◆ Discounted rates now in effect for valley residents.
The Star Valley area is fortunate to have many options when it comes to golf. Two of the top options exist at Star Valley Ranch where the Association runs both the 18-hole Cedar Creek course as well as the highly challenging nine-hole Aspen Hills course. Both are currently up and running with Alan McJunkin as the Head Golf Professional. McJunkin is only about a year into his tenure at the Ranch, but the area is no stranger to him.
“Our family moved out here in 1965-66 and I got started playing golf around age ten with my dad,” he said. “I slowly picked up the game and kept going from there. I spent my schooling through here and UW and Utah State. I started managing the Valli Vu [in Afton] at 16 with the help of my family. Eventually I moved to Arizona where I had year-round opportunities to be a golf pro. This past year we had a chance to come back and work for the SVRA.”
One big challenge for the industry in a place like Star Valley is staffing, especially when winter lingers like it did this past season.
“What do you do if you’re work- ing for six or seventh months; what do you do the rest of the year?” McJunkin asked. “Some will move back and forth from Arizona and Nevada. But then you have to acquire staff that’s willing to work on a seasonal basis. You’re always victim of weather. I’ve never seen snow like we had when I came back this March. Obviously we have to wait for the course to clear before we can get the golfers back out there.”
McJunkin commented on the two courses he is involved with.
“Cedar Creek, if you’re looking for an 18-hole experience, it’s probably the place to go,” he said. “Narrow fairways and a lot of trees and you have to be accurate to play it well. Our superintendent would like the greens to be a little faster but it’s a challenging course in a beautiful setting.”
“Aspen Hills is a nine-hole facility and there are a few holes that are wide open but #4 is rated as the hardest Par 5 in Wyoming,” McJunkin stated. “It’s one of my favorite holes of all time. It’s chal- lenging to get par or bogey [with] beautiful scenic views.”
Officials have recently done something to help with lowering the cost for area citizens.
“One of the nice things that we just ran past the Board of Directors was to find a way for valley resident to get a little better value,” McJunkin continues. “We will be offering a guest rate for those who have a Star Valley address. We felt like we were a little overpriced by comparison so we wanted to address that. For locals it is $50 plus $15 for the cart for a valley resi- dent. That compares to $75 during the week or $85 on weekends for those visiting.”
For more details on the courses please visit svrawy.com or call 307-883-2230 to set up a tee time.
