By Tony Dear

With some of the nation’s most-acclaimed courses and new ones opening every year, a trip through the Palouse and Western Idaho should be on every Puget Sound golfer’s itinerary.

Day 1: Spokane, Wash.
Indian Canyon & Chewelah Golf and Country Club

Designed by 1904 and 1905 U.S. Amateur champion H. Chandler Egan, Indian Canyon is about as good as municipal golf gets in America, barring perhaps Torrey Pines, Bethpage and Chambers Bay. The fun begins immediately at the downhill par-5 1st hole and rolls right along with another superb par-5 at No. 2. There are so many good holes, it’s tough to pick the best, although the extremely tight par-3 8th receives many people’s vote. Just about the only less-than-enjoyable hole is the 18th which, at 449 yards — all of them uphill — can seem a bit of a slog. The card, though, provides some relief — it, too, is a par-5, so play it with three easy swings and you won’t finish with the bitter taste in the mouth that the guy who goes for it in two, mangles his back and walks off with a seven might. Eighteen holes will set you back merely $25 on weekdays and $27 on weekends, making Indian Canyon not only one of the region’s top courses, but also one of its most affordable. If you’re still feeling the itch, 45 minutes north of town you’ll find the lovely, 27-hole Chewelah Golf and Country Club situated in a dense pine forest with several water features and significant undulations. There are plenty of blind shots and some tight doglegs, but at only $33 for as much golf as you can play, you’ll have the opportunity in the afternoon to right some wrongs from the morning round. After 18 holes at Indian Canyon and Chewelah, take in a plate of Sushi at Bluefish on Sprague or a great steak at Spencer’s in the Doubletree Hotel — a good choice for overnight accommodations if you’re looking for something central and convenient for all the city’s attractions. But you’re not here for just a day — indeed, the Puget Sound golfer has a full-on weekend of golf just a four-hour drive from home (or 59 minutes if you’d rather take Horizon Airlines’ Bombardier Q400 across the mountains — which, with rising gas prices, can be a surprisingly good value).