GOLFI FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2012 I SPECIAL SECTION

SPOKESMAN.COM/GOLF CHECK OUT OUR GOLF PAGE FOR LATEST LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL NEWS

No small potatoesBoise area offers impressive variety of courses

with familiar playability and price range. PAGES 4-9

Falcon Crest GC in Kuna, Idaho, features many picturesque holes like No. 7, a 400-yard water-lined offering.

Perfectly polishedBanBury GC offers the perfect balance ofchallenging and worry-free holes, designed by Palouse Ridge mastermind John Harbottle.

STORY, PAGES 8-9

GOLF 2012 – BOISEPage 2 Friday, June 1, 2012 The Spokesman-Review

I ’ve spent some time in Boise. I watched future Olympian

Ian Waltz launch the discusso far that officials at the 1995state track meet had to find alonger tape to measure hisrecord throw.

I covered numerous Idaho-Boise Statefootball showdowns, including theVandals’ gutsy two-point conversion thatclinched a Humanitarian Bowl berth in1998.

On a recent trip I started counting thedifferent hotels I’d stayed in, reaching 12without hesitation and 20 in a matter ofminutes.

The first two, by the way, are longgone and have been converted into otherbusinesses.

What I hadn’t done in Boise is playmuch golf – until recently. The golf

scene in Boise is similar to Spokane:Interesting, quality courses andaffordable green fees. That’s a greatcombination.

Spring temperatures were in the 60sand 70s and the courses weren’t packed.At one venue, our foursome neverwaited to hit a shot.

I toured Quail Hollow, BanBury andFalcon Crest and the most expensive 18holes was $36.50, including roughly $5for a pull cart.

I played Quail Hollow about a dozenyears ago and several holes started

coming back to me when I stepped onthe tee boxes.

I played BanBury about five years agoand I could recall most of the holes. Itwas my first time on Falcon Crest,which has one of the most talked-aboutholes in the Boise area – the unforgiving18th. Grabbing a bite later at an airporteatery prior to catching a flight home, Ioverheard a Boise resident debating thepros and cons of the 445-yard par-4hole.

In the following pages, you’ll find arecap of my 54-hole tour.

Boise offers familiar benefitsJim Meehan

jimm@spokesman.com, (208) 765-7131

In this section� Quail Hollow

(Boise) offers plenty ofchallenges to players,especially in the form ofpushing your decision-and shot-makingabilities. Pages 4-5

� Falcon Crest(Kuna, Idaho) sports an18-hole course and two9-hole layouts, all withconsiderable distanceconsiderations andother obstacles to keepyour competitive juicesflowing. Pages 6-7

� BanBury (Eagle,Idaho) boasts an elegantand balanced design ofsimple and difficultholes, conceived by thelate John Harbottle (alsothe designer of PalouseRidge in Pullman).Pages 8-9

� Pinehurst No. 2prepares to host boththe U.S. Open andWomen’s U.S. Open in2014; and commentaryon why parity in pro golfis not such a good thing.Pages 3, 10, 12

� Listing of areagolf courses, includingcontact information andgreens fees. Page 11

BanBury photo

The 400-yard par-4 ninth hole at BanBury Golf Course in Boise is covered with dew as the sun illuminates from behind. This challenging hole isskirted by water on the left side, trees and rough to the right and features a tricky, undulating green.

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GOLF 2012Spokane, Wash. / Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Friday, June 1, 2012 Page 3

PINEHURST, N.C. –Things are starting to takeshape before the firstdoubleheader of U.S.opens.

In just over two years,Pinehurst’s renowned No.2 course will play host tothe U.S. Open and U.S.Women’s Open on

consecutive weeks – thefirst time the USGA hasattempted such a feat.

Organizers said Fridaythey’ll keep an eye on thefreshly renovated coursenext month to see how itbehaves in typical Juneweather and make anynecessary tweaks.

Ben Crenshaw led thecourse’s yearlong $2.5million facelift in which,

among other things, therough was removed and itslayout reverted closer to itsoriginal Donald Rossdesign.

That project started inthe fall of 2010 and thecourse re-opened lastspring. Now Pinehurstpresident Don Padgett saysit’s finally mature enough

Associated Press

North Carolina course will play host to men’s, women’s events on consecutive weeks.

ST. LOUIS – Parity anddissemination can be good.For instance, it would benice to have parity whereowning an iPad isconcerned. And in-groundswimming pool paritywould be a plus.

Sports are lousy withdivision and parity thesedays. The eighth-place LosAngeles Kings are in theStanley Cup Finals, the 9-7New York Giants won theSuper Bowl, and the 2011Cardinals – with the eighthbest record in baseball –slipped in the back door towin a World Series.

For those teams andthose towns, it’s great stuff.For fans of Cinderella, it’sfun to re-live the fairy tale.

But parity has a flip side.If Cinderella gets to the ballevery time, it’s not special.You need a sinister,prevailing stepmother forthe fairy tale to happen.With parity, there is noDavid and Goliath, noBronx Bombers, no BigMachine. There are onlyDavids, bombers andmachines. The

capital-letter attrition aloneis alarming.

Parity is prominent inprofessional golf these days,and it’s not an especiallygood thing. With the U.S.Open fast approaching, thegame is listing without oarsin the water, withoutidentity.

Fred Couples gave theChampions Tour a chargelast summer, but the spark

seems to have faded. Theleading winner on the tourthis season is someonenamed Michael Allen.

The LPGA seems tospend most of its time inforeign countries, placeslike Brazil, Thailand andGalloway, N.J. The top fourLPGA players, and eight ofthe top 10, are Asian,

COMMENTARY � By Dan O’Neill, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lack of dominant playerbad for the game of golf

See COMMENTARY, K10

Double dutyFamed Pinehurst will host both U.S. Opens in 2014By Joedy McCreary

Associated Press

See PINEHURST, K12

Your first decision comesbefore your first swing.

