Gearing for golf

Yes, many neighborhoods still have snow on the ground. Yes, another blizzard could blow through North Idaho at any time between now and mid-June. But we saw some sunshine and 50-degree temperatures this week, and that’s enough for some to dust off the sticks.

Golf season is a big deal (even for terrible players like me), and for those really committed to the game, living on or near a golf course is better than owning a beachfront mansion. A prime spot near the course, however, can be difficult to obtain, even when general real estate activity is robust.

Coeur d’Alene Golf Club, the Lake City’s public course is an especially popular option. Currently, there are a few options in the surrounding area, including a home represented by Realtor Mindee Smith of Windermere that’s nestled just off the third-hole green.

“There are only so many homes where you can live on the course,” Smith said. “Supply is so limited in Coeur d’Alene anyway that the supply there is almost nothing.”

As one might expect, homes sitting on the course are typically much higher than those in the surrounding neighborhoods. The third-hole home is a four-bedroom, three-bathroom property with just under 3,000 square feet, listed at $375,000.

Another home, located a block or so off the course with a little less square footage is listed at $240,000. A much larger home, with five bedrooms and more than 4,500 square feet that’s located a couple blocks up is listed at $397,000. There’s also a .30 acre lot on the 12th fairway listed at just under $135,000.

Smith said there were no homeowners association fees in the neighborhood, and buyers of homes on the course don’t have to be a member of the golf course. While there may be different arrangements on other properties and with homes on other courses, Smith’s listing does not come with any membership, so the owner would still need to pay and schedule tee times.

“The advantage is the proximity to the course,” Smith said. “People also like the fact that it’s a wooded area.”

The other advantage — a gorgeous backyard view of the course. The home, like many in the area, still sits far enough back to avoid most wayward balls from encroaching on private property. Except when I play. I hit all the houses.

The area is also one of the best centrally-located neighborhoods in Coeur d’Alene, with nearby access to Interstate 90, and only a few traffic lights from the Riverstone area and downtown. Even closer is the Kroc Center and its numerous swimming, exercise and family-oriented activities. You won’t even need to drive through a traffic light to get there. Plus, the recent additions of businesses and restaurants around the Winco grocery store are just across Ramsey Road.

Looking for a golf-side location outside Coeur d’Alene? At the Hayden Lake Country Club and Avondale Golf Course, there are a handful of options ranging from smaller homes in the $250-300,000 range up to some much-higher-priced options for more space and bedrooms.

In Post Falls, the Highlands Golf Course area offers a few homes starting around $310,000 and going all the way up to almost $700,000 for a particularly decadent 5,000+ square-foot home. Prairie Falls Golf Course offers the area’s most affordable prices, with homes running across the $200,000s.

Contact Mindee Smith of Windermere at (208) 661-6401 or email MSmith@Windermere.com.

Let us know about more standout neighborhoods and developments that we may feature in an upcoming Neighborhood of the Week. Contact Tyler Wilson at twilson@cdapress.com.

Real Estate Agents, take advantage of Neighborhood of the Week by sending in your suggestions for featured areas, including sites outside the normal confines of Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Hayden.