[Mark Saltzman]

I had been told that the CDA Resort Course was nothing special architecturally.  Nevertheless, there was no way I was going to be in the area and not play the famous floating green.  

General thoughts:

1) There is a definite focus on beauty over brains.  The golf course was as green as any golf course I have every played, and as a result, was as soft as any course I have ever played.  Despite recent dry weather, balls regularly backed up in the fairways and plugged in their pitch-marks on the green.  But heck, it looks good.

2) There are way too many trees, but see point 1.  On many holes trees encroached on playing corridors and made for worse golf holes.  But, I think most resort golfers don't mind.  Standing on the 2nd tee I said to the three guys I was playing with that the trees on the right really encroached on the fairway and I thought the hole would be better if a few were removed.  They all looked at me like I was crazy and one told me, "but the trees look really good."  

3) A few of the holes are poorly conceived.  For example, the fairway on hole 4 is, at its widest, 19 yards wide and it narrows to 10 yards in places.  And, only half of that width allows you to see the green.  Another example is a back pin placement on hole 5.  There the green is a total of 6 yards wide.

4) Green contours are all but nonexistent

5) The island green is pretty cool and darned intimidating.

On to the pictures...


All yardages from the 6900 yard gold (back) tees.


Hole 1: Par 5, 540 Yards

A gentle, simple opener.  In no way does it prepare you for the narrowness that is holes 2-7.









Massive bunker right of green




Hole 2, Par 4, 481 Yards

Nowhere was the need for tree removal more apparent than on this hole.  From the back tees, half of the narrow fairway is blocked by trees less than 100 yards from the tee (just ask 2 of my playing partners if they're in play!).

View from gold tee




From the middle tees, the fairway is narrow but not blocked-out by trees




If you do manage to find the fairway, it better be on the left side. If you think you've hit a perfectly shaped fade around the trees to the right side of the fairway and you're sitting pretty, think again.  Shots in the right side of the fairway are blocked out by trees short of the green:




The left side is more inviting:




Short of green



From behind




Hole 3: Par 3, 155 Yards

The set of three trees to the right block a good portion of the green.  Half of our group nicked those trees and were left 70 yards short of this 155 yard hole.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 4: Par 4, 322 Yards

A very short par 4, but of little interest.  The fairway is just too narrow.  One has almost no choice but to try and lay up between the bunkers where the fairway is widest (at just under 20 yards).  Challenging the bunker, the fairway narrows to 11 yards.









A look back at the narrow fairway




Hole 5: Par 3, 148 Yards

The first of back-to-back picturesque par 3s.  This one is an island of sorts, surrounded by sand.  Certainly the most interestingly shaped green on the golf course, but the shaping is, in my opinion poorly conceived.  The fingers of the green are just too narrow.  For example, the green is just 6 yards wide where the pin was located on the day I played.






This picture does not show just how tiny that back portion of the green is




Hole 6: Par 3, 169 Yards

Downhill, scenic and semi-blind (from the back tees) with as flat a green as you will ever find.

View from gold tees



From member tees



From 7 tee




Really flat green

[Matt Bosela]

Mark,

First of all, this is quite the trip you're on - where in the hell do you find all the time to post the photos?  You are a beast!  Your efforts are appreciated!

Secondly - I can't comment on the architecture since I haven't played the course before but at the very least, this is some seriously first-rate eye candy.

[Kalen Braley]

I've played the resort course in CDA and can confirm that the course does contain massive amounts of eye candy.  A few of the holes have some architectual interest on the back 9...but Mark is correct, its certainly a beauty over brains gig at the resort.

No doubt holes 3-6 they had to figure out what to do with that awkward chunk of land so they have 3 par 3's and a very short par 4.  Its driveable, but I don't know who in thier right mind would try as left, long, or right is absolutely dead.  When I played there I hit 7 iron off the tee and wedge to the green.

P.S. Standing on that 3rd tee is awesome because you have a sweeping view of a good portion of the lake.  And if you look close you can even see a hole or two on the Gozzer course from afar.

[Mark Saltzman]

Kalen,

The best part of the golf course is that you can see another golf course?  Doesn't sound to me like somewhere you really want to be playing.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 7: Par 4, 435 Yards

A difficult hole with another tree-lined tee shot.  Those trees that should be removed right of two are some of the same trees that should be removed right of 7.  And while they're taking those trees out on the right of 7, they should also think about taking some trees out from the left of 7.

Off the tee, trees block out the right side of the fairway, which is the ideal place to be.

Tee






Skirting the trees and hitting a ball down the middle, leaves an approach with trees in the way:




Hole 8: Par 4, 437 Yards

This hole has a tree in the way, though I think they did that on purpose here!




