At an exclusive ski and golf community for the ultra-wealthy, nestled along the Wasatch Front in Morgan County, two of the club\u2019s earliest members allege in a new lawsuit they were pushed out after raising concerns about \u201cunequal treatment\u201d at a women\u2019s golf tournament.<\/p>\n
Jane Fields was preparing to tee up with three other members of her golf foursome on July 24, for the second day of the Wasatch Peaks Ranch Bluebird Women\u2019s Golf Tournament.<\/p>\n
Then, a caddy told the four women they needed to play quickly, finish early and, if needed, forfeit shots, according to a lawsuit Fields and her husband, Mark, filed this month in Utah\u2019s 2nd District Court.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only plausible reason to rush the annual women\u2019s golf tournament would be to rush the women off the course to enable an ordinary afternoon of play by the men,\u201d the Fields allege in the lawsuit. <\/p>\n
That didn\u2019t happen, they say, during the club\u2019s two annual men\u2019s tournaments, when the course is exclusively reserved for male competitors.<\/p>\n
Jane Fields raised concerns about the tournament with a manager. Four days later, she and her husband were \u201cexpelled\u201d and their membership was revoked, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
The swift expulsion happened before the Fields were given a hearing with the club\u2019s disciplinary committee, they say. <\/p>\n
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They allege it was the club\u2019s way of concealing gender discrimination and removing members \u201cwhose criticism it no longer wished to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n
The couple completed one of the community\u2019s first homes in 2024, said Larry Laycock, an attorney for the Fields, and \u201choped their family would enjoy it for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, they\u2019ve had to change their plans. <\/p>\n
The Salt Lake City law firm Kirton McConkie, which Laycock is with, also serves as outside counsel to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.<\/p>\n
In a written statement, a ranch spokesperson said the club disputes the allegations in the Fields\u2019 lawsuit and is prepared to defend itself in court. The ranch declined to discuss specific details of the case, citing the privacy of its members and employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe stand by our decision and remain committed to maintaining a positive and respectful environment for both our members and employees,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The gate house for the private luxury ski and golf resort of Wasatch Peaks Ranch is pictured on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. <\/p>\n
The lawsuit names Wasatch Peaks Ranch Club; its CEO Tiger Shaw, who is also the former president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard; members of the club\u2019s disciplinary committee; and others the Fields allege were involved in their expulsion.<\/p>\n
The Fields are seeking at least $30 million in damages, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
Laycock said the couple tried to resolve the dispute privately before filing the lawsuit and \u201cremain open to a fair resolution.\u201d<\/p>\n
But they also intend to \u201chold WPR accountable, recover their financial losses and protect their home investment and contractual rights,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u2018Unfair\u2019 treatment for women<\/p>\n
After the July golf tournament, Jane Fields was approached by a manager who greeted her and asked how the tournament went, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
The two walked together through a parking lot where \u2014 when Fields felt they were out of earshot \u2014 Fields told the manager she believed the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments were handled differently and called the treatment \u201cunfair, disrespectful, derogatory, and sexually discriminating,\u201d the lawsuit says.<\/p>\n
Fields considered the conversation private, according to the filing, but told the manager he could share her concerns with ranch management.<\/p>\n
The ranch later characterized the exchange differently, describing it as a \u201cpublic incident\u201d at the entrance of an activity barn, the lawsuit says.<\/p>\n
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The base of ski operations for the exclusive private luxury ski and golf resort of Wasatch Peaks Ranch.<\/p>\n
In the disciplinary committee\u2019s notice about the couple\u2019s expulsion, the ranch cited \u201cabusive and profane language toward staff,\u201d public criticism outside the club\u2019s written-complaint procedure, \u201caggressive and unreasonable conduct\u201d and behavior \u201cunbecoming\u201d of membership standards, the lawsuit states.<\/p>\n
After the club\u2019s decision, the Fields still requested a hearing and asked the ranch to provide reports supporting those accusations, the lawsuit states, but they did not receive them.<\/p>\n
At that August hearing, the Fields say the ranch reaffirmed its decision to expel them. The couple read from prepared statements but otherwise had little opportunity, they allege, to challenge the accusations or the expulsion.<\/p>\n
Built for the \u20181% of the 1%\u2019<\/p>\n
The more than 12,000-acre private ranch community<\/a> is built for the \u201c1% of the 1%,\u201d with more than 3,000 acres of private skiing that is home to the \u201cgreatest vertical drop in Utah,\u201d according to its website<\/a>. <\/p>\n The property also has a championship golf course designed by renowned course architect Tom Fazio, fly-fishing along the Weber River and miles of trails for hiking, biking and exploring.<\/p>\n The mountain resort has gone to great lengths to maintain its mystique, offering little information about the development beyond a short website description and forms for inquiries. <\/p>\n Prospective members must arrive with at least two referrals, then be vetted and approved before they are even shown any real estate.<\/p>\n (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A “No Trespassing” sign near the private luxury ski and golf resort Wasatch Peaks Ranch.<\/p>\n