Coeur D’Alene Resort and
Floating Golf Green
Location: On the north shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene, off I-90, exit 11. Follow the signs to downtown.
History: The tallest building in north Idaho today is the main building of the Coeur d’Alene Resort, in Coeur d’Alene. At 18 stories high, it towers above the other buildings in the city and provides stunning views of Lake Coeur d’Alene and the forests of Kootenai County. The expansion of the existing 150-room hotel was completed in 1986.
Up until the 1980’s, the dominant industry in the Idaho Panhandle was mining. Silver mines dotted the area, as well as sawmills supporting the timber industry. However, these industries began to die out and the local economy was failing before entrepreneur Duane Hagadone arrived on the scene. The rich newspaper and radio station owner believed that the natural beauty of Lake Coeur d’Alene would draw tourists from around the world to a first-class resort. In 1984 construction was started to completely overhaul the existing Coeur d’Alene Resort, which began the change in Coeur d’Alene’s dominant economy from mining and timber to tourism.
Interesting points: One of the resort’s claim to fame is it’s unique 14th hole--a movable, floating green - the ultimate water hazard, and the world’s first and only floating island golf green. The Coeur d' Alene Resort was named the top golf facility in Idaho by Golf Digest in their ranking of America's 500 Best Places to Play, and was selected among the World's Top 100 Golf Resorts in The Golfer Magazine annual travel guide.
The green rests on foam filled concrete honeycombs, and is moved daily by a computerized cable system. It can be anchored anywhere from 100-175 yards off shore. Nice touches include transportation to the course from the hotel via mahogany water taxis, forecaddies (a.k.a. "concierges") equipped with laser distance guns, and complimentary massage therapy on the driving range.
National Geographic has called Lake Coeur d’Alene "one of the 5 most beautiful lakes in the world."
Statistics: The Coeur d’Alene Resort has 18 stories and 337 rooms. The project cost $60 million, including landscaping, furnishings, remodeling the existing part of the resort, and building a parking garage, and a marina.
Construction: Building tall buildings poses some serious engineering problems. The force of the wind blowing on a building is significant. This problem was compounded by the building location – since it was on the shore of the lake, the soil was very poor. The new building would have to be constructed on "fill" instead of soil that was more suitable for the project.
To combat this problem, auger pilings were placed five feet apart along each of the building’s footings. A large drill was used to drill a hole less than two feet in diameter, 60’-80’ deep. As the drill was being pulled out of the hole, concrete was forced into the hole at high pressures. At the top of the hole the auger piling was capped with a concrete footing which was ten feet wide and five feet deep, and ran the length of the building. The footings were placed 16 feet apart on center.
To handle the weight, concrete bearing walls—which "bear" the weight of the building-- were built in place. One bearing wall was placed on each of the footings, also running the length of the building. At their base, the bearing walls were 16 inches wide, tapering to 10 inches at the top of the building. All of the weight of the building rests on these concrete walls.