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Hardest Golf Courses in Idaho

The 25 most challenging golf courses in Idaho, ranked by maximum slope rating.

The hardest golf course in Idaho on Stymie is The Reserve at Moonlight Basin in Rexburg. It carries a maximum slope rating of 155, stretching 8,000 yards from the back tees, placing it well above the USGA's neutral 113 and into the territory where bogey golfers should expect to lose 8-12 strokes versus their handicap. These 25 courses below are ranked by maximum slope rating, the single best proxy for "how punishing this course is" for the average golfer.

Across the full Stymie directory, the average maximum slope in Idaho is 134 — above the typical US state benchmark around 125. 24 courses in Idaho carry a slope of 140 or higher; a slope of 140+ is considered very difficult and demands accurate driving, distance control on iron shots, and patience around the greens.

If you're testing yourself or planning a buddy trip built around difficulty, start at the top of this list and play from a tee one set forward of your normal handicap range. Course difficulty is not the same as course quality — many of the hardest courses below also rank among the most enjoyable in the state, but the slope rating tells you to bring your A-game.

Ranked

Peak slope

155

Avg max slope

134

Slope 140+

Hardest Easiest Longest Oldest Newest

#	Course	City	Par	Slope
1	The Reserve at Moonlight Basin Mill Creek tees · 8,000 yds · Rating 86.0 · Par 72Rexburg	Rexburg	72	155
2	Stock Farm Club Black tees · 7,215 yds · Rating 81.1 · Par 72Missoula	Missoula	72	155
3	Black Bull Back 40 tees · 7,183 yds · Rating 81.1 · Par 72Three Forks	Three Forks	72	155
4	Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club#43 GD II tees · 6,696 yds · Rating 78.6 · Par 72 · Tom Fazio · 2007 · PrivateCoeur d'Alene	Coeur d'Alene	72	154
5	Galena Ridge Golf Course Blue21 tees · 6,326 yds · Rating 76.6 · Par 70Kellogg	Kellogg	70	153
6	Crane Creek Country Club Black tees · 7,010 yds · Rating 80.0 · Par 73 · Bob E. Baldock · 1962Boise	Boise	73	152
7	The Golf Club at Black Rock Copper tees · 6,489 yds · Rating 76.2 · Par 72Coeur d'Alene	Coeur d'Alene	72	146
8	Banbury Golf Course Black tees · 6,786 yds · Rating 78.4 · Par 71Eagle	Eagle	71	145
9	Missoula Country Club Black tees · 6,722 yds · Rating 78.7 · Par 71Missoula	Missoula	71	145
10	Circling Raven Golf Course White tees · 6,108 yds · Rating 75.0 · Par 72Post Falls	Post Falls	72	145
11	Big Sky Golf Course Blue tees · 6,800 yds · Rating 79.0 · Par 72Three Forks	Three Forks	72	144
12	Fox Ridge Golf Course Blue tees · 6,619 yds · Rating 77.4 · Par 72Helena	Helena	72	144
13	Green Meadow Country Club Spikes tees · 6,383 yds · Rating 76.6 · Par 72Helena	Helena	72	144
14	The Links at Teton Peaks Black tees · 6,319 yds · Rating 74.6 · Par 72Ashton	Ashton	72	143
15	Timberstone Golf Course Orange tees · 6,760 yds · Rating 78.0 · Par 72Wilder	Wilder	72	142
16	Juniper Hills Country Club Back tees · 6,300 yds · Rating 76.0 · Par 73 · George Von Elm · 1960Pocatello	Pocatello	73	141
17	Whitefish Lake Golf Club - South Course Blue tees · 6,294 yds · Rating 76.4 · Par 71Whitefish	Whitefish	71	141
18	Quail Ridge Golf Course WHITE tees · 6,279 yds · Rating 77.6 · Par 72Lewiston	Lewiston	72	141
19	Tributary III tees · 6,116 yds · Rating 73.5 · Par 72 · PrivateAshton	Ashton	72	141
20	Mirror Lake Golf Course White/Blue tees · 6,001 yds · Rating 75.2 · Par 72 · Edward A. Hunnicutt · 1974Bonners Ferry	Bonners Ferry	72	141
21	Idaho Falls Country Club Blue tees · 6,361 yds · Rating 76.2 · Par 72 · William F. Bell · 1970 · PrivateIdaho Falls	Idaho Falls	72	140
22	Hillcrest Country Club White tees · 6,314 yds · Rating 76.1 · Par 71 · Vernon Macan · 1940Boise	Boise	71	140
23	Shoshone Country Club Blue/White 21 tees · 6,310 yds · Rating 76.2 · Par 74Kellogg	Kellogg	74	140
24	Ridgecrest Golf Club Black tees · 6,267 yds · Rating 75.6 · Par 72Nampa	Nampa	72	140
25	Elkhorn Golf Course Black tees · 7,089 yds · Rating 72.7 · Par 72Sun Valley	Sun Valley	72	139

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest golf course in Idaho?

The Reserve at Moonlight Basin in Rexburg, Idaho is the hardest ranked course with a maximum slope rating of 155. Slope rating measures the difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch player — 113 is average, 140+ is very difficult, and 155 is the maximum.

How many golf courses in Idaho have a slope rating of 140 or higher?

24 golf courses have a max slope rating of 140 or higher in Idaho based on the scorecards in the Stymie directory. A slope of 140 or above is considered very challenging for bogey golfers.

How does Idaho's average difficulty compare to the rest of the US?

The average maximum slope rating across golf courses in Idaho is 134, versus a US average around 125. A higher state average indicates courses that are, on the whole, tougher for mid-to-high handicap golfers.

What makes a golf course hard?

Course difficulty is driven primarily by slope rating (how much harder it plays for a bogey golfer than a scratch golfer), course rating (how a scratch golfer would score), total yardage, hazards (water, bunkers, forced carries), green speed, and rough length. Slope rating is the single best proxy for "how tough this course is."