Hole No. 1 is a 277-yard par4. There are a series ofbunkers left, trouble right, apond in front of the green anda creek behind the puttingsurface. And the green is just atad bigger than your kitchentable.

Move on to No. 3. Elevatedtee box, hard dog-leg left,creek just beyond a fairly tinygreen. The distance is 339

yards, but it’s potentiallyreachable because of theelevation change and distancesaved by carrying abrush-covered hill.

Any of these new golf ballscome with a parachute?

“People try to get it close,but it’s a tight shot,” pro MattEnnis said. “Not many try it.You have to hit it almost

Quail Hollow photo

Visible in the distance is the horseshoe green at Quail Hollow, which is shared by hole Nos. 5 and 18.

Not short on decisions

See QUAIL HOLLOW, K5

Coursekeeps you

thinking,challenges

shot-makingability

By Jim Meehan

jimm@spokesman.com, (208) 765-7131 Quail Hollow4520 N. 36th St.Boise, ID 83703

Contact: 208-344-7807,quailhollowgolfclub.com

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GOLF 2012 – BOISEPage 4 Friday, June 1, 2012 The Spokesman-Review

GOLF 2012 – QUAIL HOLLOWSpokane, Wash. / Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Friday, June 1, 2012 Page 5

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perfectly and you have tohit it so high to a smallarea.”

Quail Hollow is a uniqueblend of holes that bringsthe golfer’s decision makinginto play. The front nine isalmost two differentcourses. The first five holesare for shot makers whoput away the driver and candetermine correct yardagesand targets. On the finalfour holes, the terrain isfairly wide open andforgiving and driverbecomes a realistic option.

The course was designedin the 1970s by Bruce Devlinand Robert Von Hagge, andopened under the name“Shamana.” Ennisremembers it well.

“When it first opened Iwas a junior golfer and itwas kind of an upper-endcourse,” Ennis said. “Allthat sage brush on thehillsides was just off thefairway so if you hit it offthe fairway it was gone.Super challenging.

“Over time we wentthrough some changes and

it’s much more playable.Several holes were changedso people could get aroundin 4½ hours.”

Getting it around stillrequires a great deal ofthought and execution. It’sless than 6,350 yards fromthe tips, but it’s not the kindof course you try tooverpower.

“It’s target oriented, thegreens are small with a lotof slope,” Ennis said. “A lotof people who first play itlove to play it again so theyknow where to hit it. We’reclose to downtown andpeople like it becausethere’s some scenery anddifferent shots with theelevation changes.”

Take No. 2, a 180-yardpar 3. The tee box andgreen are elevated, but therest drops into a valley thatswallows up shots withimproper distance and/ordirection.

“Definitely one of thesignature holes,” Ennis said.

No. 5 is anotherplacement-style hole with apond on the right. Themassive horseshoe-shapedgreen shares a puttingsurface with No. 18, butthey rarely cross paths.There’s a sand trap betweenthe two that helps keepapproaches from strayingtoo far.

“That’s such a big doublegreen, we can put the holeboth in front or back andwe have so much roomthere that it’s nice,” Ennissaid.

Three of the closing fourholes on the front are par 4sthat range from 380-410yards.

The par-4 10th features adrive to a landing area thatcan’t be seen from the teebox. No. 11 is anotherrisk-reward par 4 that paysoff if your drive from thewhite tees clears a sizable

pond. The par-4 12th is just376 yards from the blues,but a water hazardessentially surrounds thelanding area.

The 14th is just 295 yards,but it’s severely uphill.Expect an uneven lie onyour second shot to a greenthat is the only level surfaceon the hole. The 15th is aquality, downhill par 3, butjudging the yardage is toughwith the wind and elevationchange.

The 16th, a 521-yard par 5,plays uphill for the secondhalf to a sliver of a greenthat is literally 10 paceswide. There’s anotherdramatic elevation changeon the par-3 17th, but thebest is yet to come on No.

18, a scenic 428-yard par 4with a pond along the rightand the uniquedouble-green.

“You’re probably up

there a little higher thanyou think you are,” Ennissaid. “You get a chance tohit one off the cliff andswing for the fences.”

Continued from K4QUAIL HOLLOW

The numbersGold/blue teesYardage: 6,325Rating/Slope: 70.7/129

White teesYardage: 6,234Rating/Slope: 67.1/125

Red teesYardage: 4,494Rating/Slope: 66.1/116

This sprawling, 36-hole complexsits just outside Boise in Kuna,but it’s only a 15-20 minute drive

from downtown. The 18-hole trackis Falcon Crest, a diverse layoutwith one of the toughest closingstretches anywhere.

There’s also Robin Hood, anine-hole executive course withfive par 3s and four par 4s, and theFreedom Course, a nine-holer thattravels 3,914 yards from theprofessional tees. Freedom’s par 5sare 714 and 640 yards. Three par 4scheck in at 462, 467 and 473 yards.

“It’s probably one of the toughestnines in the state,” pro Rick O’Neillsaid. “It used to be tougher, but wefilled in a couple ponds and thatmade it easier. There’s a goodvariety with five sets of tees andyou can play it from 2,700 to3,900.”

Falcon Crest didn’t get short-changed on yardage either. Fromthe back tees, it measures nearly 7,100yards.

The par 3s are probably the mostmemorable holes on the front side.From the tee box on No. 5, there’s an80-foot elevation drop to the green,which makes club selection your firstpriority. There’s a pond to the left,bunkers and a sizable green. No. 8 issimilar, but probably plays 10 yardsshorter and the drop-off is closer to 60feet. With the pin tucked into the backleft corner on a 25-foot-wide shelf anda steady crosswind, keeping the ball onthe right level was nearly impossible.

