REAL ESTATE

Outdoor enthusiasts will feel right at home in the Red Ledges golf community near Park City, Utah

By Larry Olmsted,
Special Contributor

The past decade has seen a boom in four-season recreational home ownership, especially when it comes to combining skiing and golf -- two favorite sporting vacation pastimes.

Usually, it comes in the form of a private golf community located at or near a major ski resort, including Martis Camp in California and the Yellowstone Club in Montana, among others.

But few places have as much that appeals to outdoor enthusiast looking for a second (or first) home as Park City, Utah.

Just 45 minutes from Salt Lake City, an international hub, Park City is extremely accessible. It is also home to three world-class ski resorts: Deer Valley Resort, Canyons Resort and Park City Mountain Resort.

But it's not just quantity that makes Park City special. The ski quality is also exceptional (Park City has hosted the Winter Olympics).

Park City, home to the Sundance Film Festival, combines the historic Old West charms of a mining town in the 1800s with a vibrant culture filled with modern amenities. Among those are restaurants, spa, shopping and five luxury hotels: the Montage, Waldorf Astoria, Sky Lodge, Stein Eriksen and St. Regis Deer Valley.

Besides golf and downhill skiing, there is cross country skiing, mountain and road biking, hiking, paddling and tennis in the near vicinity. In fact, much of it is located within Red Ledges.

Red Ledges spans almost 2,000 acres of spectacularly natural Utah terrain, including signature sandstone rock formations that are the property's iconic namesake -- and showcased on the golf course.

It sits just outside Park City, and the mountainous setting offers many unique home sites. The Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course at Red Ledges features stunning views of the Rockies from all 18 holes.

The course has four sets of tees to accommodate all ages and abilities. Nicklaus routed the holes to accentuate the dramatic landscape. With more than 700 vertical feet of elevation changes, the course winds through juniper-filled canyons, runs along dramatic red rock cliffs and climbs to exposed ridges with stunning vistas.

Red Ledges is also home to an exceptional outdoor practice facility as well as a Jim McLean Golf School, with indoor teaching facilities and simulators for instruction all winter long. Future plans include a nine-hole short course, also designed by Nicklaus, and a town-like Village Center.

Red Ledges has a swim and fitness club with state-of-the-art gear, a tennis center with the Cliff Drysdale Tennis School, plus a varied slate of activities like fishing, snowmobiling, water sports, hiking and an extensive equestrian program.

But the big attraction beyond the golf course is the nearby slopes, especially at highly acclaimed Deer Valley, where Red Ledges owners enjoy access to the St. Regis at Deer Valley's Deer Crest Club.

This greatly simplifies the labor and equipment process of gearing up and going skiing, especially for families. It includes overnight ski and boot storage, a private member's lounge with a daily continental breakfast and a multi-sports locker that holds four pairs of ski boots, helmets, goggles and gloves.

Real estate at Red Ledges

The Red Ledges master plan includes 1,200 properties, a mix of estate home sites for custom building, pre-designed plans for stress-free, semi-custom new construction and turnkey high-quality prebuilt homes.

Home sites occupy a wide variety of locations throughout the huge property and run from $195,000-$495,000. The Cottages are a limited collection of Western-styled luxury homes with natural elements, including rugged stone, timber and steelwork, plus a choice of seven unique interior floor plans. These run $675,000-$1.2 million and span 2,700-3,500 square feet.

The Mountain Villas are less expensive ($575,000-$968,000 and 2,500-3,800 square feet). They come in five varieties.

The nicest of the non-custom options are the larger homes in The Heights (3,500-4,600 square feet and top out at $1.2 million). This sub-development is limited to just 27 homes occupying a ridge overlooking the planned Village Center and short course.

Larry Olmsted has written more than 1,000 articles on golf and golf travel, for the likes of Golf Magazine, T&L Golf, LINKS, Golf & Travel, Men's Health, Men's Journal, USA Today, and many others. He broke the Guinness World Record for golf travel and wrote Getting into Guinness, as well as Golf Travel by Design. He was the founding editor of The Golf Insider, and the golf columnist for both USA Today.com and US Airways Magazine.

November 30, 2012

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.