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A key piece in Canyon Resort's evolution into a four-season recreation destination came to fruition Wednesday with the dedication of an 18-hole golf course.

A ceremonial ribbon cutting and a shotgun-style tournament marked the debut of Canyons Golf, the 6,246-yard par 70 course that winds along the foothills on the approach to the resort village.

"This is a special day in the history of Canyons Resort," said Mike Goar, its vice president and general manager. "The resort already has an extensive catalog of summer activities. Canyons Golf will take the guest experience to the next level."

The course will open to the public next spring. Prices and booking arrangements have not been set.

Long planned, course development slowed during the Great Recession with the demise of American Skiing Co., which owned Canyons Resort before its purchase by Talisker in July 2007 for $100 million.

A company called TCFC, which took over construction of the course (along with real-estate development) in 2013, also participated in the dedication ceremony.

"We are delighted with progress that was made," said TCFC spokesman Brian Cejka, adding that the 97-acre course was completed on time, fulfilling pledges to Summit County and the resort's Village Management Association. "We hope that the course will be an economic driver for Summit County for years to come."

Designed by Gene Bates and Casey Bates, the course offers views of the Wasatch and Uinta mountains from most holes and features an elevation change of 550 feet. Six holes incorporate ski terrain.

It "was a challenge to design and build," said Gene Bates, whose Bates Golf Design Group includes partner Fred Couples. "The topography provided unique design elements and dramatic elevation changes, which is sure to keep golfers on their toes."

He used crushed rock to create a topsoil for the fairways, roughs and greens. The turf is a mixture of bluegrass, native grass mix and bentgrass that will be watered with what Bates called "fertigation."

In that system, fertilizer is ejected along with water from irrigation pipes, providing better control over the mixtures applied to the turf, Bates said.