Sage Lakes Golf Course
Sage Lakes Golf Course in Idaho Falls
Address: 100 East 65th North, Idaho Falls, ID 83401
Course Overview
Sage Lakes Golf Course is a municipal public golf course in Idaho Falls. The official Idaho Falls Golf and Visit Idaho pages describe it as an 18-hole championship facility with generous fairways and greens, numerous water features, bunkers, a large driving range, short-game practice space, and broad views of the Eastern Idaho Upper Snake River Valley. The course is especially associated with a Scottish links-style look, and the official course-history page says its character is defined by that links appearance, multiple teeing grounds, moderately contoured greens, and hazards meant to challenge stronger players while still being fair to avid and beginning golfers. Third-party golf directories consistently list the course as having opened in 1993 and credit William H. Neff as the architect.
Course Information
Type: Municipal / Public
Number of Holes: 18
Par: 70
Price: The freshest published 2026 rates page snippet shows Monday-Thursday pricing of $39.50 for 18 holes and $24.50 for 9 holes for non-residents, with Idaho Falls city-resident pricing of $36.50 for 18 and $21.50 for 9. The official rates page also shows separate Friday-Sunday pricing, but the visible search snippet does not expose those weekend amounts clearly, so those should be verified directly on the live rates page or by phone before publishing exact weekend numbers.
Yardage: Official course information lists Sage Lakes as playing from about 5,000 to 6,800 yards, while Visit Idaho summarizes it as a 6,800-yard par-70 course. Some third-party listings show older back-tee numbers around 6,738 yards, so the safest current summary is that the course plays to roughly 6,800 yards from the back.
Opened: 1993
Architect: William H. Neff
Gallery
Additional Course Information
Sage Lakes is one of the City of Idaho Falls municipal courses and stands out for being more open and links-inspired than a traditional tree-lined parkland course. The official course-history page says the site was originally very flat and was shaped into a layout with a Scottish links appearance, multiple tees, moderately contoured greens, and hazards including grass bunkers and water features. Visit Idaho and the official course page also emphasize the course’s broad valley views, easy walking, and championship presentation.
What makes Sage Lakes especially distinctive is that it blends wide playing corridors with strategic trouble rather than relying on tight tree lines. The official course-history writeup says the design goal was to create a fair test for strong players while remaining forgiving for less-skilled golfers, and the course’s multiple tee options support that. A third-party course description adds that golfers can expect a links-style setting with mounding, uneven lies, large grass bunkers, and water in play on many holes, which helps explain why the course feels both playable and strategically interesting.
In overall difficulty, Sage Lakes fits best as a mixed test. It is beginner-friendlier than a narrow championship layout because of its generous fairways and multiple tees, but it still gives stronger players enough strategy through contouring, bunkering, water, and angle-based golf. The official materials specifically say the hazards and features were placed to test scratch golfers while remaining fair to avid and beginning golfers.
The course also appears quite welcoming for walkers. Both the official site and Visit Idaho say Sage Lakes is easy to walk, and the policies page allows golfers to use rented carts or approved manual and electric push carts. Golf carts are optional rather than required, though players must follow cart-path and safety restrictions, including staying away from steep slopes, keeping distance from tees and greens, and using paths where provided.
Tee options are a strength here. The official course-history page says Sage Lakes uses multiple tees and varies from about 5,000 to 6,800 yards. The published course ratings also show Gold, Blue, White, and Red men’s options, reinforcing that golfers can choose a length that suits their game. The Idaho Falls Golf policies page also explicitly recommends the more forward tees for most new players.
For beginners, juniors, seniors, and families, Sage Lakes looks broadly suitable, though not in a “pitch-and-putt” sense. The course is a regulation 18-hole facility, but the city’s golf operation supports junior instruction, beginner development, and forward-tee play. The instruction page lists Sage Lakes PGA staff and an Operation 36 junior program for ages 7-18 that is specifically built for beginners learning the game.
The official practice setup is solid for a municipal course. Sage Lakes has an all-grass driving range, short-game practice area, and two practice putting greens. The range schedule posted on the official course-details page shows that the practice facilities are public-facing but operate with specific mowing-related closures and earlier Monday close times during parts of the season, so it is worth checking hours before visiting.
Golf instruction is available on site. The official instruction page lists Kevin Kavran, PGA, as Golf Operations Manager and Sage Lakes Head Professional, along with Cory Payne, PGA Associate, as Assistant Professional. That same page promotes junior lessons and the Operation 36 player-development program, confirming instruction for both newer players and youth golfers.
In terms of amenities and policies, Sage Lakes follows the same Idaho Falls municipal golf policies listed on the official rates and policies page. Shirts and shoes are required, metal spikes are not allowed, and everyone must register before play. Each golfer must have their own set of clubs or rent one, and outside alcohol is prohibited. The café concessionaire is the approved source for food and beverage consumed on property, and banquet facilities are available.
Booking is straightforward. The official policies page says tee times are accepted up to four days in advance and can be booked online, by phone, or in person, with walk-ons also welcome. The general start time varies with daylight, but the policy says it is generally around 7:00 a.m. The same page notes that the course is open from sunrise until 30 minutes after sundown, and the pace-of-play target is 4 hours for 18 holes and 2 hours for 9 holes.
For cancellations, the official policy is more of a no-show system than a traditional prepaid-reservation penalty. The course asks players to cancel unneeded tee times and warns that repeat no-shows can lead to suspension of online booking privileges, first for one week and then for the remainder of the year after repeated offenses. Rain checks are offered for weather-shortened rounds, but no cash refunds are given.
Sage Lakes is not year-round in the usual sense, but it can open early when weather allows. A February 27, 2026 local-news report said Sage Lakes and the other Idaho Falls city courses opened for the season on February 28, 2026, unusually early because of a mild winter. That suggests golfers should think of the course as a seasonal operation whose exact opening depends on conditions rather than as a fixed year-round facility.
For food and beverage, the official city golf policies confirm clubhouse concession service and note that food and drinks for golfers are provided by the licensed café vendor. The policy page also includes a dedicated Sage Lakes clubhouse café number for quick food ordering during the round.
As for notable holes, the clearest publicly visible detail comes from third-party course guides, which identify No. 4, a 456-yard par 4, as the No. 1 handicap hole and No. 16, a 575-yard par 5, as the longest hole on the course. Those same descriptions identify No. 12, a 180-yard par 3, as the shortest back-tee hole. Because the official public pages I could access did not expose the full hole-by-hole scorecard, I would treat these as useful but non-official hole notes unless you want to verify them directly against the live scorecard.
Overall, Sage Lakes appears to be a strong-value public course for a wide range of golfers. Its identity is built around municipal accessibility, championship-scale space, practice amenities, easy walking, and a links-style look that feels different from a classic in-town parkland course. Golfers who like open visuals, strategic bunkering, moderate contour, and a course that can work for both newer and experienced players will probably find Sage Lakes especially appealing.
