There is simply nowhere on earth more glorious during the summer than the Park City area.

Swinging Into Park City Golf
By Annette Velarde

Comfortable temperatures, dazzling blue skies, and world-class courses make golfing in our mountain town the #1 summer activity.  The public courses are reasonably priced and expertly maintained. The private courses are pro-endorsed and nationally recognized. Either way, a day on the green at any of Park City’s beautiful golf courses will be far more memorable than a day at the office.

PUBLIC COURSES
Park City Municipal Golf Course is nestled at the base of Park City Mountain Resort with the luxurious Park City Hotel serving as the clubhouse. This classic course is walking distance from downtown and is the only public play within city limits. Designed by William Neff, it is laid-back and playable for all skill levels. Wildlife are regular visitors to the fairways, so keep your eye out for deer, moose, and critters. The green-crested refreshment cart is a favorite of hackers and experts alike. Celebrate the 19th hole at Hotel Park City which houses the pro shop, a pub, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, a superb spa, and swimming pool. Greens fees including a cart are $48 for residents $60 for non-residents. parkcity.org under recreation.

Entering its 23rd season, the Bruce Summerhays-designed course at the Homestead has realigned tee boxes, a plethora of new water features and ponds—all filled with natural, mineral water—and a new name, Crater Springs Golf Course. Here, traditional resort service (staff cleans and loads your clubs) meets techie fun (i.e., GPS-equipped golf carts). Lucky golfers might just catch a glimpse of the resident deer herd as they play their way through Snake Creek Valley.

Soldier Hollow is just 20 minutes from Park City in the beautiful mountain hamlet of Midway, Utah. Spread out under the majestic Mount Timpanogos, this 36-hole facility is split into two courses: Gold and Silver. The Silver has a wide-open feel as well as panoramas of the surrounding mountains and valley. The Gold is a championship course with a mountain-style layout that is slightly more challenging than the Silver. Gene Bates designed both with native vegetation and 150 bunkers. When you’re done on the greens, the grill offers great burgers and fries to enjoy on their deck with spectacular views of the Wasatch Mountains. Greens fees for 18 holes including a cart are $40. soldierhollow.com/golf_course.php

Wasatch Mountain State Park, also located in Midway, Utah, is a 36-hole state-owned facility. The jaw dropping beauty of the surrounding mountains, lakes, and wildlife make golfing here a day reveling in Mother Nature. It is divided into the Mountain Course and The Lake Course. The Lake Course is designed with long fairways and comfortable play. The Mountain Course is a bit trickier and tighter with par fives. With accolades from Zagat and Golf Digest, these William Neff-designed courses have wilderness aplenty with nary a house in sight. Watch for deer, wild turkey and the occasional moose. Greens fees for 18 holes including a cart are $43. stateparks.utah.gov/golf/lake-mountain

PRIVATE COURSES
Glenwild is rated as the #1 course in Utah by Golf Digest again in 2012. This Tom Fazio-designed traditional championship course is elevated above Park City to the west, providing its players stunning views of all three surrounding ski resorts. The wildflowers are as breathtaking as the immaculately tended tees, fairways and greens. The “core golf ” layout embraces the unspoiled topography of the land and creates an almost seamless transition from course to nature. Play provides both challenges and satisfaction for all skill levels, with rarely over a hundred golfers on the course at any one time. Glenwild’s signature is top-notch service and has 40 caddies at-the-ready, dressed in traditional whites. The club dining, bar, café, spa, pool are as fantastic as the golfing. glenwild.com

The Jeremy Golf and Country Club sits in the foothills just west of Park City. This is the only course in Utah designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay. The play is described as a fair assessment
of your golf skills that makes you want to come back again and again. This challenging, yet very playable, course is 18 holes of spectacular views of both the Wasatch Mountains and scenic East Canyon. A year-round creek runs through it with fox or moose often visit the rolling greens. For the après-golf crowd, the clubhouse is a great perch for taking in the views as well as refreshment. thejeremy.com

