For the week of Nov 26 - Dec 2, 2003

Options perused
to keep Elkhorn
golf course open

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

A contingent of city officials from Ketchum and Sun Valley are discussing options that could guarantee future public access to the Elkhorn Golf Club.

Ketchum City Councilman Maurice Charlat, Ketchum Mayor Ed Simon and Sun Valley Mayor-elect Jon Thorson met Nov. 10 to discuss the desire of some Wood River Valley residents to ensure that the golf course does not become a totally private entity.

Greenfield Partners, the owner of the golf course, announced earlier this year that it plans to convert the semi-private facility to a members-only private club.

Under the plan, the club’s 195 existing members will be given first priority to join the new, private club.

All told, 395 memberships are planned to be offered. Approximately 255 memberships are expected to be made available for sale to members of the club and interested parties in the general public. An additional 100 memberships are slated to be reserved for future property holders in a townhouse development that Greenfield Partners is planning to build on the site of the former Elkhorn Hotel.

Sun Valley City Councilman Lud Renick announced Thursday that he is concerned there will in the future be a "gross inadequacy" of public golf courses in Sun Valley and Ketchum.

Councilwoman Ann Agnew said she is concerned that the closure of the golf course to the public could negatively impact the Sun Valley community and the city’s revenues from local option taxes. "Maybe (the golf course owners) are not aware of how unpopular their proposal is," she said.

Charlat was out of town this week and was not available to comment on his initiative to review options for managing the facility.

Simon said he supports an inquiry into the matter.

Thorson said the meeting between the three officials came to a clear conclusion "that the loss of public access to the Elkhorn Golf Club would be devastating to the Elkhorn community, and would at least be a big, big negative to the tourist economy."

 

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