(SUN VALLEY, ID) – Sun Valley Resort plans to open the front nine holes of its Trail Creek golf course, weather permitting, on Saturday, April 21.
Trail Creek’s back nine holes and sister course White Clouds’ nine holes will open soon thereafter. Elkhorn Golf Club, Sun Valley’s newly-acquired 18-hole course, is scheduled to open in early or mid-May.
The driving ranges and practice facilities at the courses opened this past weekend for the entire golf season. Hours of operation from April 14 to April 21 are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Mild weather this spring season allowed for one of the earliest openings in recent memory.
“We’re thrilled Mother Nature is affording golfers a head start to the golf season,” says Rick Hickman, Director of Golf Operations at Sun Valley. “The courses’ conditions are pristine and golfers’ adrenalines are high as they shoot for their personal best scores.”
Part of the excitement is that of the iconic Sun Valley Resort grew to 45 holes last summer with the acquisition of Elkhorn that is within walking distance of Trail Creek and White Clouds.
This spring, traveling golfers in record numbers are booking Sun Valley’s unlimited golf package. It includes sun-up to sun-down rounds on all three courses, preferred tee times, free play on the resort’s renowned 18-hole Sawtooth Putting Course, complimentary transfers to and from the courses and nightly accommodations.
Other golf packages start at $119, including lodging. Season golf passes are available as are privileges for meetings and convention groups.
Sun Valley courses are lauded as “must plays” on Conde Nast Traveler’s esteemed “Top Golf Resorts” list with exceedingly high ratings from magazine readers for course design, speed of play, accommodations, service, food and dining, and other facilities.
About Sun Valley Golf Courses
• Trail Creek is one of Golf Digest’s “Top 75 Resort Courses” in North America. Consistently delivering enjoyable and challenging rounds for golfers of all abilities, the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed traditional alpine layout features a full complement of stream carries and ominous bunkers well positioned to catch errant shots. Crystal blue skies and majestic views of the surrounding mountains throughout the 18-hole, 6,968-yard, par-72 course also keep golfers returning.
• White Clouds opened in 2008 to rave reviews. In contrast to Trail Creek, the nine-hole, 3,605-yard, par-36 course of alpine-links style tests golfers’ mettles with sand trap shots, side-hill lies, risk-reward decision-making and blind shots – not to mention the 637-yard, par-5 No. 5 hole. Adding to the drama, White Clouds is perched at 6,000 feet for stunning, 360-degree views of Pioneer, Boulder and Smokey mountains. Ernest Hemingway’s house can be seen along golfers’ journeys.
The course also overlooks the 58,000-square-foot Sun Valley Club that is open to the public with a restaurant, bar, wrap-around terraces, pro shop, locker rooms, club storage, club rental and indoor golf simulators. A new 25-acre, state-of-the-art practice facility, the wildly popular 18-hole Sawtooth Putting Course and PGA instruction augment golfers’ memorable experiences.
• Elkhorn was created in 1974 by the famous father-son design team of Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Robert Trent Jones, Jr. After an extensive renovation in 2004, the club re-opened as private. Upon Sun Valley’s acquisition last July, members as well as resort and select other guests enjoy the large, undulating greens, a front nine renowned for its hills and a back nine for water hazards on eight holes. Despite its 7,214 yards from the championship tees and more than 100 sand traps and bunkers, the par 72 Elkhorn provides the perfect blend of bark and benevolence for experienced and novice golfers, respectively. An upscale, 16,000-square-foot clubhouse boasts a restaurant and bar with patio seating and large TVs for game-day cheer as well as relaxation.
About Sun Valley Resort
Founded in 1936 as the first ski resort in America and the recognized inventor of the chair lift, Sun Valley Resort hosts four-season activities for vacation and business travelers, local and regional guests, and families and kids. Continuously modernizing amenities and service standards, Sun Valley is perennially ranked “best of” by major ski, golf and travel media.
On-site skiing, golf, concerts, hiking, biking, fishing, shooting, bowling, theater, concerts, spa services, swimming, shopping and casual and world-class restaurants, meetings and convention space, weddings and special events rank Sun Valley atop all other U.S. destination resorts for number of recreations. Top classical and other musicians from around the world perform at the annual Sun Valley Summer Symphony and scores of Olympic figure skaters showcase their talents at ice shows on Sun Valley’s legendary rink. Sun Valley is also famous as an escape resort for Hollywood stars and America’s foremost business leaders.
The 148-room Sun Valley Lodge accommodates individuals, couples, families and groups, combining modern and luxury features with old-world charm, and is steps from Sun Valley Village.
Residential real estate is now available at Sun Valley for the first time in 30 years. The new White Clouds neighborhood features only 28 home sites, all plotted for majestic mountain and golf-course views. For more information: www.whitecloudsresidences.com, 800.894.9939.
Originated in 1936 by Union Pacific Railroad, Sun Valley Resort is now privately held by the R. Earl Holding family, owner of Sinclair Oil Corporation. Sister properties include Snowbasin Ski Resort, Grand America Hotel, Little America Hotel and Towers (all Salt Lake City, UT), Westgate Hotel, San Diego, CA, Little America Flagstaff, AZ, Little America, WY, and Little America, Cheyenne, WY.
Getting to Sun Valley Resort
Sun Valley Resort is in the Northern Rockies region of south central Idaho. It is just 14 miles from Hailey’s-Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) with Delta Connection (SkyWest) flights from Salt Lake City and Alaska Airlines (Horizon Air) flights from Seattle and Los Angles. Boise Airport is served by most major airlines and Sun Valley Resort provides resort guests with complimentary shuttle service from there.
For more information about Sun Valley Resort: www.sunvalley.com, 800.786.8259.
Contact:
Dan Shepherd
Buffalo Communications
dshepherd@buffalocommunications.com
703.403.5317
Janeen Driscoll
Buffalo Communications
jdriscoll@buffalocommunications.com
910.690.9711
www.buffalocommunications.com
