Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel today announces that the golf club’s milestone 20th season will begin on April 18, and to express its gratitude and appreciation, has today donated $10,000 to Inland Northwest Honor Flight, a non-profit organization supporting U.S. military veterans.
“We gladly celebrate a new season beginning at Circling Raven by supporting Inland Northwest Honor Flight,” said Yvette Matt, MBA, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel Marketing Manager. “The golf club’s success comes from our people’s essence – to welcome, serve, and give to others, and to care for the earth as it cares for us. Supporting veterans, who risk and sacrifice their all for others, including many tribal members, aligns with our beliefs.”
Inland Northwest Honor Flight is a regional hub of a national organization that transports eastern Washington and northern Idaho war veterans to Washington D.C.; to visit the memorials honoring their service and sacrifices.
The donation is also in honor of Circling Raven Director of Golf, Christopher Runyan, PGA, a retired Marine who is entering his second season leading the nationally acclaimed golf club.
“Experiencing the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s support for veterans and the difference it makes means everything,” said Runyan, a Spokane native and 2020 PGA of America Patriot Award honoree who has positively impacted the lives of thousands of veterans – including himself – through golf.
The Patriot Award is given to a PGA Member who “personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America.”
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe has been represented in every major U.S. conflict since World War II. They landed on the shores of Normandy, and served in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. A memorial sits at the head of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes in memory of Shitsu’umsh Warriors of the past and present.
Not to be lost is the golf club having launched its 20th Anniversary season. The course has only gotten better since opening. It holds widespread critical esteem including Best Public Course in Idaho, Top 20 U.S. Casino Course, Top American Resort Courses, and Best North Idaho Course.
It hosted the LPGA’s Epson Tour for three years (2021-23) through which top women golf professionals from around the world unanimously praised the course and its design, the masterpiece of golf course architect Gene Bates, ASGCA.
Bates has been involved with more than 150 design projects and earned the admiration of peers, including Jack Nicklaus, golfers, media, and golf architecture buffs. His ingenious holes and course routing at Circling Raven are extolled for their natural contours that move brilliantly through 620 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and tumbling Palouse terrain.
“I’m extremely proud of our work at Circling Raven, and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has steadfastly ensured that it will continue honoring its people and the land through excellent care and conditions,” said Bates, who has designed award-winning courses from Florida to California.
Circling Raven’s awards won since opening testify to its high quality and the value it provides to its guests. The Advantage and Player Development cards are laden with so many benefits that they virtually pay for themselves.
There goes the Tribe giving back again. As the Creator intended.
For more information, visit www.cdacasino.com/golf or call 800-523-2464.
About Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel
Since 1993, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has operated the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, located where sky greets Mt. Tch’mutpkwe, source of the St. Joe River, 25 miles from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The casino resort is among the largest employers in North Idaho employing between 850-1,100 depending on the season and contributing more than $33.5 million to education in the region since it opened. Additionally, millions more have gone in support of a wide range of public projects, emergency relief, charities, and programs in the Pacific Northwest. Named Tribal Destination of the Year in 2019 by AIANTA, the property features 300 rooms and suites, seven distinct food and beverage venues and entertainment including live music and comedy as well as hands-on tours and experiences through the casino’s Cultural Tourism Program. Three $1-million-dollar winners have found their luck in the 100,000 square feet of gaming space offering nearly 1,200 video gaming machines and high stakes bingo. Additional amenities include a 15,000 square foot spa voted 1st for “Resort Spas that deliver the Ahh Factor” by Spatrips.com, 40,000 square feet of meeting space, indoor and outdoor wedding locations and Circling Raven Golf Club, an 18-hole, par 72 course acclaimed as a “Top 100” course by every major golf publication in the U.S. LIKE Coeur d’Alene Casino on Facebook and Instagram or follow us on Twitter. For more information about Coeur d’Alene Casino and Circling Raven, visit www.cdacasino.com.