Sand Creek Golf Course
Sand Creek Golf Course in Idaho Falls
Address: 5200 S 25th E, Idaho Falls, ID 83404-7608
Course Overview
Sand Creek Golf Course is a municipal public course in Idaho Falls. The official Idaho Falls golf site describes it as an 18-hole championship facility that is fun for all abilities, with generous fairways and greens, a driving range, and a 6-hole par-3 short course for new and avid golfers. Visit Idaho adds that the property is marked by natural sand dunes and a creek, while much of the course is relatively level and easy to walk.
Course Information
Type: Municipal / Public
Number of Holes: 18 regulation holes, plus a 6-hole short course.
Par: 72.
Price: Official 2026 rates on the Idaho Falls golf site show 18-hole weekday (Mon-Thu) rates starting at $39.50 non-resident / $36.50 resident, and 18-hole weekend (Fri-Sun) rates starting at $40.50 non-resident; the same rate table also shows 9-hole weekday rates of $24.50 non-resident / $21.50 resident, plus junior pricing on the published schedule. The short course is listed at $5 per person per 6-hole round, with Idaho Falls Junior Golf Association members playing it free.
Yardage: Common published back-tee yardage is about 6,770 to 6,783 yards. Golf Course Gurus lists the back set at 6,783 yards, while other third-party listings round it to 6,770 yards.
Gallery
Additional Course Information
Sand Creek has a different personality than a classic tree-heavy city course. What stands out most is the land itself. The course gets its name from the creek and natural sand features on the property, and several outside descriptions highlight the sand dunes, water, open corridors, and lightly framed holes as defining traits. The official course history says the site was envisioned as a championship-caliber municipal facility, and Visit Idaho describes the course as mostly level, with the opening tee, turn, 18th green, and clubhouse on higher ground.
In terms of style, Sand Creek fits best as a municipal parkland / open plains layout with natural sand-dune character, rather than a true links course. It does not read as desert, mountain, forest, or resort golf. Golf Course Gurus notes that the course has trees to frame holes but enough openness to recover from misses, and also points out an unusual design characteristic: despite the sandy land, the course does not feature a single bunker. Water is still part of the challenge, especially on the back side, where a large pond and additional water in play on several holes help keep golfers attentive.
From a playability standpoint, Sand Creek appears to be one of the more welcoming 18-hole options in the area. The official site says it is fun for all abilities and easy to walk, and outside descriptions repeatedly frame it as a strong family-friendly municipal course. That family appeal is reinforced by the 6-hole short course, junior programming, family golf times, and multiple teeing options. The course is substantial enough to feel like a true championship-length round, but the wide corridors and walkable terrain make it more approachable than many courses of similar length.
The tee setup supports a broad range of players. Official course information lists men’s and women’s ratings from multiple tees, and third-party score summaries commonly show Blue, White, and Red configurations. The Idaho Falls golf site also stresses that players should choose the tee markers that match their current game and explicitly recommends more forward tees for most new players. That makes Sand Creek suitable for beginners, juniors, seniors, and casual golfers, while still offering enough yardage to interest stronger players.
Sand Creek’s practice and player-development setup is one of its better selling points. The official course information lists an all-grass driving range, limited short-game practice area, and two practice putting greens. The instruction page also confirms private lessons for juniors and adults, group-lesson discounts, and instruction from PGA professionals and PGA associate professionals. The site further names Kevin Kavran, PGA and Cory Payne, PGA in the Operation 36 junior program, and the course history page names John Graham as PGA Head Professional in the course’s historical writeup.
For families and new golfers, Sand Creek has unusually strong public-facing features for a municipal facility. The short course is open to adults and juniors, operates on a first-come, first-served basis, and the official site says it is especially recommended for people who are new to the game. It estimates a 6-hole short-course round at about one hour, states that groups should have an adult present, and says the short course is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to dusk, except Monday mornings during Junior Day. Family Golf Days are also promoted on the Idaho Falls golf site on Saturdays June through August starting at 3:00 p.m., with discounted family pricing and free play for very young children and junior association members.
Policies are fairly straightforward. The published course policies say the facility is open at sunrise and closes 30 minutes after sundown. Tee times are accepted up to four days in advance, and players can book online, by phone, or in person. Walk-ons are welcome. The same policy page says shirts and shoes are required, metal spikes are not allowed, and everyone must have or rent their own clubs and bag. Golf carts are available, private carts and push carts are addressed in policy, and pull carts must stay off tees, greens, and collars.
Sand Creek also sets a clear pace-of-play expectation. The official policy page says golfers should complete 9 holes in 2 hours and 18 holes in 4 hours. For players looking for a quicker round, that suggests earlier and less crowded tee sheets are best, although the course does not publicly list exact “best time” windows. The same page notes that groups smaller than four are commonly paired on busier days.
Food and beverage are available on site, which serves breakfast items, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, hot dogs, drinks, and beer. The menu PDF confirms a dedicated Sand Creek café phone number, (208) 701-9276, and states that operating hours are posted on the building. Course policies also say that alcohol must be purchased through the licensed concessionaire and that outside food or drink is restricted for groups unless approved by management. Banquet facilities are also mentioned in the food-and-beverage policy language.
One point worth noting is the course’s opening year, which is not perfectly consistent across public sources. The official Idaho Falls history page says the course’s official dedication was June 27, 1980, while some third-party listings say it opened in 1974 and others list 1980 as the year built. Because the city’s own historical page is the strongest source, the safest way to present it is that Sand Creek was designed in the early 1970s and officially dedicated in 1980. The design is credited to William P. Bell and Son / William F. Bell, depending on source wording.
What makes Sand Creek unique is that it combines several things that do not often show up together in a public course: municipal access, championship length, easy walkability, natural dune-and-creek character, strong junior and family infrastructure, and a separate short course. It is not the flashiest or most resort-oriented golf experience, but it appears to have built a steady reputation as a practical, enjoyable course that serves a wide slice of golfers in the Idaho Falls area.
