Promontory – The Ranch Club |
Utah’s Latest Private Membership Community |
By: Dr. Barry Lotz
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Promontory – The Ranch Club is a 10-square mile second home residential mountain community emerging from the roseate ridges and valleys between the Wasatch and Uinta ranges overlooking Deer Valley and Park City, Utah. The Promontory Club offers 6,500 acres of relaxation and recreation for the whole family to suit the lifestyles of today and tomorrow. A Cowboy poet once said: “Heaven is playing golf on the 4th of July without breaking a sweat.” Sid Trujillo, The Promontory Club’s resident cowboy and head Jammer driver, echoes the same sentiments. For the history buffs, on May 10, 1869, Promontory Point was the site of a grand celebration, as the Union Pacific’s No. 119 and the Central Pacific’s Jupiter touched cowcatchers to complete the transcontinental railroad. By 1903, however, a cutoff had rendered this historic stretch of track obsolete. More than 80 percent of the ranch’s 10-square miles will remain as open space under the watchful eye of the Promontory Conservancy. The Conservancy will preserve, protect and enhance The Promontory Club ‘s natural resources and perform traditional homeowners association functions. The Promontory Club is ideal for the nature lover. The Conservancy will also administer The Promontory Club ‘s design guidelines for custom homes and The Promontory Club is located just a short 30-minute drive from Salt Lake City to the east and just three miles from Park City (www.parkcity2002.org), best known for its champagne powder and three internationally acclaimed ski resorts – Deer Valley (www.deervalley.com), Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyons. The driving time from The Promontory Club to each of these ski resorts is under 20 minutes. Park City hosted many of the Alpine events associated with the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games in February, 2002, and is also the site of the Sundance Film Festival each January. From June through September, one can expect high temperatures from 70 to 80 degrees with limited rainfall and cool crisp nights. The Promontory Club is being developed by the Pivotal Group of Arizona, a real estate investment and development company that owns several other world-class properties including The Century Plaza Hotel & Spa in Los Angeles, a premier high-rise in San Francisco’s financial district, 650 California Street and award-winning Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah. The Promontory Club will allow for 1600 home sites and up to five golf courses and an equestrian center. Pivotal is well known for their attention to detail and quality. More importantly, their Promontory Club management team is highly educated (Ivy League alums), dedicated to personal and attentive service and committed to nothing but the best for their owners. Each and every company involved with The Promontory Club and Pivotal is the best in their field, from the golf pro (Michael Marion formerly of Medinah Country Club,) to Barry Berkus of Berkus Design, to Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye. The “Jack Nicklaus Valley Golf Course” will offer members a wonderful contrast to the Pete Dye course. The course will feature a 708-yard par-5 opening hole with a total yardage for the course of 8,136 yards! This much-anticipated course is scheduled for completion in summer 2006. Winter at The Promontory Club? You bet, Park City is one of the US’s best ski resorts. Promontory’s members can enjoy their own Mountain Lodge at the Deer Valley ski resort at Silver Lake Village, a wonderful retreat for members between ski runs in the winter and hiking or mountain biking in the summer. Amenities include Concierge service, ski boots and summer mountain bike storage, a lounge, a guest office and a Kids Cove for the youngsters. An example of the aesthetic ambience and quality of construction is the Turf Care Center. Most golf course clubhouses do not reach the standard of this structure both in architectural excellence and quality. The 5,734 square foot Outfitters Cabin overlooking the Uinta Mountains and Rockport Reservoir is understated elegance, fully stocked and serves as the headquarters for hiking, mountain biking, horse back riding and fishing in the summer to snowshoeing, sleigh rides and cross-country skiing in the winter. Fly-fishing is available for the beginner to the avid fisherman. Rod Bradshaw, The Promontory Club’s Outfitter, with years of outdoor experience, provides expert guides and advice for all activities including river rafting. The Range House features a pro shop, men and women’s changing rooms and a full service grill and patio with amazing views of the Wasatch Mountains. The Ranch Clubhouse will provide tennis, swimming, ice-skating