The Red Ledges golf community in Heber City put out the call to local Park City area REALTORS® to come out  and play 9 holes. Rob and I gladly accepted to represent the YouInparkCity.com group from Keller Williams Park City Mountain Resort Real Estate.

            Red Ledges is less than 2 miles east of Main St. Heber City, Utah down Center St. (aka Lake Creek Rd), lays the Red Ledges community development. About 20 minutes from Park City, UT. Red Ledges’ new Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course opened for play on the 3^rd of July, 2009. The private course is the newest addition to the Park City area golf courses now numbering over 15.

            We were greeted at the golf course pro-shop, clubhouse and restaurant (a comfortable facility that will be used until the main clubhouse is built at a future date) and sent to the practice range for a few warm-up swings. The practice range has well laid out greens and bunkers and a beautiful backdrop. There is a newly constructed 5400 Sq. ft. home for sale overlooking the practice facility from the east with an asking price of $3.5M.

            We started on the par 3 9^th hole which plays just over 200 yards from the “members’ tees” (blue). The pin was hidden by a large juniper which we aimed over from the elevated tee box. The hole is very picturesque, nestled up against the namesake red ledges that will be home to the future clubhouse. The red dirt and rocky out croppings surrounded by sage, juniper and natural vegetation make for a beautiful golf hole (a recurring theme throughout the course).

            The course proved to be a classic risk/reward style course which forces you to know your game and distances (“can I fly that bunker in the center of the fairway 260 yards uphill?”).  The course pushes you to “think your way around”.  There are many elevation changes within the course and flat lies were few and far between. The greens run fast but true with many undulations. Rob walked away from it saying “I love it”. It is a fair test and the setting is fantastic. I think it will prove to be a course that you can play over and over without becoming bored.

            We finished the day with frosty beverages and hors devours on the deck with views of the Mt. Timpanogos.  We were told that the back nine (finished and playable) has even better views as it sits higher up the hill than the front which we had played (hopefully we’ll see it next time).

            There is a nine hole “short course” also planned for the Red Ledges community, but next to come will be the pool and gym facilities in the village center of the area. There are over 1400 lots that will ultimately be sold within Red Ledges (this will likely take10-15 years), but only 400 golf memberships. This gives some good insight to the fact that this community is not just about the golf. So while Red Ledges has made the golf portion of the development the first amenity to the community, golf is not necessarily the main focus of the overall master plan. Like other Park City real estate area private community and club style developments, Red Ledges plans a community style social atmosphere based around pool and gym facilities, equestrian access, future tennis club facilities, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, alpine skiing (at Deer Valley), and planned social events.

 St Regis, Dakota Mtn Lodge, Treasure Hill, Summit Research Park and more

            As the funicular cars fro access to the new St Regis Hotel at Deer Crest in Deer Valley were set to be installed (Friday July 17,2009), local radio station KPCW was airing a story about a Deer Crest residence owner suing the project and its developers.

            The radio report indicates that the owner of a home and lot in the lower portion of Deer Crest near the base of the Jordanelle Gondola at Deer Valley Resort has brought a lawsuit against the developers of the St Regis claiming that the developer has improperly changed the original documents pertaining to the parking and access to the hotel at Roosevelt Gap (above the Lower Deer Valley area of Park City, Utah). The complaint stems from the parking that now exists at the hotel and the employee parking lot and shuttle to the hotel from the base area near the gondola. The Deer Crest home owner claims that traffic impacts on the private road through Deer Crest (Deer hollow Rd.) due to the employee shuttles, taxi and limousine service, and service/delivery trucks is outside the scope of the original guidelines for the area and that changes to the guidelines were made improperly.

            The St Regis at Deer Crest developers have counter-sued claiming that all changes were made legally and stated that the filing was an attempt to gain access to the amenities of the hotel by the property owner.

            In other Park City real estate news, the new Dakota Mountain Lodge at The Canyons Resort in Park City opened its doors for business. The Dakota Mountain Lodge is a part of the internationally renowned Waldorf-Astoria Collection luxury hotels.

            The Snyderville Planning Commission has approved guidelines for the Summit Research Park. The research park is an 89 acre development in the Kimball Junction  area of Park City just off hwy 224 near the I-80 interchange.  The development is scheduled to begin work soon with some road improvements designed to improve traffic flow around the Landmark Dr. Area. The development of the research park with the housing and business construction around it has a possible 20-year build out.

            In other planning commission news, the Park City Planning department is scheduled to hear more on the Old Town area Treasure Hill development. This possible large hotel and residential development on the southern hillside above Old Town appears to be moving forward.

            The fact that there are major projects finishing up, under construction, and being planned for the near future are positive signs for the future value of real estate in Park City and Deer Valley. These developments will have impacts both positive and negative for many other Park City area communities and developments. To discuss possible recent and future development impacts on your property or future property purchases, contact a YouInParkCity.com Group REALTOR® with Keller Williams Park City Real Estate.