If at some point this season, all of the Spokane-Coeur dAlene area golf courses are busy and tee times are elusive, it might be time to take Big Bertha for a short drive, along with the rest of your clubs.


More than 20 golf courses are located outside of the Spokane-Coeur dAlene area, but within a two hours drive of the metropolitan area.


Managers and golf pros at many of those courses, most of which are located in small farming communities in Eastern Washington and in mining and timber towns in North Idaho, say they frequently can fit in a few golfers on short notice, especially on weekdays. Others say theyll take tee times up to a month in advance for those who want to plan their outings well ahead of time.


Drive north or east an hour or two, and youll find heavily timbered courses with rivers running through and a view of the mountains. Go west or south, and youll run into well-manicured courses that take pride in their condition, and take advantage of balmy weather earlier and more often than their northern counterparts. No matter what direction you go, youll find courses as challenging as many found here.


Hidden Lakes Golf Resort, northeast of Sandpoint, might be one of the first courses to come to mind when youre thinking of courses a short drive from Spokane. Recognized by a couple of golf publications in recent years, the course frequently plays host to out-of-town golfers, says Mike Deprez, director of golf at Hidden Lakes.


The 18-hole, 6,900-yard course is nestled along the Selkirk Mountains, and the Pack River runs through it. Greens fees are $61 for the full 18 holes.


Golfers hoping to play Hidden Lakes this year, however, will have to do so soon, since it is closing for reconstruction at the end of May, Deprez says. A company headed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus has redesigned the course, and work on those improvements will start late this spring.


Everything will change, Deprez says. Nothing will be the same.


The revamped course is expected to open in early or mid-2007, he says.


A number of additional options remain in North Idaho, however.


Shoshone Golf & Tennis Club is located halfway between Osburn and Kellogg and about two miles south of Interstate 90. Ron Barker, Shoshones head professional, says it typically takes right at one hour to drive to the course from Spokane.


Shoshone Golf is a nine-hole course, but Barker says it has a second set of tee boxes set up to provide a little variety for those who want to play the course twice to make a full 18 holes. When golfers do that, its 6,300 yards long and costs $21.


Theres a lot of up and down at this course, Barker says. Its a lot like Indian Canyon (golf course in Spokane) in the up-and-down range of the course.


Other courses in rural North Idaho include the 18-hole, 5,700-yard Priest Lake Golf Course, in Priest River; the nine-hole, 2,900-yard Mirror Lake Golf Course, along U.S. 95 just south of Bonners Ferry; the nine-hole, 3,000-yard Pinehurst Golf Course; and the nine-hole, 2,700-yard St. Maries Golf Course.


While many rural golf courses include only nine holes, Chewelah Golf & Country Club is larger than most golf courses, with 27 holes.


Located along U.S. 395, a 45-minute drive from North Spokane, the courses first 18 holes are 6,650 yards long, says assistant professional Gary Hentges.


Dont let the short distance fool you, he says. Its a lot more challenging than you might think.


The course charges $25 to play 18 holes and $28 for those who want to play the entire 27 holes. Greens fees include a bucket of balls at the driving range.


About an hours drive west of Spokane, the 18-hole Deer Meadows Golf Course overlooks Lake Roosevelt, just north of Davenport. Club manager George Livingston describes the 6,800-yard course as flat but scenic and says its a good place for players of all skill levels.


Its not very crowded, so you can come out here and blast away, he says.


The courses clubhouse and restaurant are connected to a 16-unit motel that Deer Meadows operates as well.


An hours drive southeast of Spokane, Ritzville Municipal Golf Course offers an easy-to-walk, nine-hole course with narrow, tree-lined fairways, says Cory Morley, who manages that course with his wife, Kim. The 2,800-yard course costs $12 for nine holes and $18 to play the course twice.


Morley also manages the Harrington Golf Course, in Harrington, about 30 miles north of Ritzville.


The nine-hole, 3,200-yard course includes a lot of elevation changes and is known for its quality greens.


The greens are the best Ive seen this year, Morley says.


The course charges $13 for nine holes and $18 for 18 holes.


Morley says both the Ritzville and Harrington courses draw a lot of golfers from the Spokane area early in the season, because they frequently are among the first in Eastern Washington to open on permanent greens. This year, he says, the Ritzville course opened Feb. 15, and the Harrington course opened March 5.


Farther south, however, some courses are nearly open year-round. Rod Carlson, director of golf at Quail Ridge Golf Course, in Clarkston, says that 18-hole, 6,000-yard course was open for all but about three weeks last year. Two years ago, he says, it was open for 360 days out of the year.


Carlson says the course, which costs $22 to play, frequently has to turn golfers away on weekends, so he suggests calling ahead before you make the two-hour trek to Clarkston.


Other rural courses in Eastern Washington include the 18-hole, 6,200-yard Dominion Meadows Golf Course, in Colville; the nine-hole, 3,000-yard Big Bend Golf Course & Country Club, in Wilbur; and the nine-hole, 2,950-yard Colfax Golf Course, in Colfax.


The Washington State University Golf Course, in Pullman, typically would be an option, but its closed this season for reconstruction.


In the Columbia Basin, a few courses might be worth the drive. The Links at Moses Pointe is a Scottish-style links course with long, undulating fairways. The 18-hole course is 6,300 yards long and costs $35 to play on weekends.


In Warden, about 15 miles southeast of Moses Lake, Sage Hills Golf Club & RV Resort boasts long fairways accompanied by plenty of water hazards and mature trees. The 18-hole course is 6,300 yards long.


Contact Linn Parish at (509) 344-1266 or via e-mail at [email protected].