Elkhorn Golf Club
Sun Valley, Blaine County, Idaho · Sun Valley, McCall & Remaining Regions golf market
- Access
- semi private
- Holes
- 18
- Architect(s)
- Robert Trent Jones Sr., Robert Trent Jones Jr.
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Elkhorn Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-72 course whose front nine was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and back nine by Robert Trent Jones Jr., originally opened in 1974, extensively renovated in 2004 and reopened in 2005, then acquired by Sun Valley Company in July 2011. The course runs semi-private: members get priority in the mornings, and the general public can book afternoon tee times.
The course anchors Elkhorn, a large master-planned community platted starting in 1972 as a $10.5 million, roughly 2,920-acre development north of Ketchum. Elkhorn has grown into 13 separate single-family subdivisions and 24 condominium associations, all represented today by the Sun Valley Elkhorn Association (SVEA), with roughly 1,800 acres kept as protected open space. It remains one of the largest and most historically significant golf-anchored residential developments in the Sun Valley area, distinct from -- but now under common Sun Valley Company ownership with -- the resort's Trail Creek and White Clouds courses.
Despite that scale and history, Elkhorn's own SVEA FAQ is explicit that property ownership does not include or discount club membership: owners and their pass-holding guests receive only a 10% discount on greens fees, with no membership discount at all. This is Idaho's clearest 'proximity and history do not equal access' case in the Sun Valley ecosystem -- a large, decades-old, golf-named community whose own homeowners still apply and pay in full to join the club that anchors it.
Golf & Course
Elkhorn's dual Robert Trent Jones Sr./Jr. design is a study in contrasts: the front nine, laid out by the elder Jones, plays over more open, challenging terrain, while the back nine, by Robert Trent Jones Jr., winds along a meandering creek that puts water in play on nearly every hole. The course carries more than 100 bunkers across its 7,214-yard, par-72 routing and reopened in 2005 after an extensive 2004 renovation.
Membership & Access
Does buying a home here include club membership?
Elkhorn runs a semi-private model: club members get priority morning tee times, and the course opens to public play in the afternoons. Membership is sold separately from any Elkhorn property, with no automatic inclusion, discount, or priority tied to being an Elkhorn owner beyond the 10% greens-fee discount documented on the community association's own FAQ page. A buyer purchasing in Elkhorn for the golf should independently confirm current membership cost, categories, and any waitlist directly with the club -- this research could not find a published fee schedule.
Living in Elkhorn Golf Club
Elkhorn is one of the Wood River Valley's oldest and largest planned communities, dating to a 1972 master plan that eventually built out to 13 single-family subdivisions and 24 condominium associations across roughly 2,920 acres, with roughly 1,800 acres preserved as open space. The Sun Valley Elkhorn Association (SVEA) governs the community today, distinct from Sun Valley Company's ownership of the golf course itself.
Location & Surrounding Area
Elkhorn sits within the city of Sun Valley, a short drive from Sun Valley Village and about 2 miles from downtown Ketchum.
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What Buyers Should Verify
- Confirm current Elkhorn Golf Club membership categories, initiation fee, and annual dues directly with the club -- no published fee schedule was found this session.
- Confirm whether Elkhorn's semi-private morning/afternoon access split and the 10%-greens-fee-only owner discount remain current -- this research relied on the SVEA FAQ page and search-snippet sourcing rather than a direct fetch of every page.
- A grassroots 'ElkhornAwareSV' coalition site referencing preservation concerns for 'Elkhorn Resort' surfaced in search results -- worth checking directly for any pending redevelopment or ownership change that could affect current course/community terms.
Notable
- Elkhorn was platted in 1972 as a $10.5 million, roughly 2,920-acre master-planned community and has grown to 13 subdivisions and 24 condominium associations.
- Sun Valley Company acquired Elkhorn Golf Club in July 2011, putting it under the same ownership as Trail Creek and White Clouds.
- Per the Sun Valley Elkhorn Association's own FAQ, Elkhorn property owners get only a 10% discount on greens fees and explicitly no discount on golf memberships.
Nearby Golf Communities Worth Comparing
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US Golf Living provides independent real-estate research and can connect consumers with real-estate professionals. Golf membership, availability, fees and approval are determined independently by the applicable club.