left to the green. I make a couple of the greatest practice swings known to man, and then I step up for the shot. All of the things I was taught by my father are racing through my head. Stay down, keep your eye on the ball, keep your left arm straight, nice easy back swing and then “Whack”. The brilliant white, brand new golf ball screams across the grass, aka “the worm burner” about 50 yards off the tee box. Barely making it past the women’s tee box, thank goodness. We all know what happens if you don’t. For those of you who don’t know, just ask any seasoned golfer. I’m sure they will happily fill you in. Now it’s Justin’s turn. He stripes his 5 iron up next to my sons ball. After a short walk, it’s my turn again. My friends offer up some words of encouragement as only friends can do. Stuff like, “Did you hit that one with your purse?”
Whack, what a feeling, the ball is actually in the air, flying straight at the pin. The ball lands on the green and stops about 15 feet from the hole. “Nice shot” Justin exclaims. We battled back and forth all day. Enjoying each others company and the perfect weather as well as Bloody Mary at the turn, except for my son, he had a pop and hotdog. We referred to the cocktail as aiming oil.
I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend a Saturday. Mark Twain said, “Golf is a good walk spoiled”. I beg to differ. We all finished the day with rounds in the low 90’s and even my son broke 100. I reminded him that 80% of the people who play golf never break 100. That brought a smile to his face. The skins were almost even with only one sandy that my son won on the 17th hole. We are looking forward to a great summer in Idaho and many more rounds. These memories I will have forever.
Family Adventures in Garden Valley
June 10th, 2011 | 1 Comment
Written by guest blogger Kellie Kluksdal
Living in Idaho most of my life and working for the Idaho Division of Tourism, you’d think I had seen and done all there is to do here in Idaho. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I have done a lot…. but not nearly everything. Take, for example, the little town of Crouch, nestled up in Garden Valley, Idaho. Cute little place, not a lot of “stuff” to distract you from the natural beauty, but I had never spent any time there.
Lucky for me, my in-laws just built a cabin there and were kind enough to loan it to my family for the weekend. So we packed up the car, and everything we could possibly need for 3 days away, and headed out.
Driving highway 55, I always love looking at the river. I love rafting, I just don’t get to do it as much as I’d like. Having 2 little kids will do that to you, but I can dream…someday we can take them along.
We arrived at the cabin about 5:30pm with just enough time to settle in, make dinner, and get a good fire going for the evening.
The next day was time for activities. Golf, swimming and hiking were all on the list for the day. The Terrace Lakes Golf Course is a nice little par 72 and even for someone like me who doesn’t golf more than twice a year – I didn’t do too bad. The kids loved swimming in the natural hot springs pools and of course hiking through the woods. To get
my 3 ½ year old out on a walk, I bribed her by telling her we were looking for wildflowers and the ones she picked would become a bouquet for the dinner table that night. Well that worked! We spent the next hour looking for every flower (ok weed) we could find and came up with a beautiful array she was incredibly proud to display for everyone at dinner.
We took 4-wheeler rides through the area on old gravel roads and stopped at many points along the way to take in
the view. Snow still sits up on top of the mountains in the distance and I couldn’t help thinking “seriously? It’s JUNE!”
I think it took getting away from it all for a weekend to truly appreciate what we have here in Idaho. Working so closely with it, I tend to forget just how awesome this state is and why so many people are so jealous of what we have.
Idaho Golf
June 1st, 2011 | No Comments
From lakeside greens in Northern Idaho to mountain landscapes in the Southern part of the state, the sun is finally peeking through the clouds and courses are officially open all over Idaho.
The Idaho Golf Trail is a golfer’s playground including four loops which feature 14 courses of world-class golfing. The courses selected for the Idaho Golf Trail are situated in or near resort-style settings to provide the ultimate luxury golf experience. Ranging from the Scottish-style layout at Banbury to the 60 white-sand bunkers at Circling Raven, the Idaho Golf Trail offers something for golfers of all skill levels from beginners to the pros.
A few highlights of some of the golf trail courses include: Teton Reserve Golf Course provides the first and only 18-hole reversible championship golf course, home to 4 different 18-hole courses. This course also features a double ended, 500-yard practice facility.
Sun Valley Golf Course features 27 holes set in pure pristine beauty. If you are anxious to start golfing a.s.a.p., feel free to check out their new Sun Valley Virtual Golf Center. Here you can gear up for the season’s best golfing opportunities by practicing your strokes and sharpening your short game.
Several of Idaho’s top resorts were recently featured in Golf Week’s 2011 Best Resort Courses
including Osprey Meadows-Tamarack Resort, Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Resort. Also listed were the 2011 Best Courses You Can Play where Osprey Meadows, Circling Raven, Coeur d’Alene, Whitetail Golf Course, and Jug Mountain Ranch all made the list.
Many of Idaho’s golf courses have new happenings this summer:
Pine Crest Golf Course is celebrating its 75th anniversary this season. As Idaho’s third oldest course Pine Crest is a favorite of PGA Hall of Fame Member Sam Snead. A 75th Anniversary Tournament will be held August 12-13 to commemorate the event.
Headwaters Gold Club at Teton Springs is hosting the 2011 Idaho Golf Association Men’s State Ametuer Championship July 15-17.
For more information, deals and packages visit the Idaho Golf Trail.
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