No. 9 is the classic risk-reward shortpar 4. It’s downhill and only 285 yards,but to get home you’ll have to fly or geta lucky bounce over a creek thatguards the front of the green. There’s a100-yard long trap along the left side.For fun, I hit two balls, an iron layup to80 yards and a driver that gave a

weathered ball a much needed bath.“We actually had a hole-in-one there

last year,” general manager andsuperintendent Mike Rapp said. “Theguy hit a hybrid off the back tee.”

The back nine has a nice mix ofholes. The par-5 11th has a fairly smalllanding area and a sunken bunkerawaiting second shots that don’t travelfar enough to reach the green.

The side turns downright difficulton 15. During my round, the 15th played422 yards into a healthy wind. I hit anice drive and still had 7-iron left,

taking plenty of club to avoid thewater in front of the green.

The 16th is a 511-yard par 5 thatbecomes negotiable with a well-placed drive over a pond. Thehazard continues up the left sideand comes into play if the secondshot isn’t struck solidly. One of theplayers in our foursome sent hisapproach to the back of the greenand had to deal with 20 feet offringe on his putt.

No. 17 is a tough, 430-yard par 4that demands two quality shots.More work awaits on thetwo-tiered green with the backshelf, where the pin was located,maybe 25 feet deep.

And then there’s 18. It’s 479 yardsfrom the back tees, 445 from thechampionship tees. One member ofour foursome was probably a 14handicap and he told me early inthe round that he’d never madebetter than bogey on No. 18. Hisplaying partners started remindinghim of that fact early on the backside. He was pleased when hedrained a 5-footer for bogey.

The view from the tee box isunsettling: A massive pond thatforces some players to put theirdriver in the bag and hit somethingin the 240-260 range. One can cut

off more distance trying to hit a sliverof land that borders the left side of thepond but it’s a low-percentage shot. Anideal drive leaves a 180-yard approachover water. A bailout drive to the rightleaves a 215-yard shot, often from adownhill lie.

The pond was drained last year andcrews removed 20,000 balls.

Believe it or not, the hole used to betougher than the current version. Atone time, the huge pond that gobblesup drives and approaches sidled upcloser to the spacious green. Roughly10 yards were filled in, giving golfers abit more margin for error on a holewith very little to begin with.

“It’s definitely the most talked abouthole,” O’Neill said. “I know themajority of people don’t like it, but it’sprobably one of my favorite holes.There’s not going to be a lot of tiesafter that (closing) stretch.”

GOLF 2012 – BOISEPage 6 Friday, June 1, 2012 The Spokesman-Review

The par-3 5th hole at Falcon Crest plays 186 yards from the Ch

Soaring sprawlSpacious 36-hole Falcon Crest a golfer’s

paradise with distance, challenges aplenty

Falcon Crest photo

No. 15 at Falcon Crest is a challenging 422-yard par 4 with water in play around green.

By Jim Meehan

jimm@spokesman.com, (208) 765-7131

Falcon Crest GC11102 S. Cloverdale Rd.

Kuna, ID 83634

Contact: 208-362-8897, www.falconcrestgolf.com

GOLF 2012 – FALCON CRESTSpokane, Wash. / Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Friday, June 1, 2012 Page 7

Falcon Crest photo

hampionship tees and has an 80-foot drop from the teeing area to the green. With water to the left and bunkers in play, hitting this large green is key to making par.

The numbersBack tees

Yardage: 7,089Rating/Slope: 73.5/131Championship tees

Yardage: 6,569Rating/Slope: 71.1/128

Middle teesYardage: 6,102

Rating/Slope: 68.8/122Forward teesYardage: 5,463

Rating/Slope: 65.3/110

h

It probably says a lot aboutBanBury’s layout and playabilitythat I toured the last nine holes ina wind tunnel and still thoroughlyenjoyed this challenging course inEagle, on the outskirts of Boise.

The winds picked upconsiderably as I made the turnand, just my luck, the next fourholes played into a stout breeze. Itbecame a serious crosswind withdebris skittering across the 14th, atough 190-yard par 3. For somereason, my mood picked up onNo. 15 with the wind at my back.

Yet the conditions really didn’tmatter much. This 13-year-old,John Harbottle-designed coursehas plenty of variety to keep one’sattention from start to finish.

Variety of gems all sparkle

Jim Peterson photo

Hole No. 9 at BanBury Golf Course in Eagle, Idaho, is a par 4 that plays 390 yards from the black tees and has an undulating green.

Beautiful BanBurychallenges, thrillsBy Jim Meehan

jimm@spokesman.com, (208) 765-7131

See BANBURY, K9

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GOLF 2012 – BOISEPage 8 Friday, June 1, 2012 The Spokesman-Review

Water, in the form ofstreams, ponds and rivers,comes into play essentiallyfrom No. 8 to theclubhouse. The course isbeautifully maintained andthe holes weave seamlesslythrough the naturalenvironment and a105-home development.

“Most of the feedback Iget is that it’s a players’course,” pro Jerry Breauxsaid. “The player has to geton the right set of teemarkers. Once in a whilewe’ll see newer playersplaying on the wrong set oftees so we help them with arecommendation. It’s notvery forgiving for newplayers.”

Breaux said the designfollows several ofHarbottle’s tenets: punish-ing bunkers, an occasionalshort par 4 where 2s and 6sare possible, and greensshaped according to thechallenge presented by eachhole. Harbottle, aprominent designer ofcourses in the West, diedlast week at the age of 53.

