Golf
When you tee off at one of New Mexico’s diverse golf courses, you’ll have the feeling that you’ve stumbled onto a great well-kept secret. This unique variety of courses, set in New Mexico’s spectacular high desert scenery combined with favorable weather conditions, allow you to play under turquoise skies and sunny days year-round. Surrounding Santa Fe, there are a number of outstanding courses that are scenically beautiful and surprisingly convenient to reach. Many of these courses are top-rated, but with greens fees significantly below more publicized destinations, they are also an incredible value. Just a short drive from the inn are courses that will appeal to the occasional golfer as well as the accomplished player wanting a more challenging top-rated course such as Black Mesa Golf Club. Listed below are courses that can be found within a short drive of Santa Fe.
Black Mesa Golf Club
Black Mesa is a links course located in the spectacular high-desert landscape just a thirty minute drive north of Santa Fe. Black Mesa has held a spot in “Golf” magazine’s ‘Top 100 You Can Play’ since opening in 2003, and ranks as No. 4 in “Links” magazine’s ‘Most Spectacular in the World’ list.
Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe
This municipal course, with it’s splendid vistas of the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountain ranges, is a short 20 minute drive from downtown Santa Fe. No 18 is considered by golfers to be one of the state’s great finishing holes.
Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club
This breathtaking upscale course on the east side of the Sandia Mountains is one of the most challenging and award-winning public courses in the United States. Paa-Ko Ridge is one of only 26 courses in the nation give a five-star rating by “Golf Digest” “Zagat” survey calls this course “extraordinary”. To reach Paa-Ko Ridge from Santa Fe, it’s about a 45 minute drive through scenic high desert landscape.
Pueblo de Cochiti Golf Course
Situated in the foothills of the Jemez Mountains, Cochiti is only a 30 minute drive from Santa Fe, With its undeveloped location, spectacular vistas and close proximity to Santa Fe, Cochiti is a favorite of the year-round golfer. Locals have dubbed Cochiti “Heaven with a zip code”. “Golf Digest” named Cochiti one of ‘America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses’.
Quail Run and Las Campanas
These two private courses on the outskirts of Santa Fe have reciprocity with other private clubs. So if you belong to a club that does, you may want to take advantage of these nearby, lesser-played courses. Quail Run is a 9 hole PGA rated course a ten minute drive to the east and Las Campanas features two championship Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses just a 20 minute drive west of Santa Fe.
Golf Itineraries
To help you plan your golf vacation, we have put together a few itineraries that will allow time for golf as well as time for experiencing the museums, art galleries, shopping, cultural events, food and wine for which Santa Fe is known.
One day – Black Mesa Golf Club
Two day – Black Mesa Golf Club, Pueblo de Cochiti
Three day – Black Mesa Golf Club, Pueblo de Cochiti, Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe
Four days or more – Black Mesa Golf Club, Pueblo de Cochiti, Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe, plus one or more of the following; Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club, Pendaries Golf Course, Santa Fe Country Club, Los Alamos Golf Course