Idaho Golf took the guesswork out of choosing where to play your next game of golf with a glimpse inside some of Idaho’s premier courses.

Bigwood Golf Course - Sun Valley

Break out your collared shirts and Bermuda shorts and enjoy this nine-hole public course in the heart of the beautiful Wood River Valley in Ketchum.

Built in 1971, this Robert Muir Graves design includes water hazards on every hole and lots of elevation changes. There are additional sets of tees for an 18-hole round for a par-72 course with 6,535 yards of playable space comprised of bent grass greens and blue grass fairways. One of the very best deals around the resort town of Sun Valley, greens fees range from $20 to $50.

The Bigwood Golf Clubhouse is a 6,300 square foot facility serving players and their guests.

Online blogger KTMac reported on golflink.com that the Bigwood Golf Course offered, “affordable golf in Ketchum. Very accommodating staff as well, but no 19th hole.”

No fear, just two miles north of Ketchum, you aren’t far from some of the best mountain dining, dancing and even dude ranching opportunities around. Art galleries, shopping, coffee houses and movies are here, too.

For more information, call 208.726.4024

Priest Lake Golf Club - Priest Lake

Priest Lake is in a densely forested, wetlands-rich area in northwest Idaho.

In its midst is an 18-hole golf course offering more than 6,500 yards of challenging golf. The front nine was recently redesigned and includes the Golf Course Estates, 75 tastefully developed residences discreetly lining the course border, skillfully integrated into the scenery.

“People who are lucky enough to play this course use one word to sum up the experience,” says owner Craig Hill. “Spectacular.”

The course itself is a par-72 and boasts the ability to entertain both the occasional weekend golfer and to challenge the most accomplished scratch golfer. There is a spacious driving range and manicured putting green to hone your skills. And there are several tournaments that are open to the public where you can test yourself.

The club has devised a number of passes that offer golfers various formats for play. There is an unlimited pass for individuals and couples, a discount pass and a Bonner County pass. There is also an experienced golfer pass for the 65 and older golfers and a 10-day pass for members’ guests.

For more information: www.priestlakegolfcourse.com

River Birch Golf Course - Star

River Birch in Star just outside Boise is one of the newest courses in the Treasure Valley and one that welcomes walkers and carts.

To meet the needs of every skill level, the course offers five sets of tees. Measuring nearly 7,100 yards from its back tees means this setup gives the better player a nice challenge while not overshadowing the enjoyment of a less experienced player in the group.

The course’s website at www.riverbirchgolfcourse.com offers views of each hole and explanations of the slope and ratings.

A USGA Course Rating is the United States Golf Association’s evaluation of the playing difficulty of a course for scratch golfers under normal course and weather conditions.

A golf course of standard playing difficulty has a USGA slope rating of 113. Course Ratings are determined, by permission of the USGA, in accordance with the USGA Course Rating System.

This course has a slope rating of 113 for men from the black tee and 131 for women from the black tee.

Shadow Valley - Boise

Good food, music venues, street fairs, theater, Boise State football . . . And yet another reason to escape to Boise is the course at Shadow Valley.

This unique and challenging course nestled in the foothills north of Boise features unparalleled aesthetics, from its rock formations, and blooming flower beds, to ponds and waterfall.

Built a quarter century ago, the front nine alone features a dozen elevation changes including a new No. 6 hole, a challenging par-3 cut from the side of the foothills.

The golf course has been consistently rated “The Best in Boise” by area players. Also, Shadow Valley has recently added a new set of forward tees to the course. These new tees will allow golfers of all ability levels to enjoy the game.

Open year-round, with attractive winter rates too, this course is played seven days a week and offers a driving range and practice green as well.

Shadow Valley Golf Improvement Center offers a stable of national and state champion players as instructors, each of whom can design a learning environment for your individual needs.

Families and junior golfers are welcome and tournaments and events for them are planned throughout the year.

For more information: www.shadowvalley.com

StoneRidge - Coeur d'Alene

The scenery and activities of beautiful Northern Idaho have been heralded nationally for years. StoneRidge is one of the many fabulous, and, until now, mostly secret attractions.

Located in Blanchard, StoneRidge is minutes from idyllic Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint and just an hour from Spokane, Washington.

StoneRidge is the hub of the community with the 18-hole course, five residential neighborhoods and 650 acres of scenic landscape steeped in history.

Starting with an investment of $3.3 million in 2001, the golf course and clubhouse were renovated. Frank Burandt was commissioned to redesign the golf course. Burandt, formerly of Nicklaus Golf, reconfigured the entire layout and reconstructed three holes.

The new course opened in summer 2002 and StoneRidge members and guests are proud to tout its championship caliber challenges, new water features, beautiful stonework and redesigned greens.

John O’Shea, a resident of StoneRidge, loves it there, calling it, “an oasis away from the craziness” of Southern California where he came from. “The golf course is on the water and surrounded by tranquility and beauty.”

For more information: www.stoneridgeidaho.com

Warm Springs Golf Course - Boise

Just as a city is more than its land, a golf course is more than its course.

The Warm Springs Golf Course has a beautiful and enjoyable course in the foothills and along the river of Boise open daily from sunup to sundown.

But it is the people that make this course great, starting with Director of Golf Scott McGeachin, a PGA golf professional for the past 15 years.

McGeachin has a thorough understanding of the golf profession including promoting the game of golf, instructional programs for all ages, driving range operation and pace of game.

He has been with Junior Golf for the past 20 years, including programs such as “Lifetime Sports” for high school students, and “Clubs for Kids” for juniors of all ages, and was the Junior Section Leader in 2002.

McGeachin is an experienced coordinator of PGA and LPGA tour events, and has more than 10 years experience as a head pro or Director of Golf.

He willingly shares his experience as a PGA Class-A ranking PGA Tour golfer. He was a touring golf professional on the PGA Tour in Australia and New Zealand.

For more information: www.cityofboise.org