Paako Ridge Golf Course - 10 to 18 Nine

Review of Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club Holes 10 to 18

Wow, we have finally found and played our first perfect 10 for nine holes – the 10^ththru the 18^thholes at Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club!  The other nine holes we played are equally as impressive and about as close as you can get to a perfect 10.  In fact, Paa-Ko Ridge is what every other course should aspire to be – very scenic, excellent conditions, near-perfect greens, fair but very challenging, lots of “wows” and Kodak moments, reasonable rates plus some real bargains, good amenities, and some unique, interesting, and memorable holes. 

And it’s not a surprise that Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club is one of only 23 courses in the nation to receive a 5-star rating and that it has received a number of awards and accolades, some of which include:

• Golf World’s “Top Public Golf Facilities in America – #3
• GolfWeek’s Top 100 Modern Courses in America – #23
• Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public course – #20
• Golf Magazine’s top 100 you can play in America – #28

Paa Ko Ridge Golf Club is on the eastern side of the Sandia Mountains about 40 minutes from Albuquerque and was designed by Ken Dye.  The first 18 opened in 2000 to rave reviews and the third nine opened in 2006.  The 27 holes play through a pristine alpine setting of pinon, juniper, and ponderosa pine, high desert colorful fauna, and majestic unmatched mountain vistas from every tee box.  Each of the nines is unique with its own personality and characteristics which are and a little different from the other nines, for example:

• 1^stto 9^this generally regarded as the easiest of the nines but it’s no walk in the park
• 10^thto 18^thplays up and down the pristine foothills of the Sandia Mountains and is hands down the most scenic of the nines and it’s home to the signature 17^thhole
• 19^thto 27^this the longest and the hardest with three beautiful but long par 3’s (228, 202, and 251 yards) and three very challenging par 5s plus some huge stunning homes dotting the hillsides

On our first visit to Paa-Ko Ridge in 2011 we didn't have time to play holes 1 to 9 and we couldn't wait to return, which we did in 2013.  Another "Wow" – 1 to 9 is also a must-play – here is our link to the review of holes 1 to 9.  And we got to play 10 to 18 again and it still remains a perfect 10! You can read our review of  Paa-Ko Ridge's 19^thto 27^th to learn more about each of these fantastic nine holes. 

The 10^thto 18^this a perfect 10 – it just doesn’t get much better than what you’ll find on this nine – beautiful scenery and panoramic vistas, excellent conditions, lots of variety, memorable holes that are fun and fair but very challenging, and the green fees are well worth it, particularly with an online special.  This nine slowly climbs up the foothills and then turns and plays back down to the club house – the scenery and the cart ride which twists and turns through the trees and colorful high desert fauna is breathtaking.   Make sure that you walk up to the back tees on the 17^thhole – you won’t believe the breathtaking view of some of the lush green golf holes, pro shop, lakes, mountains, trees, and beautiful homes!   And you just have to hit a couple of balls from this dramatically elevated tee box with a very intimidating forced carry.

Paa Ko Ridge’s 10^thto 18^thholes are a lot more than just ascetically pleasing eye candy – to score well here you need to:

• pick the right set of tee boxes and don’t bite off more than you can chew
• favor precision over distance – you don’t want to miss the fairways
• putt like you have never putted before – the greens have plenty of slope, undulation, ridges, and tiers and they roll very fast
• deploy your “A” game and best course management skills to manage the significant elevation changes, wind,  thick rough, and uphill raised greens
• know how to play uneven lies – you'll have plenty of them
• have a good bunker game

But don’t let all of that scare you – Paa-Ko Ridge is demanding but it’s fair and if you play smart you’ll have an enjoyable and well scoring round.  When we first arrived we met a guy who had a huge grin on his face as he was admiring the scenery and stunning views of a couple of the holes from the clubhouse –  turns out he had just driven 1600 miles to play Paa-Ko Ridge because it was on his bucket list of courses to play.  We saw him after his round and he was still smiling and said Paa-Ko Ridge exceeded his expectations.  You need to add it to your bucket list. 

The greens on this nine are near perfect and they are good sized, run very fast (around an 11), and have plenty of slope, undulation, and contour. 

The fairways are lush and plush and also have plenty of contour.  Most of them are ample but don't miss or you're in a fairly thick rough or lost in the trees.

The bunkers were a disappointment – the sand was gritty, thin, and hard to get out of.   Turns out that all of the New Mexico courses we played had similar hard gritty sand – the good sand tends to blow away!   The bunkers range in size from small to huge and some are deep and steep faced.

I'll say it again – WOW, what a fantastic nine.