Circling Raven Golf Club Earns Top Ranking Among Idaho Public Courses

Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley has locked up a distinction no other Idaho course can claim: the top public-access ranking in all three of the sport's most prominent U.S. publications. Golf Magazine, Golfweek, and Golf Digest have each named the Gene Bates-designed layout Idaho's No. 1 public course, a sweep that places the Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel amenity in rare national company.

Golf Magazine ranked Circling Raven as Idaho's top public golf course in its "Best Golf Courses by State, 2024-2025" rankings. Of the five Idaho courses included in the rankings, Circling Raven is the only one that is a public-access course. Separately, Circling Raven ranks as Idaho's No. 1 course in Golfweek's just-published "Top Public-Access Golf Courses by State, 2026." Golf Digest also named Circling Raven Idaho's top public course via its "America's Greatest Courses by State, 2025-26" compilation.

"We work tirelessly to ensure that Circling Raven is an exceptional amenity of Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel, and we are constantly enhancing the course and golf club," said Laura Penney, MBA, CEO of the resort. "This honor from GOLF Magazine reinforces that our efforts to present a premier golf club and experience to our guests are on point, something we are committed to maintaining."

The recognition from Golf Magazine is grounded in a rigorous international evaluation process. As part of GOLF's ratings process, its group of over 100 panelists identifies the best golf courses in every state. According to GOLF, "The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 127 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries, some over 2,000." Golf Digest panelists arrive at their rankings by playing and scoring courses on eight criteria: shot options, challenge, layout variety, distinctiveness, aesthetics, conditioning, and character.

The course's performance in the resort rankings has also been climbing. The Gene Bates-designed layout improved by 15 places from the previous year in the Golfweek and USA TODAY "America's Top 200 U.S. Resort Courses" list, reaching No. 98. The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course, the other local entry on that same list, is rated No. 169, down from its No. 161 position in 2025.

Circling Raven is set on 620 acres of Palouse Region terrain in Idaho's panhandle. Named after a revered tribal chief, the course weaves through woodlands, wetlands, and wildlife habitats, where players may spot eagles or moose. Laura Penney noted that "this honor is humbling and gratifying as Circling Raven is named for one of our Tribe's most important leaders historically."

Designed by Gene Bates and located approximately 50 minutes from Spokane International Airport, the golf club offers amenities including the Circling Raven Golf Academy and the Circling Raven Golf Suites. The Gene Bates-designed championship golf course is owned by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.