Circling Raven Golf Club honored
Dave Christenson grew up on the west side of Spokane, spending a great deal of his youth hanging around local golf clubs. Decades later, he finds himself and his organization at Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley recipients of the Professional Golf Association resort merchandiser of the year award for the Northwest section of the country, qualifying them for consideration as this year’s national resort merchandiser of the year.
“This (award) is a reflection on the whole team’s efforts,” said Christenson, the director of golf. “The PGA selection committee considers the use of creative displays, dollar amount of sales, and really the look and feel of the pro shop in general.”
The pro shop, located just south of the Coeur d’Alene Casino on Highway 95, has an impressive lodge feeling. Its upswept log beams perfectly frame the views of the course out the far windows when you enter the front door.
“We are very proud of our course,” said Christenson, who is the one who proposed to name the course after one of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s former chiefs. “Of the over 600 acres, there are only 140 irrigated, so the course has a very natural feeling.”
Christenson was hired about six months before the course opened in 2003, according to Bob Bostwick, Coeur d’Alene Casino director of public relations.
“We are very lucky to have him with us,” he said. “Of the 77 applicants for his position, he stood above the rest. He has a great attitude and outlook and is really able to work with the tribal council and its leaders.”
Christenson’s golf education started at Indian Canyon golf course in Spokane, where he used to hang around after showing up every morning on his bike and volunteering to do whatever what needed, eventually washing range balls and golf carts for free.
“Gary Lindeblad, the head pro at Indian Canyon, really looked after me and gave me some career advice, since he knew I was looking at working in golf as a lifetime occupation,” Christenson said. “Gary hired me at around age 15, took me under his wing, really guiding my career.”
Lindeblad advised Christenson to go work for someone else in the golf industry out of the area, so after graduating from Washington State University, Christenson took a job at Inglewood Country Club in Seattle as an assistant golf professional, where he steadily worked his way through the ranks.
“Inglewood was a busy course, so they had a number of assistant (pros),” Christenson said.
He worked there to accumulate the PGA “points” needed to acquire a head pro certification down the line. Soon he applied for the head pro job when the top assistant took the head pro position at Downriver, a Spokane course. As head pro at Inglewood, Christenson developed a network of friends and comrades within the industry.
“In that role I established a number of relationships that eventually led to this position (with Circling Raven),” he said.
Circling Raven head golf professional Steve Caruso was a boyhood friend of Christenson and is thankful to be on his team.
“When we were teenage kids, Dave competed in a playoff for the Sundance Amateur low gross with Karl Ota,” Caruso recalled. “Karl was a great player and had far more maturity and experience than Dave in golf. I’m sure the 15 or 20 of us that were watching felt that Karl would win the playoff easily. However, I watched as the “Steamroller” reeled off six straight pars and, to everyone’s surprise, was still alive! He wouldn’t give in.”
“Anyway, Ota went on to win the playoff, but I can tell you firsthand that many others have fallen victim to the “Steamroller” since then.”