Left or right of the tree, your choice, the approach is basically the same from either side (left is slightly better, but not a big deal)




Hole 9: Par 5, 601 Yards

Those trees in the picture actually block out half of the fairway.  Again, my playing partner hit them off the tee, leaving a 2nd shot of some 575 yards.




From the middle tees, the trees are not an issue:



Much like the tee shot, a single bunker on the right dictates play:




Approach




This green had some interesting contouring/runoffs, but with the soft conditions they didn't really have much impact on play






On the 9th green you get a quick peek at the famous island 14th.  Something to think about and a reminder that you have 4 more holes to find your swing!

[Kalen Braley]

Kalen,

The best part of the golf course is that you can see another golf course?  Doesn't sound to me like somewhere you really want to be playing.

Hey now,

Never said it was the best part of CDA Resort course...only that the view on the 3rd tee is one of the nicest on the course being right next to the lake.  Along with the view on 13 and 14.

Will be interesting to see what you think of the 4 hole stretch of 11-14...in my mind the best stretch of holes there.

[Mark Saltzman]

Kalen,

I don't know about the whole stretch of 11-14 being great, but 11 was by far the best hole on the golf course (and is a very good hole).  It reminded my a lot of 17 at Cascades.

[Anthony Gray]

  Is it worth going out of your way for?

  Anthony

[Kalen Braley]

Kalen,

I don't know about the whole stretch of 11-14 being great, but 11 was by far the best hole on the golf course (and is a very good hole).  It reminded my a lot of 17 at Cascades.

Mark,

I'm not trying to be a stickler...but I would prefer not to be implicated that I used the word "great".

From my previous post:

Will be interesting to see what you think of the 4 hole stretch of 11-14...in my mind the best stretch of holes there.

I was only trying to convey it was the best stretch of holes on the course.  I certainly wouldn't call anything that can be found at CDA Resort course great.

[Kalen Braley]

  Is it worth going out of your way for?

  Anthony

Anthony,

The short answer is no.  If you ever find yourself in the Spokane/CDA area, here's how I would rate the top 6 courses in order of which ones you should play 1st and so on down.

1)  Gozzer Ranch
2)  Black Rock
3)  Idaho Club
4)  Circling Raven
5)  Indian Canyon
6)  CDA Resort Course

(PS. I intentionally left out Palouse Ridge and Wine Valley because they are some ways away from here, even though they are in the same general extended area.  Safe to say, they would both be well ahead of the resort as well.)

So if you lived here or were visiting here for a week or more, then sure by all means, give it a play.  But if you were only in town for a couple of days....not so much.

[Mark Saltzman]

Kalen,

My apologies. Don't know why I misquoted you.

[Kalen Braley]

Kalen,

My apologies. Don't know why I misquoted you.

Not a problem, just wanted to make sure no one thought I was crazy by calling holes at the resort "great".

See you this weekend.  Looks like its a nice scottish forecast in the works!! 

[Rick Shefchik]

My wife and I played there on our way through Idaho back in 1997. I remember the course fondly; it looked just like it does in these photos: pretty as all get-out. I'm very glad we played it before I discovered GCA and came to understand I'm not supposed to enjoy courses like CDA.

[Mark Saltzman]

Rick, I think there is a big difference between enjoying playing a course and thinking it is a good one. I enjoyed playing cda and was really excited to play the famous island green. I also really enjoyed Old Head, I thought it was one of the prettiest golf courses I ever played.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 10: Par 4, 469 Yards

A big-boy par 4.  Off the tee the only issue is avoiding the large bunker down the right. I obviously played the wrong tees since the bunkers were well out of my range at 290 yards and I was free to wail away on the tee shot.

Approaches from the left provide to clearest view of the green as approaches from the right suffer a semi-blind approach over the fairway bunker.  The green appears to accepts shots from both sides equally.









Hole 11: Par 5, 538 Yards

My favorite hole on the course.  There is plenty of width, but the fairway slopes (gently) right to left.  If you want to get home in two, you must play up the right edge of the fairway to allow for the kick left and still be able to see the green (too far left would be blocked out by trees).

A fairly straightforward lay-up, but bunkers at the end of the fairway do stop a player from hitting away aimlessly.












Hole 12: Par 3, 249 Yards

A very long par 3, but wide open short of the green to allow for shots to be run-on.  Again, with the soft conditions this is very difficult.

There is water on three sides of the green, but given the length of the hole, I'll bet it rarely comes into play as most players will miss short.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 13: Par 4, 368 Yards

A little bit more filler until the long wait to play the island green is over.  A pretty par-4 that is nothing more than a lay-up short of where the water juts into the fairway and a short-iron.



From right




From too far right (a popular spot with lake left)




From centre







Hole 14: Par 3, 218 Yards

The day I played it, the green was playing 198 yards into a steady 1-club wind.  17 at Sawgrass eat your heart out. I hit 8-iron at Sawgrass; hybrid at CDA and there is a gallery as the 14th is overlooked by the clubhouse/restaurant.

