Spokane Outdoor Activities

Awarded one of the “Top 10 Golf Experiences Within Idaho” by Golf Digest, The Highlands Golf Course beckons golf enthusiasts with forests of towering pine trees and rolling terrain of verdant beauty. The course was originally designed by Jim Krause and opened for play in 1991, though anyone who hasn’t played it since 2006 will appreciate the additional tee boxes and marked improvements in bunker playability resulting from course renovations. Six lakes come into play, demanding deft club selection around the greens and impeccable swan dives to retrieve errant golf balls. Narrow fairways and several doglegs also place a premium on flawless drives off of your playing partner's belly button.

As a warm-up or a cool-down, practice at the driving encourages skill development with grass tees and nearly 400 yards of open expanse. A short-game practice area recreates most on-course situations a golfer can conjure up, with sand bunkers and two regulation flagpoles that double as golf cart jousting lances.

Course at a Glance:

• Par 72

• Four sets of tees

• 6,385 yards from back tees

• Rating of 69.7 and slope of 120 from back tees

• 1991 Jim Krause design

• Renovated in 2006

When it was first formed in 2006, the Spokane Shock overwhelmed the Arena Football League's now-defunct development league, reaching the ArenaCup in three out of four seasons and winning it twice. In 2010, the Shock got the call. The team was promoted into the AFL proper, electrifying fans by winning the ArenaBowl in their very first season. Over the last four seasons, the Shock have maintained a winning pedigree by never finishing a season with a losing record and defeating every person who's challenged them to a game of tic-tac-toe.

Cool breezes gain steam over the waters of Hayden Lake before moving through the pine trees that line the fairways of Avondale Golf Course, adding to the bucolic splendor of the 18-hole, 6,600-yard layout. The course's short-grass corridors switchback through a combination of tree-lined and open terrain, with water hazards complicating passage on five holes, placing precise shots and webbed golf shoes at a premium.

A stint at the natural-turf driving range helps golfers to warm up for the round, a necessary measure for slow-starting swings that may struggle to reach the lengthy par 4 second hole—rated the course's hardest from the men's tees—in regulation. After hunting birdies and inflating the egos of smug putters across the landscape, players can recess to the Water Hazard Bar & Grill to recap memorable shots over dinner and drinks.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,600 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.0 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 130 from the farthest tees
• Five tee options

Paddles dip into the water of Coeur d'Alene lake, boards glide across its surface, and a moose nibbles plants near its edge as groups of paddleboarders see North Idaho through new eyes. Moments like these spring from the dedication and passion of Coeur d'Alene Paddle Board Company's staff. With a mission to share their love for stand-up paddleboarding, they teach classes on fundamental techniques and lead group sessions into the area's scenic waters. Under guides' watchful eyes, groups float out into the open lake or along more narrow waterways flanked by trees and rubber duckies squeaking in their natural habitats.

Staffers at Vacation Sports Rentals loan boats, paddleboards, and floatation devices to aqueous adventurers to explore the pristine waterways of Lake Coeur d'Alene while soaking in its surrounding beaches and mountain views. Water vessels available for half- or full-day rental include the Larson Senza speedboat, 24-foot pontoon, and 2011 Sea-Doo waverunners. Four-, 8-, or 24-hour rentals facilitate water sports such as tubing and wakeboarding. In addition to the boats, Vacation Sports Rentals doles out wakeboards, skis, kneeboards, standup paddleboards, and tubes. Safety necessities such as life vests, paddles, and wetsuits keep athletes protected from injury and icky seaweed.

A member of the United States Archery Association, Spokane Valley Archery grants bowmen plenty of room—10 acres’ worth—to safely sling their arrows at a host of targets. Visitors can knock their arrows and take aim on a 100-yard practice range with targets placed every 5 yards, a broad-head range, or an 18-target, 3-D range that mimics shooting at live game or vogueing woodland creatures. Beginners can learn the sport through the Introduction to Archery class led by Level II USAA–certified coaches, who demonstrate safe use of equipment, proper technique, and standard range setup.