in the winter, a fitness center and a spa facility. The Pete Dye Canyon Golf Course officially opened in summer of 2002, along with the Range House and the Outfitter’s Cabin. This past July 4th, The Ranch Club’s $2-million Kinnikinnick Cabin and Kid’s Adventure Trail opened. The Cabin is outstanding both in quality and amenities. No expense was spared. Children will love the white-water sliding stream, rock climbing, Promontory cave and mine, trapper’s cabin, video games and a host of children’s activities offered by the Cabin and their fully trained staff. The Cabin offers the “camp” feeling in a wonderful outdoor environment and offers both indoor and outdoor-programmed activities. The Promontory Club ‘s first custom homes are currently under construction in the Wapiti Canyon and West Hills neighborhoods with home sites ranging from one-half acre to 10acres and priced from the mid $200,000’s. Currently there are over 105 landowners including Claude Lemieux and Butch Harmon. Champion’s Tour golfer, Bruce Summerhays will represent The Promontory Club on the Champions Tour. The 7,696 yards, PGA rated Canyon Course is a 18-hole championship golf course, designed by world renowned golf course architect Pete Dye, features challenging holes in an exquisite setting. It has dramatic elevation changes, some very tight challenging holes with rambling sagebrush and meadows on the front nine and beautiful canyons on the back nine. Evening primrose, penstemon, aspen and gamble oak trees are in abundance. Elevation ranges from 6,000 feet in the valleys to 7,000 feet at its highest point. According to Dye, “Because of the high altitude and the elevation changes, you can tear up the yardage books.” Dye has created a golf course that pleases the eye and challenges players of all skill levels. There are six sets of tees, starting at 4,851 yards for juniors and beginners, and stretching to a different zip code at 7,696 yards for low-handicappers. “The temperature and par are both a cool 72.” For example, the par-three eighth hole, which plays downhill across natural vegetation to a deep, narrow and undulating green, stretches from 117 yards from the front tee box to a whopping 299 yards from the tips. “This course can lull you to sleep,” said Len Finkel of San Diego, CA. “It doesn’t look that difficult, but the greens are difficult to read and there are ponds and 50 foot plus drops to navigate (Hole 2- Par 4) everywhere than can really play tricks on your depth perception. Some drops to the fairways exceed 100 feet. I brought several friends up here last week with varying handicaps. After the first round all of them said they surely would improve their score with a second round, but none of them did.” Not all downhill putts are as slick as you think. Some of them are against the grain and you will need to read those or you will come up short. “It is very difficult for beginners,” said head pro Michael Marion. “There are lots of out of bounds, elevation drops and the tight holes are very challenging.” For a look at the course visit the Canyon course at http://promontoryclub.com/golf.html Bunkers are everywhere and if that isn’t enough of a challenge around the greens, one will find gnarly two-inch rough just off the green collars. Over the green, chipping out of that rough downhill, will test anyone’s short game. The key to playing this Dye course or for that matter, any Pete Dye course, is to study the scorecard graphic before every shot, especially if you are playing without someone who has played it before and has the “local” knowledge. Placement of all shots is imperative; otherwise you will be hitting lots of lay-ups. The Promontory Club has established a partnership with the celebrated and luxurious Stein Eriksen Lodge in Upper Deer Valley. Promontory members are offered special Promontory rates year round at this prestigious lodge while planning and constructing their residences and enjoying Park City. The Promontory Club is an ideal family-friendly development geared for lovers of the outdoors, either winter or summer or both and is also an excellent investment for the future. It is one of America’s premier private upscale communities for those who enjoy only the best of everything especially quality of life.
Promontory–The Ranch Club |
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Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America. He is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the California Golf Writers Association, and serves both as a Consultant and Mediator to the golf industry. He is also the author of numerous books, including “333 Best Web Sites for Golfers” and his current book, “How to Build Business Relationships Through Golf” is in the Top Ten Golf Business Book’s best seller list. He can be reached at www.pgtaa.com or drlotz@cbsgolf.net |