Without a nationally-recognized anchor resort, and bordering three golf destination states, picturesque New Mexico can often be overlooked as a vacation getaway.
Neighboring states Arizona, Colorado and Texas feature a combined 1,400 courses with dozens of high-profile resorts such as Troon North, The Broadmoor and Omni PGA Frisco, while New Mexico’s 80 total layouts rank seventh fewest among the 50 states — and may not appear all that attractive at first glance.
But packing the clubs and heading to the Southwest location — with arguably the best scenery and topography you’ll find in the United States for golf and the camera lens — the Land of Enchantment offers plenty of fresh air and a fresh perspective on unhurried golf.
Few likely know that Albuquerque International Sunport has more than 20 non-stop flights from such locations as Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, Orlando and Seattle.
“If you come to New Mexico for a golf trip you don’t have to jump through the hoops and procedures that a lot of the larger resorts across the country require,” says Randy Gardner, the founder of Southern Breeze Golf Tours.
The 71-year-old Gardner is based in Texas and founded his firm in 1979, having witnessed his share of roller coaster golf travel over the last four-plus decades. With plenty of business in the Lone Star state at the time, he was reluctantly enticed by a casino company to create golf packages to Santa Fe in 2002, and then later for Albuquerque.
He’s glad to be part of helping open up the unique and often under-estimated New Mexico golf market.
“The traffic’s not bad, and there is just a laid back way of doing things in a place like Santa Fe,” says Gardner of some of the advantages of New Mexico golf travel packages. “No one is in a hurry and most folks return home from a New Mexico golf vacation feeling a little recharged.”
“There aren’t any mega cities like a Phoenix,” added Baxter Spann, who designed award-winning Black Mesa Golf Club north of Santa Fe. “New Mexico is an out-of-the-way place, which to me makes it so interesting. You are kind of getting away from everything when you go there.”
Black Mesa is a unique high-desert experience with dramatic canyons and sandstone ridges framing holes. It’s one of the centerpieces of New Mexico golf travel as a member of Golf Digest’s top 100 public golf courses.
“It’s as close to playing on the moon as you can get,” says Gardner. “It’s just a beautiful place. It is like carpet laid out in the desert and hills — it’s quite a look.”
“Yeah, it’s dramatic looking, and it certainly has a rugged and natural feel,” added Spann of the course’s 73.9 rating and 141 slope. “With 300-400 feet sandstone ridges running through the property it’s quite a different landscape than golfers are used to seeing. The place has a real Old West feel to it.”
Links magazine had it ranked among the top 10 spectacular golf courses in the world a few years ago, Spann notes.
Meanwhile, about an hour south of Santa Fe and 30 minutes outside of Albuquerque is Paako Ridge Golf Club, which added a third nine holes in 2005 and is also on the Golf Digest top 100 list. This Ken Dye-designed layout, first opened in 2000, is consistently ranked as the No. 1 public access in New Mexico.
“Paako Ridge is probably the jewel of New Mexico,” says Gardner. “And I also think it’s one of the most difficult courses that you’ll ever step foot. But it’s a beautiful, beautiful course. I mean you sit there and you feel like you just want to stare at it for a little while because it’s so pretty. I would say it’s a bucket list course.”
In the southern part of New Mexico the must-play is Turtleback Mountain Resort, which is home to the New Mexico Open.
With a 146 slope, this is another bear of a challenge that bills itself as having “sunset finishes like no other” with sweeping views of the Rio Grande Valley.
The course also has the distinction of being located 15 minutes from the small city of Truth of Consequences, which has been frequently noted on lists of unusual place names for having chosen to rename itself from Hot Springs in March 1950 after the Truth or Consequences radio show.
While the golf is good, the off-course offerings in New Mexico are great with an advertised 300 sunny days and just 14 total inches of rain annually. Over four-fifths of the state is higher than 4,000 feet, offering unparalleled panoramic views along with vast expansive landscapes not often seen.
Albuquerque is also the hot air balloon capital of the world, known for having the world’s largest gathering of hot air balloons, with over 500 taking part every October. Meanwhile, Santa Fe and the entire state will help celebrate the 100th anniversary of iconic Route 66 this year.
A photographer’s dream of New Mexico’s stunning landscape features include such names as Ghost Ranch, White Sands, Blue Hole, Dark Skies and Shiprock.
“It’s so refreshing to get off the plane in Albuquerque and feel like it is air-conditioned outside with the low humidity and cool air,” Spann says. “It always just feels great.
“And the level of quality of design that you get on some of these courses in New Mexico is certainly equal or superior to a lot of what you see in Arizona or Colorado — and at a much better price point.”
Officials agree the only thing holding New Mexico back from being a major player in new golf resort construction are water challenges with the state addressing the issue with a 50-Year Water Action Plan.