Sun Valley Resort Continues Improvements

Sun Valley Resort staked its claim as a year-round destination more than 70 years ago when it became the first ski resort in America. Since then it has built upon its status by continuing to change with the times while maintaining the setting, service and amenities which made it so popular as an "American Original."

The resort will be upgraded with a number of enhancements in 2008 and '09. These include the first nine holes of a new 18-hole championship golf course. The course will augment the resort's original 18-hole track; the second nine of the new 18 is planned for a 2009 debut. Also involved are an outdoor Symphony Pavilion that will host a number of events, a new 58,756-square-foot golf clubhouse and a Nordic Center.

"Sun Valley Resort is committed to exceeding our guests' needs and wishes which the new amenities coming online in 2008 demonstrate," said Sun Valley general manager Wallace Huffman. "Sun Valley constantly strives to be a leader and visionary in the destination resort world."

The new clubhouse-Nordic center is a rock-and-timber structure featuring curved tresses, indoor and outdoor dining, retail space and an indoor "digital" driving range. It will service the golf courses and 40 kilometers of Nordic and seven kilometers of snowshoe trails offered by Sun Valley.

With 1,500 seats under cover and another 2,500 on the lawn, the Symphony Pavilion guests will allow spectators to unwind under the stars while listening to the Sun Valley Summer Symphony. The SVSS is a world-class orchestra consisting of distinguished musicians from major orchestras around the U.S. It is the largest privately funded free-admission symphony in America.

The new course was designed by Donald J. Knott of Knott-Brooks Linn Golf Course Design Group out of California. Knott served as the lead architect during the Robert Trent Jones Jr. design firm's renovation of Sun Valley's original 18 in 1978-79.

The new layout course will stretch across ridges while reversing the way traditional resort courses are routed. While most resort courses are in valleys - with real estate and resort lodging stealing the best vantage points, Sun Valley's new nine crosses higher elevations to provide golfers with panoramic views of the Ketchum Valley. Vistas take in the Sawtooth, Boulder and other surrounding mountains.

The deck of the new clubhouse overlooks mountain peaks and meadows, an expansive new practice facility, and a new 18-hole putting course. Named "Sawtooths," the putting course is patterned after the mini-layout at St. Andrews (called "Himalayas") to allow beginners and golfers to enjoy the game.

For more information about Sun Valley Resort, call 800/894-9941 or visit www.sunvalley.com.