Gene Bates Design Ranks No. 2 Nationally in ‘Overall Value’ and No. 5 in ‘Quality of Course’
(WORLEY, Idaho) – GolfWorld magazine readers cast more than 46,000 votes and 600,000 criteria evaluations which led to its just released second annual Readers’ Choice Awards, and Circling Raven Golf Club came out a resounding top choice.
GolfWorld readers think so highly of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe owned and operated course located in the Idaho panhandle – a scenic, short drive from Spokane Airport (GEG) – that they voted it No. 2 nationally in the all-important “Overall Value” category, top five for “Quality of Course”.
Only erstwhile Ryder Cup competition venue Kiawah Island scored higher in the all-important “Value” category. Kiawah, Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits and TPC Sawgrass were the only four properties to score higher than Circling Raven in “Quality of Course.” Of course, these courses have hosted Ryder Cup, USGA and or PGA of America championships.
“Critical acclaim is important and we value it to a high degree because it means we’re doing many things exceptionally well,” said Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel CEO David Lasarte-Meeks. “However, being honored by GolfWorld readers – and so highly for value and course quality – is particularly gratifying. These are people who spend their hard-earned dollars to play and who deliver unvarnished objectivity through their votes.”
Value and course quality aren’t the only two categories where Circling Raven shined. It scored so high in the categories of service, food/dining, course conditions, speed of play, and golf pro shop that it not only earned a place in GolfWorld’s Readers’ Choice Top 50 Resort Courses, but it ranks No. 19 overall.
Considering the vast majority of Top 50 Resort Courses cost almost double Circling Raven to play it’s no wonder it scored so well in “Overall Value.”
Complete results can be found at: http://www.golfdigest.com/golfworld/2009/09/golf_readers_choice_top_50_resort
Circling Raven is an amenity of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel. This is the second national honor Circling Raven has recently received for its value. Golf Digest magazine ranked Circling Raven No. 17 in its “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses Re-Ranked By Price” list (September 2009 issue), which was only available to members of the publication’s esteemed “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” list for 2009-10.
Also ranking high on the GolfWorld Readers’ Choice list is Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course, which is a beautiful 30-minute drive from Circling Raven. Both courses are on the Idaho Golf Trail’s northern loop and offer stay-and-play packages, both individually and together.
Circling Raven has accumulated more than 40 awards since its first full season (2004), recent accolades include:
* Resort Merchandiser of the Year National Finalist – PGA of America
2009
* Top 100 Courses You Can Play 2008-09 – GOLF Magazine
* Top-40 Casino Courses in the U.S. (No. 4) – Golf Digest
* No. 1 in Idaho, America’s Best Courses You Can Play – Golfweek
Magazine 2009
* Top U.S. Resort Courses – Golfweek Magazine 2008
* America’s Top Golf Courses – Zagat Survey 2007-08 rankings
* No. 1 Tribal Golf Course in America – Native American Casino
Magazine 2008
* Top 36 Resort Courses in the West – Fairways + Greens Magazine 2008
* Resort Merchandiser of the Year – PGA of America Northwest Section
2008
* Resort Merchandiser of the Year – Inland Empire Chapter of the PGA
2008
* Service Excellence Award by the Coeur d’Alene Area Chapter of the
Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor
For more information about Circling Raven Golf Club or Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort & Hotel call 1-800-523-2464 or visit www.circlingraven.com.
About Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort & Hotel
Owned and operated by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and convenient to Spokane (WA) airport, the casino resort and golf club are nestled on a reservation covering 345,000 acres of mountains, lakes, old-growth forest and farmland. The resort spans the western edge of the northern Rocky Mountains. Tribal history also tells us that Circling Raven was a spiritually powerful leader, his name coming from his close relationship to the raven, who helped guide him on his journeys, warn him of danger and show him where to find fish and game.
Circling Raven was created amid a unique blend of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands. At 7,189 yards, the par 72 championship layout meanders through 620 acres, only 100 representing cultivated ground. Wildlife is abundant, including elk, deer, moose and an occasional black bear. In fact, the opening was delayed due to damage on two greens by migrating elk.
Golf Course
* Yardages: Gold, 7,189; Blue, 6,578; White, 6,108; Red, 5,389; Green, 4,708
* Total Acreage: 670 (including practice area, practice green and clubhouse)
* Amenities: The clubhouse is 6,500 square feet, including the Twisted Earth Grill and full service bar. Both locker rooms include showers and lockers. The practice facility covers 25 acres; separated into areas for wedges, sand play and all clubs in the bag. The Stensgar Pavilion adjacent to the course is a full service event venue, used for golf, business, wedding and other events.
* The casino resort hotel adjacent to the course includes 202 rooms, casino, restaurants, and other amenities.
The Coeur d’Alene Casino offers 1,800 machines for play in smoking and non-smoking areas, off-track betting for horse and dog races, high-stakes bingo, entertainment and many other amenities. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week every day of the year. The resort is regularly voted the most popular casino in the Inland Northwest.
Contact:
Dan Shepherd, Buffalo Communications, 703-891-3320,
dshepherd@billycaspergolf.com, www.buffalocommunications.com