“Hitting into a bunker, hedefinitely wants it to be apenalty,” Breaux said. “Helikes character on thegreens. If the hole dictates along shot, there’s a biggertarget. If it’s a shorter shot,there’s a little more

character, more stuff on thegreens. He wants the hardholes to be really hard andthe easier ones to be fun toplay.”

BanBury has hostedseveral prestigious events,including the 2005 U.S.girls junior tournament, thefirst USGA event held inIdaho. In-Kyung Kim wonthe tourney. MorganPressel, coming off arunner-up finish in the U.S.Open at age 17, made it tothe semifinals. BanBury hasbeen the site of several stateamateurs and qualifying forthe Nationwide Tour’sBoise Open.

This summer, the boysJunior America’s Cup will

be contested at BanBury.The front begins with

two holes where the biggestkey is a wisely placedapproach. The first green is

roughly 90-feet long butnarrow, with numeroushumps and bumps. If yourdistance or direction is a tadoff, making par will be achore. Same goes for thegreen on the par-5 second.

The last four holes of theside are some of the best onthe course. No. 6 runs 427yards to a plateau green,making four a prized score.Breaux counts No. 8 as oneof his favorites. It can beplayed from 190 to 220yards to a sizable but thingreen, bordered on twosides by water. I set a ballon the back center androlled it toward the frontleft pin location and itbroke about 15 feet.

No. 9 was probably myfavorite hole. It has length(400 yards), peril (waterskirts the left side, trees andrough right) and a trickygreen. The pin was about 8feet from the back left edgeand misses left of target willprobably trickle down ashaved bank into a pond.Find the putting surfaceand you must deal with aseries of undulations.

The back side has severalgems. The fairway on thepar-5 12th is divided by ahazard, forcing a player totry to fly it or lay up – adecision heavily influencedby wind conditions. Downthe fairway, a swollen riverhad spilled over into therough on the right side.

The par-3 14th is 249yards from the tips. Thepar-3 16th is 155 yards, mostof it over water. No. 17 isdrivable for big hitters at302 yards. Few attempt it,but Breaux recalled acollege player launching adriver within 6 feet andmissing the eagle putt.

I played the scenic par-518th at 505 yards, hit a soliddrive and promptly dunkeda 6-iron approach into apond that borders the frontof the green.

“Now that players arehitting the ball so far, it’sturned into a really goodpar 4,” Breaux said. “Wehad 150 college players herea few years ago and theyplayed it as par 4.”

Continued from K8BANBURY

Jim Peterson photo

The picturesque 18th hole at BanBury Golf Course plays relatively short for a par 5,measuring 478 yards from the black tees and 499 yards from the tips.

The numbersRed teesYardage: 6,890Rating/Slope: 73.3/132Black teesYardage: 6,337Rating/Slope: 70.9/129White teesYardage: 5,729Rating/Slope: 68.0/122Blue teesYardage: 5,257Rating/Slope: 65.5/115

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GOLF 2012Page 10 Friday, June 1, 2012 The Spokesman-Review

difficult for American audiencesto fully embrace.

But where this diversity isespecially relevant is at the axis ofgolf, the PGA Tour, or post-Tiger-mania PGA Tour. The situationwas exemplified by the recentMasters. The game’s “Big Three,”i.e. Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmerand Gary Player, were easily themost enchanting players atAugusta National in April. Theproblem? They were justceremonial starters.

Once the actual tournamentbegan, things settled back into amore anonymous, diluted state.Coming off his first victory in 30months, Tiger Woods offered uphis worst performance as aprofessional at Augusta and tiedfor 40th. Bubba Watson won thetournament, but hardly won theratings. Viewership was down 22percent from a year earlier.

Strange isn’t it? A lefthanderhad not won at Augusta untilMike Weir in 2003. Now alefthander has won five of the last10 Masters. Now that’s parity.

Bubba’s breakthroughcontinues a trend. After Woodswon on an injured knee at TorreyPines in 2008, and then took theyear off, Padraig Harrington liftedthe environment by capturingtwo majors in succession. Since,there have been 13 majors won by13 different players. Two of the 13,Phil Mickelson and AngelCabrera, had won a majorpreviously. None of the 13 havewon another.

Watson now becomes theflavor of the week. He joins RoryMcIlroy, Charles Scwartzel,Graeme McDowell, MartinKaymer and even Harrington asplayers the golf press props up tofill the void. People got especiallycarried away with McIlroy,suggesting he had the perfectswing, perfect disposition andperfect opportunity to take thereins.

To be fair, he does have theperfect ancestry, but sincewinning the U.S. Open last year,McIlroy is an imperfect 0 for 3 inthe majors. Don’t misunderstand;McIlroy is a terrific talent andjust 23. There is every reason tobelieve he will win many moretournaments, even more majors.

But to this point, he’s not unlikeSchwartzel, Watson, McDowell,Trevor Immelman and others. Allmoved to the head of the class butstopped raising their hands.

The PGA Tour is 22 events intothe season and has 20 differentwinners. Last year, for the firsttime since 1991, as few as twowins paced the circuit. Theanything-can-happen,anyone-can-win element is nice.But without predictability, youhave no favorites, no upsets, noantagonists, no protagonists, nocolor, no romance. You haveindifference.

In terms of excitement, golf isstagnant. The scene still dependson a player who is no longer theplayer that created that energy tobegin with. Woods still makesratings jump, but he’s rarely

jumping into contention.The former No. 1 is now No. 7,

approaching his 36th birthdayand officially injury prone. He hasbeen absent or missed the cut atsix of the last 14 majors, andfinished 23rd or worse in three ofthe last four.

But the camera will continue tofollow Woods until someonesteps forward to hog theheadlines. Mickelson will be 42 inJune. He has carved out a placeon the radar, but it’s not going togrow any larger.

