Hillcrest Country Club

Overview: Hillcrest Country Club is a private 18-hole parkland course on Boise's south side. The layout is associated with A. Vernon Macan and combines tree-lined corridors, elevated ground and water in the form of ponds and the New York Canal. At 6,800 yards and par 71 from the listed tees, it is not defined by sheer length. Its interest comes from the way the course asks players to choose angles, control approach distance and stay patient when water narrows the preferred line.

History: The property began as Idaho Country Club in 1925 with an original nine-hole course. After a reorganization, the club became Hillcrest Country Club in 1940, and the final nine holes were added in 1958. A. Vernon Macan is credited with the design of all 18 holes, while Robert Muir Graves led a renovation in 1968. Those layers give Hillcrest a classic core with a later south nine and a long record of adaptation.

Did You Know? Hillcrest has hosted the Albertsons Boise Open since the tournament's inaugural event in 1990. For the professional event, the nines are reversed, with the newer nine played first and the original nine used as the closing side. That tournament routing offers a different reading of the course from the regular club sequence.