
Trail Creek Course
Trail Creek Golf Course at Sun Valley Resort

About this course
Trail Creek Golf Course sits at the base of Bald Mountain in the Sun Valley Resort, one of America's pioneering mountain resort destinations established in the 1930s. Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed the course in the mid-1970s, bringing his characteristic strategic design philosophy to the high-altitude setting of central Idaho's Wood River Valley. The layout occupies relatively flat terrain along Trail Creek, with the dramatic peaks of the Sawtooth and Boulder mountain ranges providing the backdrop. The course measures over 6,500 yards from the back tees and plays at approximately 6,000 feet elevation, where the thin air affects both distance and ball flight. Jones incorporated the natural creek and wetland areas into several holes, requiring carries over water and strategic positioning to avoid hazards. The design emphasizes placement over pure length, with generous fairways that reward thoughtful course management but feature well-positioned bunkers and water hazards that penalize wayward shots. Trail Creek serves as the resort's primary golf amenity and reflects Sun Valley's broader identity as a year-round mountain destination. The course operates during the summer and early fall months when weather permits, offering a mountain golf experience that contrasts with the resort's better-known winter skiing operations. The routing takes advantage of the valley floor setting while maintaining views of the surrounding high country throughout the round.
Quick facts
- Location
- Sun Valley, ID, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1937
- Designer
- Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,964 yards
- Difficulty
- 75/138
Getting there
Most travelers arrive via Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, a compact regional hub just twelve miles south of Sun Valley that welcomes both commercial service and private aviation with equal ease. The northbound drive along Highway 75 unfolds through the broad, sagebrush-dotted Wood River Valley, the Sawtooth and Boulder ranges rising dramatically on either flank as the road climbs gently toward the resort village. Within twenty minutes, the highway gives way to Sun Valley's tree-lined lanes and the unmistakable silhouette of Bald Mountain, delivering you to Trail Creek Golf Course - a serene, high-altitude retreat nestled at the base of one of America's most storied mountain resorts.

FAQ
Common questions about Trail Creek
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Trail Creek was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr..
Yes. Trail Creek is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Trail Creek is 72.
Trail Creek plays 6,964 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Trail Creek is 138.
Trail Creek is a 18-hole course.



