Two new courses – Jug Mountain Ranch Golf Course in McCall and Falcon Crest Golf Club in Kuna – have been added to the Idaho Golf Trail for 2008 bringing to 10 the number of member courses.
With the addition of these two courses the Trail has been reformatted from two distinct “loops” (North and South) to three:
• Central – Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort, Jug Mountain, Whitetail Club and MeadowCreek
• Southern – Sun Valley Resort, BanBury and Falcon Crest
• Northern – Circling Raven Golf Club, Coeur d’Alene Resort Course and StoneRidge
The reformatting is designed to enhance visitors’ trips (i.e. more options, more proximity of Trail courses, more manageable logistically and therefore enjoyable, etc.).
As you know, there was a time when golf in the Pacific Northwest was largely confined to a few good to great courses. Those days are long gone however thanks to a proliferation of highly regarded courses in the region.
These include those at Bandon Dunes, Chambers Bay, Circling Raven, Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort, and many others.
Beside the addition of two new courses to the Idaho Golf Trail, some of the highlights of the IGT include:
•
The debut of Sun Valley’s new course, which is quasi-revolutionary from a real estate perspective. Whereas most resort courses are built in valleys with real estate and resort lodging stealing the best vantage points, Sun Valley’s new nine sits in the premier real estate location – on high and providing panoramic views. This strategy stems from the owner (Earl Holding) wanting to continue Sun Valley’s legacy of building a resort destination which preserves the physical beauty, design and aura which has appealed to discriminating ski-and-golf resort travelers for decades (i.e. it’s not about a quick buck). The new course offers long-range sight lines, spectacular views of the Sawtooths, Boulder and other surrounding mountains, and a routing which will require golfers to hit shots at the top range of their abilities to negotiate well the titillating layout but with multiple tee boxes to find the right challenge for golfers of varying ability. The new nine holes will debut this summer (with its second nine planned to follow in 2009) and was designed by Donald J. Knott – of Knott Brooks Linn Golf Course Design Group out of California – the lead architect during the Robert Trent Jones Jr. design firm’s renovation of Sun Valley’s original 18 holes in 1978-79. The new course at Sun Valley complements the existing course there, which is located in a valley with Trail Creek, narrow fairways and mature Cottonwood trees providing ample defense of the course. In addition, Sun Valley will debut its new clubhouse and Nordic Center this summer (and a Symphony Pavilion), which will showcase mountain peak and meadow views, an expansive new practice facility, and the new, 18-hole putting course. Named “Sawtooths” in tribute to the mountains of the same name which grace the area and because it includes a series of mounds which reflect them in miniature, Sawtooths is patterned after the putting course at St. Andrews (“Himalayas”). General Manager Wallace Huffman tells a great story about how during a trip to St. Andrews he and his travelmates were enjoined in a putting match by some Scottish natives on theHimalayas and the drama and formality of the match (after cocktails while wearing sports jackets). It struck a chord with him and he envisions a similar reception/venue at the Sun Valley’s Sawtooths.
• The addition of Jug Mountain to the IGT is a terrific news for avid golf travelers as it brings into play Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort (RTJ Jr.) and Whitetail Club (Andy North-Roger Packard), both which are with 30 minutes of one another. and Jug Mountain. All three offer immaculate conditions, exemplary customer service and inspired course designs set amid spectacular mountain, meadow and lake scenery, and all three are working up stay-and-play packages now that Jug Mountain has been added to the IGT.
• Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Resort Course continue to garner acclaim as one of the best tandems of resort courses for golf getaways in North America given their proximity, apples to oranges layouts (so different yet complementary), exemplary customer service and value-priced stay-and-play packages.
Idaho Golf Trail
Idaho Golf Trail (800-84-IDAHO, www.idahogolftrail.com)
Sun Valley Resort (800-894-9941, www.sunvalley.com)
Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel (www.circlingraven.com, www.cdacasino.com, 800-523-2464)
Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort (www.tamarackidaho.com , 877-747-5676)
StoneRidge Golf Course (www.stoneridgeidaho.com, 800-952-2948)
BanBury Golf Club (www.banburygolf.com, 208-939-3600)
Coeur d’Alene Resort (www.cdaresort.com, 800-688-5253)
Whitetail Club & Resort (www.whitetailclub.com, 800-657-6464)
MeadowCreek Golf Resort (www.meadowcreekresort.com, 208-347-2555)
Falcon Crest Golf Club (www.falconcrestgolf.com, 208.362.8897)
Jug Mountain Ranch (www.jugmountainranch.com, 208-634-5072)
Contact:
Dan Shepherd
Vice President
Buffalo Communications/Billy Casper Golf
www.buffalocommunications.com
www.billycaspergolf.com
