Golf course improvements underway at Sun Valley Resort are one reason that Golf Digest magazine has put Sun Valley Golf Course back on its prestigious list of "The Best 75 Golf Resorts in North America."
The December 2006 issue of Golf Digest installed Sun Valley Resort Golf Course in 38th place. The course hadn't been ranked at all by Golf Digest in the past five years, said director of golf Doyle Corbett.
Under its "New and Notable" remarks that explained its selection, Golf Digest said about Sun Valley, "Wrapping up a $6 million remodel of its Lodge Apartments, resort now turns to golf expansion: mountainous new Gun Club Nine opening in '08."
The complete resort experience had a significant impact on the selection of the 75 resort courses, according to the magazine's editorial.
In first place was Sea Island/The Cloister/The Lodge at Sea Island, Ga. It was fourth last year. In second place was Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore., right ahead of the Pebble Reach Resorts—first in 2005.
The first Idaho golf resort listed was The Coeur d'Alene Golf & Spa Resort in 31st place, 22nd last year.
Sun Valley was also listed ahead of the 54-hole Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore. (41st), the Beaver Creek (Colo.) course (51st) and Keystone (Colo.) Resort (58th).
Only three resorts made the 2006 Golf Digest Best 75 rankings ahead of Sun Valley after not being ranked at all in 2005. They were Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wallea (7th), The Fairmont Chateau Whistler in Canada (25th) and Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Country Club (27th).
Sun Valley, which had the third-lowest room rates among the top 40 on the list, wasn't the only Idaho resort singled out by Golf Digest.
Golf Digest, the most highly recognized golf publication in the world, named Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort as America's Best New Public Course $75 and Over for 2006, according to a press release from the office of Gov. Jim Risch.
Risch proclaimed the third week in December as "Idaho Golf Recognition Week," in honor of Osprey Meadows being honored by Golf Digest and to recognize the state's tradition of world-class resorts.
Osprey Meadows, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. signature course, lies in a sweeping meadow between Tamarack Mountain and Lake Cascade, south of McCall. The par-72 course at 4,800 elevation utilizes multiple tees to provide a variety of lengths, from 7,319 feet to 5,003 feet.