Vijay Singh is 49, done winning

majors. Ernie Els? Please.Look back at the history of the

game. From Harry Vardon toWalter Hagen, Bobby Jones toGene Sarazen, Byron Nelson toSam Snead and Ben Hogan,Palmer to Nicklaus and Player,and then Tom Watson. SprinkleLee Trevino, Billy Casper, JohnnyMiller, Raymond Floyd and SeveBallesteros among them.

Every decade, the game hashad dominant genes, players whowin multiple championships,players you can be passionateabout, one way or another. Evenwhen the stars faded, you hadNick Faldo, Nick Price and GregNorman fill gaps with dominantperiods.

This decade of golf is in astrange place right now. It has nostars, just lots of … yawn … parity.

Associated Press photos

Bubba Watson, who won The Masters in April for his first major championship, added to the growing list of 13 winners in the last 13 majors.

Continued from K3COMMENTARY

Rory McIlroy is thedefending U.S. Openchampion, butdoes not havea top-20 finishin three tries in majors sincehis win atCongressionalin Bethesda,Md., last year.

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AREA COURSE DIRECTORYSpokane, Wash. / Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Friday, June 1, 2012 Page 11

The following is a directory ofarea golf courses. For a digitalversion of this list, visit� www.spokesman.com/golf

•Antler Springs GC (509) 292-GOLF. 18-holegreens fees: Weekends: $37 with cart, $25without; 9 holes with cart $27, $15 without.Weekdays: $25 cart, $20 without. Seniors andjuniors (ages 11-17) receive $5 discount anyday. Wednesdays 2 for 1. Tee times: no dead-lines, but recommended for Wednesdays,weekends. •Avondale GC (208) 772-5963. 18-holegreens fees: weekends/weekdays, $53, ex-cept Mondays at $32. After 2:30 p.m., $35. 9-hole weekends/weekdays, $28. 18-hole cartfee: $28; 9-hole: $14. Tee times: no deadlines.www.avondalegolfcourse.com. •Bryden Canyon GC (208) 746-0863. 18-hole greens fees: weekends $26; weekdays,$22. 9-hole: daily, $17. 18-hole cart fee: $14 perseat; 9-hole: $9 per seat. Tee times: no dead-lines. www.brydencanyongolf.net. •Chewelah G&CC (509) 935-6807. Until May15: 27 holes (includes cart), $50 on weekends,$45 M-Th.; 18 holes $40/$35. May 16-Sept. 5:27 holes $60/$55; 18 holes $50/$45. Sept. 6-season close: 27 holes $50/$45; 18 holes $40/$35. Seniors $5 discount M-Th.; juniors $5 dis-count on 9 holes, $10 on 18 or 27 holes M-Th.Walking rates all season: 9 holes $20/$17, 18holes $35/$30, 27 holes $40/$35. Tee times:no deadlines. www.chewelahgolf.com. •Circling Raven GC (800) 523-2464. 18-holegreens fees (with golf cart and use of practicerange): Through May 12: Monday-Thursday:$65, Friday-Sunday: $75; May 13-Oct. 2: Mon-day-Thursday: $80, Friday-Sunday: $95. Oct.3-end of season: Monday-Thursday: $65, Fri-day-Sunday $75. Tee times: 30 days in ad-vance. www.circlingraven.com. •Coeur d’Alene GC (208) 765-0218. 18-holegreens fees: weekends/weekdays, $29, $24for seniors. 9-hole: weekends/weekdays, $17,$15 for seniors. 18-hole cart fee: $27; 9-hole:$17. Single person 18-hole cart fee: $17; 9-hole$10. Tee times: Friday-Sunday and holidays,call prior Tuesday; Mon-Thurs, prior Thursday.www.cdapublicgolf.com. •Coeur d’Alene Resort (208) 667-4653. 18-hole greens fees: weekdays/weekends, April:$150 for day guests, twilight rate April daily$75, (after 2:00), May/October: $175, twilight$90, June/September: $195, twilight $110; Ju-ly/August: $220, twilight $135. Fees includecart, range balls and forecaddie, sports mass-age and complimentary bag tag. Best values:Golf packages available, include lodging andgolf. Spring starting at $99 per person basedon double occupancy. Specials will be an-nounced throughout the year. Tee times: nodeadline if staying at hotel. 30 days advanceotherwise. Call for Good Neighbor specialsstarting at $75. www.cdaresort.com. •Colfax G&CC (509) 397-2122. Summer rates:18-hole greens fees weekend/weekdays,$21.50. 9-hole: weekends/weekdays, $14. 18-hole cart fee: $20; 9-hole: $13. Winter rates: 18-hole greens fees: $16, 9-hole: $10. Tee times:weekends, call one day in advance; weekdays,no deadlines. •Dominion Meadows GC (formerly ColvilleElks CG) (509) 684-5508. 18-hole greens fees:weekends/weekdays $27/25; Senior 18-hole:$23/$21. College $23/21, Junior $18 (no week-end rates), 9-hole fee: weekends/weekdays$21/ $19; Senior 9-hole: $18/ $16. College $18/$16, Junior $13/ $10. 18-hole cart fee: $24; 9-hole: $12. Tee times: Call one day in advance.www.dominionmeadows golf.com. •Deer Park G&CC (509) 276-5912. 18-holegreens fees: weekends $29 ($20 for sunsetrate after 3 p.m., with $10 cart fee); weekdays(Monday-Friday) $26 ($21 for seniors). 9-hole:weekends after 3 p.m., $17.50 ($16 for se-niors); weekdays (Monday-Friday) $17.50($16 for seniors). 18-hole cart fee: $29; 9-hole:

