Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club

Gozzer Ranch is the Tom Fazio design from 2007 on a private peninsula extending into Lake Coeur d'Alene near Harrison, Idaho. It has appeared in multiple national top-100 rankings, which makes it the highest-rated course in the state by most measures. It is also strictly private, accessible only to members and their invited guests, so the vast majority of golfers visiting Northern Idaho will never play it. It is included here because any serious treatment of the region's golf that omitted the best course in the state would be incomplete.

Fazio had the advantage of an extraordinary site. The peninsula extends into Lake Coeur d'Alene with water visible from most holes, and the terrain rises and falls through pine forests and open meadows. The routing works around the shoreline and through the interior of the peninsula, shifting constantly between lakeside exposure and forest enclosure. From the back tees, the course plays 7,143 yards at par 72 with a slope of 140, which presents a serious test while remaining playable from forward positions.

Conditioning is reported to be exceptional throughout the season, benefiting from limited play and substantial investment. The 18th, which plays along the water back toward the clubhouse, is cited frequently as one of the finest finishing holes in the Pacific Northwest.

A top-100 course on a private peninsula that most golfers will never play. Worth knowing about because its presence explains why Northern Idaho has earned the architectural attention it has.