My caddie informed the group that the average group hits 8 shots on the hole, and 1 will be dry.  I hit first.  I was dry.  Everyone else put two in the water. Just to test her stats, I hit a second ball --- water.  She was right, 1/8.










Hole 15: Par 5, 495 Yards

A good short par 5.  If you want a clear look at the green, you must challenge the bunker on the left.






From the centre of the fairway, trees block out a large portion of the green.




Is it possible to hit it over the trees?  I don't think so...

[Kalen Braley]

Mark,

Thanks for posting those.  198 sounds crazy...the day I played it, it was playing 165 from the whites, and was also into a 1 club wind.  Its a tough hole and I also put two in the water.

P.S.  Bummer to see that monstrosity of a building ruin #11 and 12.  When I played it last, that wasn't there.

Out of curiosity, where would you rank the course on the Doak Scale?

Kalen

[Michael Taylor]

Wouldn't the island green be a nightmare to maintain?

And is it a feasible option to take a rip at driving the 4th green? I remember playing the course many a time on TW PGA Tour and it looked a lot easier on that game than in your photos!

[Mark Saltzman]

Kalen,

I would put somewhere between a Doak 2-3. But it does have the tourist factor of the floating green, so I cannot recommend that someone in the area not play it once.

And you're right about the ugly building. You can spot it all the way from Gozzer.


Michael,

4 plays over 320 yards to a blind, uphill green with hazard on 3 sides and a large rock short.  And you can't run the ball onto the green because of a hill with rough one it short of the green.  Never mind that I can't hit it anywhere near far enough to drive the green, even if I could, I don't think I would ever try.

[Joe_Tucholski]

Kalen,

I would put somewhere between a Doak 2-3. But it does have the tourist factor of the floating green, so I cannot recommend that someone in the area not play it once.

And you're right about the ugly building. You can spot it all the way from Gozzer.


Michael,

4 plays over 320 yards to a blind, uphill green with hazard on 3 sides and a large rock short.  And you can't run the ball onto the green because of a hill with rough one it short of the green.  Never mind that I can't hit it anywhere near far enough to drive the green, even if I could, I don't think I would ever try.

So you would put this below the average course in the world rating it a 2 - 3.  This may be true and I'm just not able to put on architectural blinders and get past scenic beauty, novelty and conditioning.  I also may have a different view on what is average in my limited number of courses played.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 16: Par 4, 429 Yards

My caddie told me that this hole was the CDA Resort's version of a links hole.  I'm convinced she had no idea what that means.  Anyways...

The tee shot is dominated by a large bunker on the right that must be avoided.




The approach is about the same from all angles.




There is no running the ball onto this green, even if the course were firmer, as there is rough on all sides.




Hole 17: Par 4, 269 Yards










Hole 18: Par 4, 482 Yards






And a bonus, even the entrance to the restroom at CDA Resort is pretty:

[Tim_Weiman]

Forget what you might have heard about Couer D'Alene being nothing special architectually. That's not the point.

It is a beautiful lake. The boat ride from the resort to the golf course is pretty nice. The resort has a great wine selection. Lastly, the island green is cool to do at least once.

Not dying to go back, but it was kind of fun........especially if you get invited and someone else is paying the bill.

[Kalen Braley]

I could see the course being a 4 on the Doak scale with some of the holes like 11 and 14...they are pretty interesting holes. And yes Tim is correct, it is after all a resort course, so they aren't trying to beat people over the head with tough brutal holes.

My biggest complaint is that you don't get what you pay for in terms of interest on the golf course.  The high greens fees you pay (roughly $200 in peak season) go towards immaculate conditions, excellent customer service, having caddies, everything being in tip top shape, etc, etc.

With so many other interesting options in the general area that can be played for $30 or less, I honestly never have a reason to play there.

P.S.  My one playing of the place came was when someone else was paying the bill as Tim suggest too!

[Matthew Petersen]

I'm not sure I've ever seen or heard of a course where the quality of the architecture was in direct relation to the price you pay.

It doesn't look like the world's most interesting golf course, and the routing (I like to pull up a Google map and figure it out as I do a photo tour) looks pretty crazy. I don't have such a problem with trees, however. They don't particularly bother me as a hazard. They're unique as a hazard that requires calculation even when the ball is in the air and can really force a player to either work the ball or choose less desirable angles. That's fine by me. That said, it looks like all that is a bit overused here and probably mostly because this course seems really squeezed onto the land. Mark points out that the trees that bother him on 2 and 7 are the same trees--I'm sure that's to keep the number of balls in the wrong fairway to a minimum. That's a part of GCA, too ... just not one we like to think of so much.

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