$14.50. Tee times: weekends/ weekdays, callone week in advance. www.deerparkgolf-.com. •Downriver GC (509) 327-5269. 18-holegreens fees: weekends $29, weekdays (Mon-day-Thursday) $27, (with discount card theweekends are $23, weekdays $20). 9-hole:weekends $29 ($19 after 3.p.m), weekdays$20 (with discount card weekends $20 after 3p.m., weekdays $15). 18-hole cart fee: $28; 9-hole: $14. Tee times: weekends, call previousFriday starting at 2 p.m.; weekdays, call twodays in advance by 2 p.m. www.spokanepark-s.org. •Esmeralda GC (509) 487-6291. 18-holegreens fees: weekends $29, weekdays $27(with discount card $20 during weekdays, $18for seniors, $23 on weekends). 9-hole: week-ends/weekdays (only available after 3 p.m.),$20 (with discount card $16). 18-hole cart fee:$28; 9-hole: $14. Tee times: weekends, callprevious Friday starting at 2 p.m.; weekdays,call two days in advance by 2 p.m.. www.spo-kaneparks.org. •The Fairways GC (509) 747-8418. 18-hole:Tuesday-Friday greens fees $22; Monday $17(high school students $12, senior citizens $18,everyday); weekends $27. 9-hole: weekends/weekdays $17. Everyday after 4 p.m. $17. Teetimes: weekends/weekday tee time openingvaries, call clubhouse for availability.www.golfthefairways.com. •Hangman Valley GC(509) 448-1212. 18-holegreens fees: weekdays (Monday-Thursday),$27, weekend $29; rate for pre-book $32;county discount card $22 M-Th, weekends$24; 9-hole: weekdays $21. Seniors rate withdiscount card M-Th $18.50. Juniors – 9 or 18-hole $15, 10.50 with junior discount card. 18-hole cart fee: $28; 9-hole: $14. Tee times:weekends, call the previous Saturday by 7a.m.; weekdays, call on Tuesday at 7 a.m.Course does not allow fivesome parties. •Harrington G&CC (509) 253-4308. 18-holegreens fees: Wednesday-Sunday $18, $16 forseniors; Monday-Tuesday $10 (except hol-idays). 9-hole: weekends/ weekdays $13, $11for seniors. 18-hole cart fee: $23; 9-hole: $13.Tee times: no deadlines. •Highlands GC (208) 773-3673. 18-holegreens fees: weekends/weekdays $35; se-niors weekdays/weekends after 2 p.m. $28;juniors, weekdays $15 and weekends $22 until2 p.m. then back to $15; 9-hole: $22 week-days/weekends after 2 p.m.; 18-hole cart fee:$28; 9-hole: $14. Tee times: weekends, call upto one week in advance; weekdays, up to oneweek in advance. Twilight time is after 3 p.m.and is $25 with cart, $20 without. www.the-highlandsgc.com. •Idaho Club (208) 265-2345. 18-hole greensfees: $125 includes golf cart. Twilight rate (af-ter 2 p.m.) $80. Tee times required. •Indian Canyon GC (509) 747-5353. 18-holegreens fees: weekends $29, weekdays $27(with discount card $20 during weekdays, $18for seniors, $23 on weekends). 9-hole: week-ends/weekdays (only available after 3 p.m.),$20 (with discount card $16). 18-hole cart fee:$28; 9-hole: $14. Tee times: weekends, callprevious Friday starting at 2 p.m.; weekdays,call two days in advance by 2 p.m.. www.spo-kaneparks.org. •Liberty Lake GC (509) 255-6233. 18-holegreens fees: weekday (Monday-Thursday)$28.24, $15.69 for juniors. With $30 discountcard the rate is $21.97, $19.35 for seniors and$10.98 for juniors. Weekend $30.33 and$25.10 with discount card. Seniors after 3 p.m.is $19.35. 9-hole: weekday $21.97 and $17.78with discount card. 18-hole cart fee: $28; 9-hole: $14. Tee times: weekends, call on Satur-day one week in advance; weekdays, call theprevious Tuesday morning. •The Links GC, Post Falls (208) 777-7611. 18-hole greens fees: Friday, Saturday, Sunday$36; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday $31; 9-hole Friday, Saturday, Sunday $24; Monday,Wednesday, Thursday $19; Tight-Wad-Tues-day: 18-hole: $21; 9-hole: $14. Seniors 60+: $26for 18 holes, $14 for 9 holes. Juniors: $19 for 18

