Boise, Idaho
Hillcrest offers the full private-club experience with a layout shaped by Northwest legend A. Vernon Macan. Blending strategic shot values and mature benchland greens, it’s a golf retreat rich in Boise history and a go-to for the area’s best players. Expect a genuine, walkable challenge with a classic regional feel.
Ask to see the historic clubhouse mural depicting the site's country-club evolution, a unique bit of Boise golf lore.
Hillcrest’s routing, courtesy of A. Vernon Macan, embraces the region’s understated benchland contours and lets classic strategy take center stage. The layout’s charm lies in its mix of short par-4s, sturdy long holes, and a blend of risk-reward decisions that reward local knowledge but don’t punish the first-time visitor. Mature trees, subtle elevation changes, and Macan’s signature green complexes make for a timeless private-club test. The course’s layered growth over decades—from the original nine to two distinct nines, then Graves’s later renovation—adds texture without betraying the club’s historic northwest DNA.
A. Vernon Macan’s touch is evident in the course’s strategic options and respect for understated landforms.
This beefy par 4 is one of Hillcrest’s toughest openers, stretching to 462 yards and demanding precision with both driver and a long iron. The hole’s subtle dogleg and gently sloping fairway demand smart angle management off the tee.
Favor the left-center to open up your approach; avoid biting off too much or the angle to the green shrinks.
Miss right and you can fight trees or a poor stance for your second—par here feels like a birdie.
Traditionally well-manicured bentgrass greens and lush fairways, with consistent pacing and mature trees lining most holes.
Efficient private-club round times, typically undisturbed and unhurried outside tournament days.
Classic, understated private-club ambiance with a strong sense of member tradition and Boise history.
Traditional private-club standards—collared shirts, no denim, golf attire required.
Hillcrest is private—arrange your guest access with a member well in advance.
The club’s mix of pin positions and strategic hole placements make a rangefinder or GPS app especially helpful.
Double-check attire guidelines; private-club etiquette is enforced and traditional.
Take time on the practice range and putting green—Hillcrest’s opening stretch demands readiness from the first shot.
Founded as Idaho Country Club with nine holes
Renamed Boise Country Club
Becomes Hillcrest Country Club; A. Vernon Macan credited with design
Second nine holes added by Macan, completing 18
Hosts LPGA Tour Idaho Centennial Ladies’ Open
Hillcrest’s roots began with a single nine and a vision for Boise golf, but it blossomed in stages—first as Idaho Country Club, then Boise Country Club, and finally as Hillcrest when Macan left his mark. Walk the grounds and you can sense the layer-cake of Idaho golf history under your feet.
Instead of bulldozing the Boise benchland, A. Vernon Macan routed the holes to ride the natural terrain. His strategy—let the land’s subtle tilt determine the shot—means that Hillcrest’s best plays reveal themselves with every round.
In 1963, Hillcrest hosted the Idaho Centennial Ladies’ Open, bringing the LPGA Tour to Boise’s doorstep. It remains a proud blip in Idaho’s golf timeline—and the rare time a national tour teed it up on this classic private ground.
Though Robert Muir Graves left his renovation stamp later, the bones of Hillcrest remain pure Macan. The course tells a story of evolving tradition—modernized, yes, but always mindful of its heritage.
The course evolved through three club names since 1925 but has remained on the same Boise parcel.
A. Vernon Macan designed over 40 courses across the Pacific Northwest but Hillcrest is his only major Idaho routing.
A local lore says the fairways were routed around landmark trees dating to the early 20th century.
Hillcrest held a single LPGA event in 1963, a rarity for Idaho clubs.
The original clubhouse was designed by renowned Idaho architect J.E. Tourtellotte.
Strongest public championship layout, highly rated locally
Big-course feel and versatile facilities, about 25 minutes away
Ideal for a casual or extra round, close to Eagle
Excellent member-level experience if you can score an invite
Easy-to-access, enjoyable layout south of downtown
Downtown Boise or the Boise Bench, for quick access to both member and public courses.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character, making it a compelling counterpart to Hillcrest Country Club.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Elyria Country Club a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character, making it a compelling counterpart to Hillcrest Country Club.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Cherry Valley Club a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character, making it a compelling counterpart to Hillcrest Country Club.
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