REAL ESTATE GETS REAL
Like many golf communities, the viability of Huntsman Springs is tied to its ability to sell real estate. In an effort to supercharge this side of the project, the Huntsman family bought Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty in 2010 with a plan to leverage the brokerage’s nearly 100 agents on both sides of the Tetons. However, the relationship didn’t work out as intended, explained Dale Prows, CEO and general manager of Huntsman Springs, so the Huntsman family sold Sotheby’s on the last day of 2015, allowing it to focus all its energy on the in-house brokerage if formed in 2013. “When a buyer comes in, agents aren’t distracted with other listings outside of Huntsman Springs,” Prows said. “I think there was a concern that there was not as much focus on selling real estate at Huntsman Springs as the Huntsmans wanted.” The changes are beginning to pay off, and Prows said real estate sales were up 160 percent in 2015 compared to 2014, though admittedly 2014 was a weak year for sales. “The market is still fairly anemic when it comes to second- and thirdhome sales in Teton Valley – people got burned pretty badly [in the recession],” he said. “We’re probably one of the last to recover from the downturn in the economy.” Ironically, it has indeed been the extremely high quality of the product at Huntsman Springs in a region that has yet to fulfill its anticipated destiny as a recreational resort similar to Jackson Hole. For now, Teton Valley retains a rural, agrarian, slower-paced lifestyle that still serves as more of a bedroom community to Jackson Hole than its rival. “Huntsman Springs’ quality standards will rival any luxury subdivision in Teton Valley or Jackson Hole,” said Michael May, a realtor with Jackson Hole Sotheby’s and a former professional golfer. “There is a special feeling of wonderment while previewing these properties because no detail has gone overlooked. What’s also amazing about these properties is the consistent appeal each home has with the proper balance of maintaining a Western theme with a modern twist.”
COURSE WILL STAND TEST OF TIME
Complementing the top quality of the homes at Huntsman Springs is the golf course they surround and overlook. Golf Week recently rated Huntsman Springs as the third-best residential course in the United States, one spot ahead of the widely acclaimed Shooting Star in Teton Village. This year, only Wade Hampton Club in North Carolina and Rock Creek Cattle Co. in Montana outranked it. Paul-David Milton, Huntsman Springs director of golf, said there’s a reason for that. “It’s not like any other golf course,” he said, adding that even designs by the same designer feel completely different. “We pride ourselves on not having a signature hole. We have 18 signature holes.” May agrees. “Huntsman Springs is vastly different than any course in the region,” May said. “The combination of rolling hills, firm surfaces, large greens, and wispy grasses lining the rough and bunkers makes Huntsman Springs a challenge to any golfer. These elements also add to the beautiful scenery. Just remember to bring enough golf balls to get you through the whole round.”
25 ISSUE 9 / 2016 / JHGOLFER.COM