The town of Jackson combines its epic backdrop with a mood of relaxed elegance and rustic cowboy charm. Anchored by a public square, downtown is famously gated with elk antlers and bordered by wooden sidewalks. Millionaire residents and celebrities often show up in jeans and pick-up trucks, while sushi bars and European pastry shops rub shoulders with the iconic Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and Silver Dollar Saloon.

Situated four miles outside town and home to a Rees Jones-designed golf course, 3 Creek occupies 710 acres of open, rolling meadow in a high-prairie ecosystem and has the region’s best views of 13,770-foot Grand Teton, known as “The Grand.”

Because 3 Creek is located in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the developers have placed a focus on environmental stewardship, with programs like reclaiming the property’s wetlands for trumpeter swans, restoring the native grasslands and operating a nature center to foster appreciation among residents and guests. Wildlife sightings are common: moose, elk and even the occasional grizzly bear, which head pro Billy Cleveland has spotted roaming the course.

Perhaps they’re trying to take their turn on the layout, which features some memorable holes. The par-3 16th plays directly at The Grand, while the par-4 17th and the home hole, as immense as the surroundings at 620 yards, have majestic views that will inspire your inner Ansel Adams. In fact, the legendary photographer did roam the area in the 1930s and ’40s, immortalizing the Tetons in his inimitable black-and-white style.

In addition to Woods, other boldface-name local taxpayers include Charles Schwab, who owns property at 3 Creek, and Harrison Ford, whose sprawling ranch abuts the course.

Fifteen miles south of town, the Snake River Sporting Club is going for an even broader outdoors experience, following the model its founders developed at West Virginia’s Greenbrier Sporting Club. The family-oriented facilities include an equestrian center and archery/rifle ranges, and access to hiking trails in the adjacent Bridger-Teton National Forest. The club offers a heli-skiing operation in the winter.

SRSC sits in a deep, narrow canyon, and its Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course is built partially along the canyon floor and partially on a ledge carved from one of the valley walls. It’s an isolated setting with a primordial feel. Weiskopf used tributaries of the Snake River to front greens and bisect fairways, and as with many of his designs, he designed a drivable par 4, the 320-yard 2nd.

Snake River Associates is responsible for Jackson Hole’s next major development, a 510-acre community called Shooting Star. Located next to Teton Village, just south of the entrance to Grand Teton National Park, Shooting Star will feature a Tom Fazio course and approximately 100 golf residences. Resor hopes to break ground this summer, with a projected 2008 opening.

If 3 Creek, Snake River Sporting Club and Shooting Star represent the future of golf in the valley, Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club and Teton Pines Resort and Country Club are its past and present. Bordering Grand Teton National Park, the Jackson Hole course debuted in 1963 and was redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Jr. a decade later. In fall 2004 Jones began a full renovation; he completed 10 holes last summer and plans to finish the remainder this spring. Vail Resorts, which owns the Snake River Lodge in Teton Village, recently purchased Jackson Hole and has poured millions into the property, including 35 new cabins that sold out in hours.

Traditionally, Teton Pines has been Jackson’s power-broker community—in addition to several Fortune 500 CEOs, Vice President Dick Cheney is a resident. His spread is part of an enclave of homes just off the 18th green.

No matter how long you stay, it will not have been long enough. Which means it may be time to look into making a home in Jackson Hole.