holes, $14 for 9 holes. 18-hole cart fee: $30; 9-hole: $15. Tee times: no deadlines. •MeadowWood GC (509) 255-9539. 18-holegreens fees: weekday (Monday-Thursday)$28.24, $15.69 for juniors. With $30 discountcard the rate is $21.97, $19.35 for seniors and$10.98 for juniors. Weekend $30.33 and$25.10 with discount card. Seniors after 3 p.m.is $19.35. 9-hole: weekday $21.97 and $17.78with discount card. 18-hole cart fee: $14 perperson; 9-hole: $7 per person. Tee times:weekends, call on Saturday one week in ad-vance; weekdays, call the previous Tuesdaymorning. www.meadowwoodgolf.com. •Mirror Lake Municipal Golf Course, Bon-ners Ferry, Idaho (208) 267-5314. 9-holegreens fees: $16, weekends and holidays $18,juniors $9. 18-hole: $23, weekends and hol-idays $25, juniors $13. Cart trail fee: $5. •Painted Hills GC (509) 928-4653. 18-holegreens fees: weekends (Fri-Sat-Sun) $24, $22for seniors, $18 for juniors; weekdays $22, se-niors $18, juniors $13; 9-hole: weekends $18,$16 for seniors, $12 for juniors; weekdays $16,seniors $14, juniors $10; 18-hole cart fee: $12per person; 9-hole: $6 per person; $10 forweekdays and $13 weekends twilight (twilightrate begins two and a half hours before sun-set; Tee times: Call one week in advance.www.spokanegolf.com. •Palouse Ridge GC (509) 335-4342. 18-holegreens fees Monday-Thursday for residents(live within 40-mile radius): February 19-April30 peak $39, twilight $32, Faculty/staff $32,student $29, junior $19, senior 60+ $32. Mon-day-Thursday for non-residents: Peak $49,twilight $32. Friday-Sunday for residents:Peak (cart included) $59, twilight $39, faculty/staff* $39, student* $39, junior* $29, Senior$39. Friday-Sunday for non-residents: Peak(cart included) $69, twilight $39. (* indicatesspace-available basis). Starting May 1: Mon-day-Thursday- Resident rate for peak $45,twilight $39, senior $39, faculty $39, student$26, junior $19. Non-resident Monday-Thurs-day: Peak $59, twilight $39. Fri-Sun resident:Peak $69, twilight $49, senior $49, faculty$49, student $39, junior $29. Non-resident Fri-Sun: Peak $89, twilight-$65. Cart fees: all ratesinclude a cart. www.palouseridge.com. •Pine Acres (509) 466-9984. 18-hole greensfees: weekends/weekdays $12; seniors/jun-iors (weekdays only) $11. 9-hole: weekends/weekdays $8; seniors/juniors (weekdays on-ly) $7. Pull carts $1. Tee times: none. Rangebucket prices: 135 balls for $10, 90 balls for$7.50, 60 balls for $6.50. Club Rentals: $0.50 aclub. •Pomeroy GC (509) 843-1197. 18-hole greensfees: weekends/weekdays $18. 9-hole: $12. 18-hole cart fee: $20, 9-hole: $10. Off-course cartfee: $3. Tee times: none. •Ponderosa Springs (208) 664-1101. 9-hole:weekends/weekdays $12, $6 to play again.Weekdays: seniors (55 and over) $10, juniors(17 and under) $10. Ten-play passes: $90. Pullcarts only: $2. Club rentals: $3 for a bag. Teetimes: none. No dress code. •Prairie Falls GC, Post Falls (208) 457-0210.18-hole greens fees: weekdays $25; weekends$30. 18-hole cart fee: $30; 9-hole: $15. Teetimes: one week in advance. www.prairiefalls-golf.com. •Priest Lake GC (208) 443-2525. 18-holegreens fees: weekends/weekdays high sea-son (June 18-Sept. 11) $55; 9-hole: weekendsand high season $29; off-season $29 for 18,$15 for 9. 18-cart fee: $15 per seat, 9-cart fee:$12 per seat. Tee times: no deadline, but timeavailability varies. www.priestlakegolfcourse-.com. •Quail Ridge GC (509) 758-8501. 18-holegreens fees: weekdays (Monday-Thursday)$25; weekends $28. 9-hole greens fees: week-ends/weekdays $17. 18-hole cart fee: $28, $14per seat; 9-hole: $16, $8 per seat. Tee times:one week in advance. •The Creek at Qualchan GC (509) 448-9317.18-hole greens fees: weekends $29, weekdays$27 (with discount card $20 during week-days, $18 for seniors, $23 on weekends). 9-

hole: weekends/weekdays (only available af-ter 3 p.m.), $20 (with discount card $16). 18-hole cart fee: $28; 9-hole: $14. Tee times:weekends, call previous Friday starting at 2p.m.; weekdays, call two days in advance by 2p.m. www.spokaneparks.org. •Ranch Club Golf Course (208) 448-1731. 18-hole greens fees: weekends/weekdays $21. 9-hole: weekends/weekdays $16. 18-hole cartfee: $20; 9-hole: $15. Golf all day (April, May,October, November): $15. Tee times: onweekends reservations are needed a coupleof days in advance. •Ritzville GC (509) 659-9868. 18-hole greensfees: weekends $22; weekdays $20; senior(Monday-Thursday) $17. 9-hole: weekends$16; weekdays $14, senior (Monday-Thurs-day) $12. High School students and below canplay unlimited rounds for $5 (Monday-Thurs-day). Trail fee: $5. Tee times: no deadlines.Subject to change because of city council. •Sandpoint Elks GC (208) 263-4321. 18-holegreens fees: weekends/weekdays $22. 9-hole: weekends/weekdays $16. 18-hole cartfee: $22; 9-hole: $16. Tee times: none. •Shoshone G&TC (208) 784-0161. 18-holegreens fees: weekends/weekdays $26, senior$22, junior $18 (under 18 years). 9-hole: week-ends/weekdays $16, senior $14, junior $9.Monday except holidays, all day $20. 18-holecart fee: $26; 9-hole: $13. Tee times: no dead-lines. •St. John G&CC (509) 648-3259. All-daygreens fees: weekends/weekdays $15. 9-hole:weekdays $10. •St. Maries GC (208) 245-3842. 18-holegreens fees: weekends $24; weekdays $20(weekdays juniors, $8). 9-hole: weekends $15;weekdays $13 (juniors, $8). 18-hole cart fee:$26; 9-hole: $13. Tee times: no deadline. •StoneRidge GC (208) 437-GOLF. 18-holegreens fees: May-Sept weekdays $32; week-ends $35; weekdays twilight $22, weekendstwilight $25; April and October $26 any time,twilight $18; Cart-$18 per seat. Large bagrange balls-$6. Tee times: call 14 days in ad-vance. www.stoneridgeidaho.com. •Sun Dance GC (509) 466-4040. 18-holegreens fees: weekends/weekdays $24, dis-counted $20; juniors $13.50; seniors $20, dis-counted $17.50. 9-hole: weekends/weekdays,all 18-hole rates apply until 3 p.m; $17.50 (se-niors $17.50; juniors $13.50). 18-hole cart fee:$28; 9-hole: $14. Twilight: $20. Tee times: callone week in advance. www.sundancegc.com. •Tekoa GC (509) 284-5607. 9-hole greensfees: weekdays $12. weekends/holidays $15.9-hole: $9. Tee times: none. •Twin Lakes Village GC (208) 687-1311. 18-hole greens fees: all week $35; seniors (Mon-day-Friday) $25. 9-hole: Monday-Friday andweekends after 3 p.m. and before 8 a.m. $22;Monday-Friday 18-hole for juniors is $18, un-der 9 is $12; twilight rate $28 after 3 p.m. 18-hole cart fee: $14 per seat; 9-hole: $7 per seat.Tee times: call one week in advance.www.golftwinlakes.com. •University of Idaho GC (208) 885-6171. 18-hole greens fees: Weekends $28. Weekdays$25, students $16, seniors $22, juniors $15. 9-hole weekends: $17 after 2 p.m.; 9-hole week-days: students $16, juniors $15, seniors $16.June-September twilight (weekdays after 5p.m.) $16. 18-hole cart fee: $13 per seat; 9-hole:$8 per seat. Tee times: accepted one week inadvance. www.webs.uidaho.edu/golf. •Trailhead GC (formerly Valley View GC)(509) 928-3484. 9-hole: $13.64 every day,$9.95 juniors/seniors; second 9: $6.82 adults,$5.69 juniors/seniors; Pull cart $3.80. Clubrental $9.24. Power cart: 9-hole: $13.04, 18-hole: $22.83. Sundays after 3 p.m. 9-hole$6.82. •Wandermere GC (509) 466-8023. 18-holegreens fees: weekends $29; weekdays $25,seniors $21, junior $18 flat rate (regardless of9-hole or 18-hole, after 3 p.m. on weekends).9-hole: weekdays $19, seniors $16. 18-hole cartfee: $28; 9-hole: $14. Tee times: weekends, callone week in advance; weekdays, call one dayin advance. www.wandermere.com.

