(SUN VALLEY, ID) – Sun Valley Resort (http://www.sunvalley.com) has expanded its partnership with Buffalo Communications (Buffalo), tasking it to provide golf marketing-communications consultation in addition to turnkey golf publicity and media-relations.
To help enhance the iconic Idaho resort’s position as a “must-visit” golf destination, Buffalo will surgically develop a golf-centric marketing action plan. It incorporates golf play-mix data analysis, refined brand messages, stay-and-play packages, media strategy, social media, program metrics and other tactics.
The intensified Sun Valley-Buffalo collaboration is on heels of renewed excitement about golf at Sun Valley. In July 2011, the resort grew to 45 holes with its acquisition of Elkhorn Golf Club that is within walking distance of its Trail Creek and White Clouds courses.
Sun Valley courses are lauded as “must plays” on the esteemed Conde Nast Traveler “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.
“With a trio of highly-ranked layouts, there’s more reason now than ever for Sun Valley to be on golfers’ bucket lists,” says Tim Silva, Vice President / General Manager of Sun Valley Resort. “Buffalo Communications will help us shape and tell this story through various new and traditional channels.”
“Sun Valley courses parallel the world-class skiing there,” says Rich Katz, Managing Director of Buffalo. “The resort is highly focused on engineering a modernized approach to integrated golf marketing for further brand equity and sales growth.”
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 II.-designed traditional layout features a full complement of stream carries and strategic bunkers well positioned to catch errant shots. Crystal blue skies and majestic views of Bald Mountain (“Baldy”) throughout the 18-hole, 6,968-yard, par-72 course also keep golfers returning.
• White Clouds, which opened in 2008 to rave reviews, was designed by former RTJ II chief golf course architect Donald Knott. In contrast to Trail Creek, the nine-hole, 3,605-yard, par-36 course of alpine-links style tests golfers’ mettle with elevated tee shots, side-hill lies, risk-reward decision-making and blind shots – as well as a 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 surrounding mountain ranges. Ernest Hemingway’s house, nestled in the valley below, is seen from this bird’s-eye view.
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 simulator. The 25-acre, state-of-the-art practice facility, the 18-hole Sawtooths 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 II. 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 fast, 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 chairlift, 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.
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 meetings and convention groups. It combines 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 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
