Huntsman Springs - ID - New Kidd Course

[Andy Gray]

"I'm on a Kidd!"

careful now 

[Matt_Ward]

I've played more than a few of the courses in and around the Jackson Hole area and to date there are only a very small number worth noting. Among them is TW's Snake River which is south of Jackson by about 10 or so miles. Fantastic piece of property and a good mixture of holes.

I'm very much interested in Huntsman because it provides for a golf option on the southwestern flank of the Grand Tetons.

I played the Headwaters course at Teton Springs and the layout there is really a Florida-like type course. Little of real strategic and compelling architecture to be found -- think of it like The Hampton Inn in terms of lodging quality - basic and to the point but nothing that really is grand stuff.

Curious to see how Kidd handled the greens and surrounding areas at Huntsman. Kidd gets beat up by a few people who bitch, whine and moan about what he did at Tetherow. I liked the layout there with a few small tweaks possibly needed.

Huntsman could be the course that really elevates the reason to visit the area. With such a short season it will be interesting to see what kind of buzz the course generates in 2010.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

I don't know about the golf course but this time of year Grand Targhee boasts some of the best sno on the continent. 

[Rob Rigg]

I sent an email to someone involved with the project to get a few questions answered - so these are just his responses as an FYI for anyone thinking of heading up there next year:

- Golf Season - June to October with July to September providing the optimal playing conditions

- Home setbacks are "good" - housing should not come into play

- 500,000 cubic yards of sand were trucked in from nearby to create a sand cap on the entire course approximately 9 inches deep to create ground game options

- Greens average 10,000 sq. ft in size and undulations are moderate.  The greens will be kept at a 9-10 on the stimpmeter because the greens are fairly undulating

- This is interesting - The greens have the blow sand under them because it tested better than the USGA sub-surface for drainage and by just spreading the sand and not having to "build" the greens, it was easier to match aesthetics between the greens the big sky and big valley in terms of look. 

- There are 151 bunkers on the course, however the fairways average over 80 yards wide so there is always plenty of room to play short, left, right, or over the bunkers.  Hole #3 has a fairway over 120 yards wide but there are center line bunkers that force a choice off the tee.

- Tees and fairways are Kentucky Bluegrass, greens are bent grass, and bunker sand is the same local blow sand that caps the course. Fescue was not used to grass the fairwalys and tees because of the slow growing properties and the extreme temps in the valley.

- Cart paths are a natural aggregate material (no blacktop or concrete) and walking will be encouraged.