Park Meadows Country Club has emerged this summer from their $7.5 million restoration and returned Park City’s most established private course back to its status of magnificence. Easily walkable with wooden bridges, lakes and streams accompanying the fairways, this club has hosted 10 Senior PGA Tour events. A links-style course designed by Jack Nicklaus, Park Meadows has witnessed the play of a long list of legends such Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. The Nicklaus design is still intact, allowing for challenging tournament play as well as easier approaches for the regular golfer. Located in Park City proper, Park Meadows has a caddie program, and all the country club amenities, from pool and fitness center to indoor practice facility and restaurant.

Promontory is a private golf community located just east of Park City. It owns and operates two courses: the Canyon course designed by Pete Dye, and the Painted Valley Course designed by Jack Nicklaus. This pair of top-ranked golf courses cater to a wide range of abilities. The Dye Canyon Course faces the Park City mountains on the front nine and runs through a canyon on the back side, giving players plenty of elevation change as well as vistas. The Dye Painted Valley Course is the longest in the state with a remarkable series of water features that flow from holes 13 to 18. The white glove experience starts with a custom bag tag engraved onsite and continues as players are escorted to the driving range and onto the first tee. You may be lucky enough to encounter the resident herd of elk, particularly early in the morning or later on in the evening. Be sure to après-golf at the elegant Dye clubhouse. A limited number of non-members are allowed to play the Pete Dye Canyon Course each day at $190 including a cart. promontoryclub.com

Red Ledges is a private golf community only 20 minutes from Park City in Heber, Utah. Massive red rock formations and a Jack Nicklaus Signature course make this one of the spectacular plays in the area. With 600 feet of elevation change, groves of Juniper trees, and a photo-worthy ninth tee, this

“Best of State” course has won praise from Golf, Golf Week and Links magazines. They also have an exceptional practice facility with acres of bent grass tee surfaces and target greens to provide the same feel as the course. It is also home to the prestigious Jim McLean Golf School. Members can relax on the deck or in a temporary clubhouse or order on-course food delivery from the
grill. As an added bonus, Red Ledges has joined St. Regis Deer Valley in a strategic alliance, which allows members to share club amenities at both locations. redledges.com/golf

Tuhaye, Talisker Corporation’s private golf community, is as impeccable as everything else Talisker does. Part of the growing Talisker family of luxury properties, Tuhaye is graced with awe-inspiring views of the surrounding mountains, lakes, and valleys. This Mark O’Meara-designed course has wowed the critics at Golf Digest, Links, Barron’s, and Travel & Leisure Golf. Elevation changes combined with bent grass greens, tees and fairways make for an incomparable 18 holes. As part of the Talisker Club, members enjoy a plethora of community perks, such as tennis courts, a pool and café. Members are part of the Talisker club and its network of members-only amenities throughout the Park City area. talisker.com/golf

Coming Attractions
Talisman at the Jordanelle Reservoir is currently still in the design phase, but is part of a well-planned mountain community that has taken great care to not diminish any of the astounding natural beauty of the area. Located high above the southeast side of Jordanelle Reservoir, developers anticipate it will become the most desirable private golf community in the state. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., it will test your concentration and poise from the first 500 yard par 4 to the last 600 yard par 5. From the ridgelines and on down to the meadow lakes, Jones is designing it all to be brought into play.
Canyons Golf Course began construction in 2010 and is anticipated to be complete in the summer of 2013. This 18-hole, 6,256-yard, par-70 course, designed by Gene Bates, will offer stunning views and a challenging layout with start and finish at the Grand Summit Hotel. canyonsresortgolfcourse.com

Everyone knows it’s easier to get up at 6:00 AM to play golf than at 10:00 to mow your lawn. Be easy on yourself and take advantage of Park City’s long, luxurious summer daysby stepping onto the green often. What could possibly be a better use of your time than spending a day in nature with friends wholove the game as much as you do?

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