Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course
On the wooded shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene in the Idaho panhandle, Scott Miller built the most theatrical resort course in the American Northwest. Opened in 1991, this immaculately groomed par 71 of around 6,800 yards is famous the world over for one hole: a par 3 played to a green that floats on the lake, is reached only by boat, and is moved to a different distance every single day.
Photograph: The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course, via Google
The verdict
The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course is the rare bucket list round that lives up to the photograph. Scott Miller routed it in 1991 along the northern shore of one of the prettiest lakes in the American West, and the resort treats it as a piece of theater as much as a golf course. The forecaddies wear plus fours, the fairways are mowed to a fairway finish that other clubs reserve for their greens, and fresh flowers are planted across the property by the tens of thousands. It is golf as a five star experience, and on that promise it delivers completely.
The course itself is a polished parkland test that uses the lake, the pines and constant elevation change to frame target golf, and then hands you the most photographed par 3 in the world. The 14th is the movable floating green, a manicured island built on a barge that is repositioned daily and reached by a small mahogany boat. It can feel like a stunt until you stand on the tee with water on every side and a card to protect, at which point it becomes one of the most nerve testing shots in golf. For a traveling golfer, Coeur d'Alene is a destination round to plan a Northwest trip around.
Coeur d'Alene Resort at a glance
- Opened
- 1991
- Designer
- Scott Miller
- Type
- Lakeside parkland
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- Around 6,800 yds
- Access
- Public resort
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from resort and course databases. The course plays as a par 71 of around 6,800 yards from the back tees, with forward tees down to around 5,300 yards, and is best known for the movable floating 14th green. Indicative resort green fees for the 2026 season run in the region of 250 to 300 dollars and include the forecaddie and boat service; rates are seasonal and the season is short, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Everything here builds toward the 14th, but the round earns its reputation long before that. Miller laid the course across rolling, tree lined ground above the lake, so there is real elevation change and a sequence of holes that play down toward the water and back up into the timber. The conditioning is the first thing every visitor remembers, with fairways cut so tight and clean that the ball sits up as if on a carpet, and bentgrass greens that run true and quick. It is target golf in the best sense: see the line, commit to the number, and the course rewards you.
Then comes the 14th, the floating green. The island green is a free standing structure on the lake, held in position by an underwater cable system and moved to a fresh spot each morning, so the hole can play anywhere from around 90 yards to 220 yards depending on the day. A small boat named Putter ferries the group out to hole out and, win or lose, hands every player a certificate if they find the green. It is a genuine one of one in world golf, and the reason the course is recognized far beyond the Northwest.
The closing stretch back along the shoreline keeps the drama going, with water, bunkering and the lake breeze all in play as the round comes home. What stays with you is the totality of the experience rather than any single championship pedigree: the service, the setting, the flowers and the floating green together make Coeur d'Alene one of the most memorable resort rounds in the country, and a course that a group will talk about for years.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to the public on a resort daily fee basis; visitors can book directly, with priority and value for resort hotel guests |
| Green fee | Indicative 2026 high season fees run in the region of 250 to 300 dollars, including forecaddie and the boat to the floating green; rates are seasonal, so always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking | Direct with the resort, with the best tee times bundled into a stay and play package; the prime summer dates book out well ahead |
| Walking and carts | Carts with forecaddie are standard; the routing has real elevation change and the boat shuttle to the 14th is part of the day |
| Season | A short northern season, roughly late spring through early autumn; midsummer is peak, with cooler shoulder weeks either side |
| Getting there | On Lake Coeur d'Alene, about forty minutes east of Spokane International Airport in the Idaho panhandle |
Access verified June 2026 from resort sources; rates are seasonal, so always confirm directly before booking. Ask about a Coeur d'Alene golf trip.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is the Coeur d'Alene Resort itself, the lakeside hotel that owns the course and runs the whole experience, with the marina, the boardwalk and the town's restaurants on the doorstep. Staying at the resort secures the best tee times and turns the round into a complete lake and golf weekend, and gives a non golfing partner the spa, the boats and the waterfront to enjoy.
Most golfers build a wider panhandle trip around the floating green rather than playing it in isolation. Pair it with the mountain golf and gated polish of The Club at Black Rock a short drive away above the lake, and reach further afield to the high desert and resort courses of the Northwest such as the Crosswater Club at Sunriver for a varied trip through the region.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Coeur d'Alene.
Build a Coeur d'Alene golf trip
The floating green is a bucket list round best played as the centerpiece of a northern Idaho golf weekend. We plan trips through the Northwest, secure the resort tee times and the order of play, and handle the hotel and the logistics. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Coeur d'Alene questions
Can visitors play the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course?
Yes. The course is open to the public on a resort daily fee basis, and a tee time can be booked directly without membership, with priority and value for guests staying at the resort. Rates are seasonal and the season is short, so always confirm directly before booking.
Who designed the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course?
The course was designed by Scott Miller and opened in 1991. It is best known for its movable floating green on the par 3 14th, an engineering feat developed for the resort that is reached only by boat.
How does the floating green work?
The 14th green is a free floating island built on a barge and held in place and repositioned by an underwater cable system. It is moved to a different distance each day, from roughly 90 to 220 yards, and players are ferried out to it by a small boat to putt out.
What is the par and yardage at the Coeur d'Alene Resort?
The course plays as a par 71 of around 6,800 yards from the back tees, with multiple forward tees down to around 5,300 yards. It is a manicured parkland resort course along Lake Coeur d'Alene, famous for immaculate conditioning and the floating 14th.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.