Travel

Incredible Golf Trip Destinations: Idaho's Sun Valley Resort

By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on

The White Clouds Course at Sun Valley Resort.(Steve Dondero)

To many, Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho, is more known as a fantastic ski resort, but make no mistake, when the slopes are green and the weather is warm, this resort transforms into one of the best golf resorts in the country!
In talking with PGA of America Golf Professional Tyler Jones, Sun Valley Resort's Director of Golf Operations, earlier this year, he shared with me all that his property has to offer a family looking for the perfect getaway.
Sun Valley is truly a unique outdoor recreational destination. Beyond being rated as the No. 1 Ski Resort by Ski Magazine for the past several years, it offers a plethora of activities including world class golf. To get a feel for all that a family could do at Sun Valley, Tyler ran down the list for me.
“On the golf side, the property boasts 45 holes of golf, " says Jones. "Our two 18-hole courses include Trail Creek, a public resort layout, and Elkhorn, which is our semi-private 18-hole course. Additionally, we have our White Clouds 9-hole course, a 50,000-square-foot 18-hole putting course called Sawtooth, and a 25-acre practice facility.
"The golf course and clubhouse are used in Nordic operation during the winter, too, which falls under the golf department. We have 45 kilometers of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing."
The resort also offers numerous lodging options, including:
• Sun Valley Lodge
• Sun Valley Inn
• Cottage options
• Condo and Townhouse options
Sun Valley offers countless dining options, a spa, fitness options, tennis, pickleball, shopping, a gun club, horseback riding, bowling, bike rentals, a summer concert series, fly-fishing, endless terrain for hiking and biking, and much, much more.
Back to the golf, the signature course at Sun Valley is Trail Creek, which was designed by the Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1980. RTJ Jr. had a fantastic backdrop to use in creating this gem. He used the land as he found it to create a breathtaking experience. One great example of Jones’s incorporation of the nature that already existed on the property was his use of the natural water features. Play crosses the beautiful Trail Creek seven times . . . and that is on the front nine alone!
Elkhorn, Sun Valley’s semi-private 18-hole course, as well as the White Clouds 9-hole course, both complement Trail Creek fantastically. And the Sawtooth putting course is without a doubt the perfect activity for a golf-enthusiastic family.
Other great golf options at Sun Valley include top rated instruction, from one of a handful of their resident PGA Professionals including: Tate Mills, Baylor Comstock or Dominick Conti. Clinics and private instruction are available to resort guests and non-guests alike.
Additionally, at the Sun Valley Club in the club house, golfers can tee it up when there is snow on the slopes thanks to the addition of TruGolf Simulators on-site. Guests can tee it up on over 100 world-renowned courses like Kapalua and St. Andrews and instruction is also available indoors on these simulators.
If your family loves golf, and the great outdoors, Sun Valley Resort is well worth the trip!
Brendon R. Elliott, PGA

Sorrento, FL

Brendon Elliott

Director of Instruction, Freelance Golf Writer

[Brendon Elliott, PGA](https://brendonelliott.com/), is an award-winning PGA Professional, player-development coach and nationally recognized golf writer with three decades of experience in the golf industry. As of 2026, he has been a PGA Professional for 17 years and has earned more than 25 PGA Section and Chapter honors for his work in coaching, education and player development. In 2017, he received the PGA of America National Youth Player Development Award. ## Coaching Competitive Teenage Golfers Through [BE A GOLFER](https://beagolfer.golf/home), Brendon specializes in working with competitive teenage golfers who want to improve their performance, better understand their games and prepare for the demands of high school, junior tournament and college golf. His primary focus is [Remote Coaching](https://beagolfer.golf/remote-coaching), which allows him to remain actively involved in a player’s development regardless of location. Rather than relying on occasional lessons or isolated swing fixes, Brendon works with players throughout their competitive journey. His coaching covers much more than the golf swing. Players receive ongoing guidance in structured practice, short-game development, putting, course management, tournament preparation, performance analysis, goal setting and the mental and physical habits required to improve over time. Using video analysis, virtual coaching sessions, performance data and regular communication, Brendon helps each player understand what to work on, why it matters and how to make meaningful progress between practices and tournaments. Brendon accepts only a limited number of in-person students in Central Florida. His priority is building long-term [Remote Coaching](https://beagolfer.golf/remote-coaching) relationships with competitive teenage golfers and their families. The goal is not simply to help a young player hit better shots. It is to help that player become more prepared, more accountable and more capable of navigating everything competitive golf demands. Brendon’s career has included serving as a head golf professional, general manager, college golf educator, career development director, academy owner and longtime junior golf leader. He founded Little Linksters Golf Academy in 2008 and led the organization for more than 16 years before selling the academy in late 2024 and launching [BE A GOLFER](https://beagolfer.golf/home). ## Golf Writing and Media Brendon is also a nationally recognized and prolific golf writer and storyteller. He is the Senior Golf Writer for [Athlon Sports](https://athlonsports.com/author/brendon-elliott) and has written extensively about professional golf, instruction, player development, equipment, golf history and the people shaping the game. His work has also appeared with PGA.com, GolfWRX, PGA Magazine, MyGolfSpy and several other prominent golf media outlets. Through [One More Roll Golf Media](https://onemorerollgolf.com/), Brendon provides editorial content, feature writing, consulting and media services throughout the golf industry. His background as a coach and educator shapes the way he writes, while his work as a writer strengthens the way he coaches. He understands how to explain complicated ideas clearly, ask better questions and connect the technical, strategic and personal sides of golf.