Albuquerque Golf

[550025KV]

I'm arranging a guys trip to Albuquerque this fall with 8 guys from Texas. Mostly single digit golfers. Looking for suggestions on golf.  Here's my tentative lineup: 4 rounds   

Paa-ko Ridge, Sandia, Black Mesa, Cochiti Lake, Twin Warriors or Santa Ana.  
Any adds or deletes from this list?  

[Kenny B]

3 hours ago, 550025KV said:

I'm arranging a guys trip to Albuquerque this fall with 8 guys from Texas. Mostly single digit golfers. Looking for suggestions on golf.  Here's my tentative lineup: 4 rounds   

Paa-ko Ridge, Sandia, Black Mesa, Cochiti Lake, Twin Warriors or Santa Ana.  
Any adds or deletes from this list?  

I spent a lot of time in ABQ traveling for work; but it's been awhile since I was there.  Good list of courses; haven't played Black Mesa, but the area up there is beautiful.  Loved Paa-ko; was there before the extra nine holes was added (it was under construction).  Sandia is nice; one of my best friends is a member there.  Cochiti is not of the same caliber as the others, but I loved the course; it's a must play IMO.  Santa Ana is OK, but play can be slow at times; Twin Warriors is a better choice, a pro friend of mine played a qualifier there for the PGA Championship (lost in the playoff for the 20th spot).

The other one I would consider is UNM South.  I would play here before Santa Ana.

[Slap]

On 7/6/2022 at 4:44 PM, 550025KV said:

I'm arranging a guys trip to Albuquerque this fall with 8 guys from Texas. Mostly single digit golfers. Looking for suggestions on golf.  Here's my tentative lineup: 4 rounds   

Paa-ko Ridge, Sandia, Black Mesa, Cochiti Lake, Twin Warriors or Santa Ana.  
Any adds or deletes from this list?  

Have you made the trip yet? Please tell us what courses you chose if so.

Most places only accept tee times one week in advance so I'd call a week before the tee date the hour that the pro shop opens.

Kenny is right about his choices. I'd add to definitely play the Championship course at UNM and Twin Warriors. There were college and pro events there this fall so these courses will be in the best shape this Fall.

Some people hate the greens at Black Mesa but its in good shape as well. The hate comes from them being unreasonable and not the conditions. A local pro claims the senior event chose Twin instead of Black Mesa because of the greens. But I like it and I'd say that's the 3rd course you should play.

The fourth is a coin flip between Paa-Ko and Sandia for me but I haven't played Paa-Ko. I bet Paa-Ko would be the better experience.

The tee boxes at Cochiti are boderline a joke right now. Some are like teeing off in the rough. nice lay out but not worth your time if well manicured courses are what you want to play.

[Kenny B]

23 minutes ago, Slap said:

Have you made the trip yet? Please tell us what courses you chose if so.

Most places only accept tee times one week in advance so I'd call a week before the tee date the hour that the pro shop opens.

Kenny is right about his choices. I'd add to definitely play the Championship course at UNM and Twin Warriors. There were college and pro events there this fall so these courses will be in the best shape this Fall.

Some people hate the greens at Black Mesa but its in good shape as well. The hate comes from them being unreasonable and not the conditions. A local pro claims the senior event chose Twin instead of Black Mesa because of the greens. But I like it and I'd say that's the 3rd course you should play.

The fourth is a coin flip between Paa-Ko and Sandia for me but I haven't played Paa-Ko. I bet Paa-Ko would be the better experience.

The tee boxes at Cochiti are boderline a joke right now. Some are like teeing off in the rough. nice lay out but not worth your time if well manicured courses are what you want to play.

Paa-Ko is a must play; tough, but fair.  Living there, you need to play it.  I liked Cochiti but that was many years ago.  It was an experience and inexpensive.

@Slap I really enjoyed a day trip up to Farmington to play Pinon Hills GC.

[Slap]

@Kenny B I've heard good things about Pinon Hills, will have to play it soon. Along with Paa-Ko.

Cochiti is still a great place. Covid hit the rez hard and the supers let it go a bit.

[Kenny B]

 

20 minutes ago, Slap said:

@Kenny B I've heard good things about Pinon Hills, will have to play it soon. Along with Paa-Ko.

Cochiti is still a great place. Covid hit the rez hard and the supers let it go a bit.

I might have to make a trip down that way one of these days.  Retired now, but still have friends living there.  Last time I was there was 2015 and one of my buddies was dating a cart girl at Sandia GC!!

[550025KV]

We played Paa-Ko, Black Mesa, Twin Warriors and Sandia.  The group voted Paa-Ko 1, Sandia 2, TW and Mesa T3/4. All were excellent.  Mesa has some wicked greens and the layout is tricky without GPS. You'd have to play it with someone that knows their way around. Easily a great layout.  All around it's a very affordable trip.  We booked a month out but had some help from each golf staff.  

[550025KV]

We didn't play Cochiti because they had just aerated greens.  UNM had a collegiate tourney.  Otherwise I'd have added those. 

[Slap]

@550025KV Excellent! Without a local yeah Black Mesa's layout can throw you off with quite a few blind shots. And the fact that you are playing a mile high over sea level.

Now that you played both Sandia and Paa-Ko how dumb is my statement that they are a coin flip in what to chose? Paa-Ko used to be $60 in the winter and I can't bring myself to pay $200.

[550025KV]

The Paa-Ko customer experience is tops. Is it worth $200, probably not. Last time I played there it was under $75, but with a guys trip of 8 that had never been to NM, we put it on the list. None of the other 3 courses were over $100.  

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, Slap said:

@550025KV Excellent! Without a local yeah Black Mesa's layout can throw you off with quite a few blind shots. And the fact that you are playing a mile high over sea level.

Now that you played both Sandia and Paa-Ko how dumb is my statement that they are a coin flip in what to chose? Paa-Ko used to be $60 in the winter and I can't bring myself to pay $200.

Wow!!  I'm not sure I would pay $200 either.  I think it was around $50-60 when I played it, but they only had one course and it didn't quite have the reputation yet.  I've played a lot of nice courses over the years, including TPC courses, Bandon, Kapalua, etc... never paid $200 for any course.

[PMookie]

When will it get below daytime 50* in Albuquerque? I still need to get that way for work, but I know it’s getting close to being too cold for me to bring the sticks.

 

Thanks!