1 800 523-2464 | circlingraven.com | /circling.raven | Worley, Idaho

“America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses” by Golf Digest

“Top 100 Courses You Can Play” by Golf Magazine

MEN’S MAGAZINES HAVE THEIR CENTERFOLDS.GOLF MAGAZINES HAVE US.

11 880000 552233--22446644 || cciirrcclliinnggrraavveenn.ccoomm || //cciirrcclliinngg.rraavveenn || WWoorrlleeyy, IIddaahhoo

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GOLF 2012Page 12 Friday, June 1, 2012 The Spokesman-Review

that “we can kick the tiresand see what we’ve got.”

Eight tees were added tothe championship course,lengthening it by 271 yardsto 7,485. The fairways werewidened by an average of50 percent, a movedesigned to give playersmore options. The tight-angled dogleg on theseventh hole was widenedto more closely resemblehow it played in the 1940s.

Pinehurst Resort CEOand owner Bob Dedman Jr.said groundskeepers haveeliminated “40 acres of therough that we have come toknow and hate.”

Only two cuts of grassremain: green and fairway.Roughly 32 acres of grasswas stripped and replacedwith areas of hardpan, sand,pine straw and wiregrass —all components of thecourse’s original design.

“We obviously started onthe track of preparing for(the two opens) over twoyears ago when we startedworking with BenCrenshaw ... on theconcepts to return some ofthe strategy back to thecourse,” Dedman said. “Andit continues to evolve. ...The beauty of that has beenjust adding that much moretexture and more variety,and aesthetically, it’ssignificantly different thanit was (when No. 2 lasthosted the Open) in 2005.”

Dedman says the courseshould hold up well despitetwo weeks of nearly non-stop traffic, and that for the

Women’s Open, he expectsthe greens to be “somewhatmore receptive than theywould from a men’s shotapproaching the green.

“Certainly the firmnessand the texture of thefairways will be the same,”Dedman said. “Really, theonly difference is thereceptiveness of the greens,and they really have itdown to the metrics.”

Reg Jones, managingdirector of the U.S. Open,says the biggest questionsfaced by the organizers atthis point concern parking,transportation, bookingvolunteers and the otheroutside-the-ropes logisticsthat must be sorted out inthe next two years.

But that’s where theregion’s experience athosting big-time golf comesin handy, and that’s whyJones says his crew is“looking forward to a homegame in 2014.”

“When you look at therecent history of golf in thesandhills, I think it’s prettyobvious the USGA likes tobe here,” Jones said.

Pinehurst No. 2 hashosted U.S. Opens in 1999and 2005. The U.S.Women’s Open has beenheld at nearby Pine Needlesthree times since 1996 – butnever at Ross’ masterpiececourse. By 2014, the USGAwill have held 12championships in 20 yearsin the North Carolinasandhills, with the mostrecent such event at No. 2being the 2008 U.S.Amateur.

Padgett says it didn’t takemuch convincing at all a

few years ago to persuadeDedman to go along withthe proposal for back-to-back Opens.

Padgett says he pitchedthe idea to Dedman, andthen there was “just a longpause, and the only thing hesaid was, ‘Has it ever beendone before?”’

“He got the idea of beingfirst, never being donebefore, and the history partwas all that he reallywanted to know,” he added.“It wasn’t hardly a 5-minuteconversation, but it spokevolumes for hiscommitment and how hefeels about working withthe USGA.

“It didn’t take him longto say, ‘We’re in.”

Continued from K3PINEHURST

FILE Associated Press

This June2005 filephoto showsconstructionbehind astatue of thelate PayneStewart, whofamouslywon the 1999U.S. Open on the 18thgreen of theNo. 2 courseat Pinehurst(N.C.), whichwill host U.S.Open andWomen’sU.S. Open in 2014.