Santa Fe Golf Trail Courses

Black Mesa Golf Club Review – rated 10

Wow, from our perspective it just doesn’t get much better – stunning scenery and vistas, excellent conditions, challenging, a blast to play, unique and unusual holes, an excellent value, and lots of variety. It’s no wonder that some of the accolades include:

A must play – add it to your bucket list. Our first perfect 10.

Review of Championship Course at UNM – rated 8.9

The Championship Course at the University of New Mexico has a long history of college tournaments hosting the William H. Tucker Invitational over 34 years. Over the years many of the pros like Phil Mickelson, Tim Herron, and Tiger have played this fantastic course.

Architect Robert Lawrence utilized the naturally hilly terrain to create wide rolling, sloping fairways with many elevation changes and vistas of downtown Albuquerque. Long and tough from the tournament tees, the course offers five sets of tee markers to challenge and enhance the enjoyment of any golfer. Although not a true desert course, the holes meander through desert-like terrain that serves as home to a variety of wildlife including rabbits, roadrunners, coyotes, owls and hawks.

Review of the Arroyo Nine – rated 9.3

Review of the Lakes Nine – rated 8.8

Review of the Mesa Nine – rated 9.0

Isleta Eagle Golf Club is home to 3 nines that should fit the preferences of every golfer. You’ll find a little bit of everything when you play Isleta – elevation changes, great views of the Rio Grande Bosque, water, bunkers, thick roughs, rolling contoured fairways, and challenging greens. And all of that includes very good conditions and one of the most affordable rates in town.

Each nine has it’s own unique personality and characteristics: the Arroyo Nine was our favorite with 6 outstanding holes; the Lakes Nine has water on several holes; and the Mesa Nine has plenty of forced carries.

A four star Golf Digest rated course. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, across the street, has some good stay and play packages that can save you some money.

Review of 10th to 18th Nine – rate 10

Review of 19th to 27th Nine – rated 9.8

Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Course has to be what’s it like to play in Golfer’s Heaven! 27 holes that are in near perfect condition plus beautiful scenic vistas, demanding but fair, a blast to play, first class service and facilities, and unique and memorable holes – all at a reasonable price. Paa-Ko Ridge is situated on the east side of the Sandia Mountains, at elevations ranging from 6,500 to 7,000 feet, and as such it plays up and down the foothills through ponderosa, pinon, and juniper plus some huge beautiful homes on one of the nines. The layout of the course features landing areas and greens separated by arroyos, native vegetation, and rock outcroppings; lots of elevation changes; blind shots; intimidating forced carries; treacherous bunkers; and challenging green complexes. No wonder we rated one nine a perfect 10 and Golf Digest rates it #20 in “Americans Greatest Courses.”

Review of Sandia Golf Club – rated 8.9

Sandia Golf Club is the most upscale, meticulously maintained, and enjoyable courses to play on the Santa Fe Golf Trail and it is well deserving of it’s stable of awards and accolades, some of which include: Golf Digest’s “Best Places To Play” and GolfWeek’s “Top 100 Golf Resorts.”

The fairways are lush and plush, the bent grass greens are perfect, the bunkers are some of the best we had to get out of on the Santa Fe Trail, and the rates are a steal. Sandia Golf Club is a resort course that is fair but demanding with illusions, lots of downhill and uphill shots, some excellent risk reward opportunities, plenty of forced carries, and challenging greens plus water, arroyos, waste areas, and steep and deep bunkers – all of which can add a few strokes to your round.

Review of the Star Course – rated 8.5

Review of the Cheena Course – rated 9.3

Review of the Tamaya Course -rated 8.8

Located north of Albuquerque and woven through the desert along the Rio Grande, Santa Ana Golf Club is surrounded by the grandeur of the Jemez Mountains to the west, the Sangre de Cristos to the north, and the Sandia Mountains immediately east. From every hole you’ll have a spectacular view of the 10,000-foot Sandia Peak. Native grasses, subtle mounding, and eight crystal-blue lakes will come into play during your round.

Each of the three nines at Santa Ana Golf Club is just a little different from the other nine – the Star Course has some fun holes in particular the Star 5th hole; Cheena was our favorite thanks to four great finishing holes that are fun, interesting, and demanding; and Tamaya is probably the easiest, prettiest, and most traditional of the nines.

Review of the Boulder Course – rated 9.0

Review of the Pinon Course – rated 8.7

Review of the Valley Course – rated 8.8

Located in the dramatic scenery of Northern New Mexico’s Pojoaque Valley, Towa’s three nine-hole courses will challenge you with dramatic elevation changes, forced carries, blind shots, and scenery of such extraordinary beauty it threatens to distract the most focused golfer.

Each of the nines is unique with it’s own personality and characteristics:

Review of Twin Warriors

Texas Outside Rating – 9.3

Twin Warriors Golf Club is eighteen holes of high desert, championship golf routed in and around 20 ancient cultural sites of previous Native American habitation and activity. The course has beautiful grassy knolls and ridges dotted with Juniper and Pinon Pine. Treacherous dry washes known as arroyos and eroded land features, along with the sacred butte known as Tuyuna or “Snakehead” complete a picture framed by spectacular views of the Sandia Mountains.

Once you take your eyes off the spectacular views you’ll face forced carries off of every tee box, elevation changes, some treacherous bunkers, and some very fun and unique holes plus excellent conditions and a very good value.