Who said course construction has slowed to a crawl?

OK, while it may not speak for the pace of development nationwide, there is still some exciting progress happening in Yellowstone Country.

In late July, grow-in was continuing at Huntsman Springs—a new private development in southern Idaho.

All 18 holes were shaped and seeded on the 7,600-yard course, designed by David McLay Kidd in summer and fall of 2008, with grow-in continuing through this year.

The course will open to its members in summer 2010.

Tom Snoey is the operations manager and Guy Johnson is the superintendent. According the reports from golfconstructionnews.com, the project is being developed on a ranch owned by Jon Huntsman and his family. Huntsman is the billionaire CEO of Salt Lake City-based Huntsman Corp.—a large manufacturer of industrial chemicals, and he is a passive investor. Sons David and Paul are the backers of the project, which also involves 24 housing units, a hotel, health and fitness center, commercial elements, recreational amenities, buffalo park and wetland conservation area. About 70 percent of the property will be preserved as open space.