One of the first things I was told by my gracious Convention & Visitors Bureau hosts upon arrival in Albuquerque was that I had to declare a loyalty: red chile or green?
Being a lightweight when it comes to spicy foods, my reply was, "Which is mildest?"
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| Albuquerque balloon ride |
Luckily I did not have to declare a loyalty when it came to which golf courses to play, and after playing several of the area's best, I had a hard time deciding which I liked most.
Our group's high desert rounds started at Sandia Golf Club, affixed to Sandia Resort & Casino. The 18 holes here are ideal "resort-style" golf -- well-suited to occasional golfers who might be in town for a meeting or convention, but better players can tee it up as far back as 7,772 yards and have as much course as they can handle.
A well-groomed layout, Sandia's greens were fast running away from the mountains that backdropped the resort, and they rolled true in all directions. Among the memorable holes on this Scott Miller design was No. 6, a par-4 with a double fairway split by a swath of desert wash. The short route to the hole (374 yards from the championship tees) required a strong drive over the wash, much of which was carry.
Sandia's accommodations were in a high-rise tower that loomed above a massive casino where live music could be found at night as well as the usual gaming options. I joined two of the ladies in our group for an exciting night on the slot machines and came out a big winner. We had staked a whole dollar in the quarter slots and left 10 minutes later with $6.50, wondering if the same winning percentage would have held true had we bet $1,000 ... although none among us was willing to attempt it.
Next day we headed to the much-heralded Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club, about 45 minutes from downtown Albuquerque in the scenic foothills of the Sandia Mountains. There are 27 holes at Paa-Ko, designed by Ken Dye, that wander through a mountain valley and occasionally onto some of the peaks.
Several tee boxes are sited high atop ridgelines, dishing panoramic views of the golf course and what seems the entire state beyond. The back tee of No. 17, for example, plays across a wide valley to a patch of grassy fairway some 200 feet below. It's such an exhilarating shot that it's worth taking a crack at it from back there.
Many national publications rank Paa-Ko Ridge as the top course in the state, and it certainly lives up to expectations. But personally, I'd have to nominate Twin Warriors -- adjacent to the Hyatt Regency Tamaya -- as every bit its equal.
This Gary Panks signature design has a pleasing mix of beauty and brawn. Although it can play as long as 7,736 yards for professional tournaments, I tackled it at 6,131, which was plenty. The routing takes you through some rolling foothills on the outward nine before weaving in and out of a red rock mesa valley on the back.
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| Twin Warriors hole 15 |
The Hyatt Tamaya is an excellent example of what I wish all Native American casinos developments looked like: a low-rise structure that blends seamlessly with its surroundings, with a tasteful Southwestern/Native American décor. Plenty of outdoor activities, such as hiking and swimming pools, make it a good family destination. The resort also features a retail gallery of Native American arts and crafts, where indigenous painted pottery, turquoise and silver jewelry and spirit animal art can be found. And best of all, the casino is in a separate location half a mile away.
The Red Lawrence design at the University of New Mexico is another public-access course that I heard was outstanding (with a warning that I'd better be ready for some challenging greens), but four of the eight inches of annual rainfall came down the day I was scheduled to play there, so I cannot vouch personally ... perhaps next time.
The Albuquerque experience doesn't stop on the 18th green or quarter slots, either. Hot air balloons can be seen floating to the skies every morning at sunrise, and a tramway to Sandia Peak lifts riders skyward. Isletta Resort boasts an authentic Native American spa experience, and the food was outstanding everywhere we tried.
I had the best margarita of my life at El Pinto one night, along with some divine New Mexican cooking. Picking a favorite dish among the foods we sampled is as tough as picking a favorite golf course, but I have to say El Pinto's chile ribs were so flavorful and tender that I can almost taste them still.
There might be fewer courses in the Albuquerque area than there are in some of the bigger golf destinations in the West, such as Scottsdale or Palm Springs. But Albuquerque is a whole lot easier on the pocketbook ... and the chile is heck of a lot better too.
