Course Review: The Idaho Club

Course Overview

Location: Sandpoint, Idaho — situated along the shores of Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho's panhandle region. Accessible via Spokane International Airport (~1.5 hours).

Course Type: Semi-private (daily tee times available to the public, though access is intentionally limited — book well in advance)

Par & Yardage: Par 71. Plays approximately 7,000 yards from the back tees

Designer & Opened: Jack Nicklaus Signature Design, opened 2008

Notable Features:

• Considered one of the premier golf experiences in the Inland Northwest

• Dramatic lakeside and mountain setting with views of Lake Pend Oreille and the Selkirk Mountains

• Semi-private facility; public tee times are available but intentionally limited — advance booking is strongly recommended

• Championship-caliber conditioning in a remote, destination setting

• Recognized among Golf Digest and other publications as one of Idaho's top courses

Quick Take

The Idaho Club is the Pacific Northwest's best-kept secret hiding in plain sight. Tucked into the northern Idaho panhandle along the edge of Lake Pend Oreille, this Jack Nicklaus Signature design delivers a world-class golf experience wrapped in some of the most jaw-dropping scenery the region has to offer. It's remote, it's stunning, and it's absolutely worth the journey.

Fair warning though: this course will humble you. From the tips, The Idaho Club is as demanding as anything in the Pacific Northwest; long, relentlessly strategic, and lined with out-of-bounds on nearly every hole. You will finish the round feeling like you got punched in the mouth. But it's one of the truest tests of your golf game and mental fortitude we've ever encountered, and there's a real satisfaction in surviving it.

Detailed Course Breakdown

Course Difficulty — 9.2/10

Let's be direct: The Idaho Club is a monster. From the back tees, this is arguably one of the hardest courses you'll ever play. The yardage alone (~7,000 yards, Par 71) is enough to get your attention, but it's the design details that truly separate it. OB stakes line nearly every hole. Landing areas are tight and unforgiving. Tee shots demand genuine strategic thought; there are holes where taking driver is the wrong play, and the course will make you pay immediately for not thinking it through.

This isn't a course where a few errant shots lead to a bogey round. Mistakes compound quickly, recovery options are limited, and the mental grind of navigating OB, forced carries, and precision approach shots over 18 holes will test your patience and focus as much as your ball-striking.

Who's it best for?

• Low- to mid-handicappers who enjoy a genuine championship test

• Golfers who thrive on strategic course management and shot-shaping

• Anyone who wants to find out exactly where their game stands

Key challenges:

• Out-of-bounds in play on almost every hole, there is very little room for lateral misses

• Tight, demanding landing areas that force you to commit to a specific shot shape

• Tee shots that require real decision-making: lay up, shape around a corner, or take on the risk

• Elevation changes that complicate distance control throughout the round

• Large, tiered greens that demand precise approach play, short-siding yourself is brutally punishing

Bring your A-game, your B-game, and a healthy sense of humility. This course will use all of them.

Scenery — 9.8/10

This is where The Idaho Club separates itself from almost anything else in the Pacific Northwest. Lake Pend Oreille, one of the deepest and most visually spectacular lakes in the United States, serves as the backdrop for much of the round. The Selkirk and Cabinet Mountain ranges frame the horizon, and the surrounding forests give the course a genuine wilderness feel that's hard to replicate anywhere.

It's not uncommon to share the round with deer, bald eagles, and other wildlife. The combination of water, mountains, and old-growth forest creates a visual experience that makes even the most frustrating hole feel worthwhile. This is destination-level scenery — and you'll be talking about it long after the scorecard is forgotten.

Course Design — 8.7/10

Jack Nicklaus' Signature imprint is unmistakable here: risk-reward is built into the bones of the layout, and every hole presents a clear question that demands a real answer. The routing moves fluidly between lakeside holes and forested inland stretches, keeping both the visual variety and strategic interest high throughout.

Design highlights:

• Several lakeside holes where the water is both a visual spectacle and an active threat

• Par 4s that range from reachable risk-reward options to long, grinding tests of execution

• Strategic bunkering positioned to reward commitment to a line rather than simply penalizing misses

• Routing that uses the natural terrain masterfully, nothing feels manufactured or forced

The design doesn't hold your hand. It respects the golfer enough to present the challenge honestly and let the result speak for itself.

Course Conditions & Maintenance — 8.8/10

The Idaho Club presents itself at a genuinely high standard. Fairways are firm and true, greens are well-paced and consistent, and the overall conditioning reflects the premium nature of the facility. Drainage performs well, and the course shows signs of intentional, year-round care. Championship-ready without feeling over-manicured — the natural character of the terrain is preserved throughout.

Amenities & Food — 8.0/10

The clubhouse experience matches the quality of the golf, and after the beating the course gives you, that's exactly what you need. The Idaho Club features a large, welcoming restaurant and full clubhouse with all the standard pro shop offerings you'd expect at a venue of this caliber.

The food is genuinely good. Pricing is on the higher side, but after getting thoroughly humbled out there, you'll probably decide you've earned it regardless. Service is attentive and professional, and the post-round atmosphere is exactly the kind of place where you want to sit down, decompress, and relive (or forget) whatever happened on the back nine.

Value for Money — 8.5/10

For a Jack Nicklaus Signature design of this caliber, The Idaho Club delivers exceptional value. Peak summer rates typically range from approximately $150–$250 — a range that would be a bargain at the high end. When you consider what you're getting, one of the most challenging and visually stunning rounds in the Pacific Northwest, Nicklaus pedigree, resort-level conditioning, and a setting that rivals destination golf anywhere in the country— that pricing is hard to argue with.

Compare it to what you'd pay at comparable Nicklaus designs in other markets, and the math becomes even more compelling. This is a bucket-list round at a price point that doesn't require a second mortgage.

One important note: public tee times are intentionally limited. This is not a course you can show up to last minute, especially in peak summer. Plan ahead, book early, and build your trip around it.

Overall Rating — 9.1/10

The Idaho Club is a genuine gem in the Northwest golf landscape and one of the region's best-kept secrets. A world-class Nicklaus Signature design set against some of the most stunning scenery the Pacific Northwest has to offer, and a course that will challenge every part of your game in the process.

It will test your length, your accuracy, your strategic thinking, and your mental toughness — often all on the same hole. You will make mistakes. The OB stakes will find you. You will question several club selections in real time. And when you walk off 18, there's a very good chance you'll immediately want to book a tee time for next summer.

Best For: Golfers chasing a true championship test that combines elite design, brutal difficulty, and untouched natural beauty.

Would we recommend? Without hesitation. Public tee times are limited so plan ahead, but if The Idaho Club is on your radar, make it happen. Northern Idaho in summer is one of the Pacific Northwest's greatest golf experiences, and this course is one of the crown jewels. It belongs near the very top of any serious PNW golf bucket list.