Golf
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Albuquerque: Golf’s Best-Kept Secret
Golf Digest and Golf Magazine have ranked several of Albuquerque
golf courses among the best in the country. Our forested mountains, lush
river valleys and high desert plains combine to make central New Mexico
a dream come true for golf course designers. From desert links to
parkland to mountain courses, Albuquerque offers arguably the most
diverse golf experience available in one area.
New Mexico has a glorious year-round climate that lends itself
perfectly to playing golf. Weather is a key variable for a golf
vacation, and Albuquerque has some of the most reliable weather
conditions in the country, with 310 days of sunshine and an average
annual high temperature of 70 degrees. Prime golf season is April to
October, one of the longest playing seasons among major golf
destinations. The shoulder months are often outstanding as well, but can
be less predictable. With an average winter high near 50 degrees and
frequent sunny blue skies, golfers are out on the courses almost every
day during the winter off-season.
Differences in course elevation can affect temperatures and weather
conditions, sometimes significantly. Summer highs in Albuquerque, at
5,500 feet in elevation, average near 90 degrees, with very low humidity
and cool mornings that start out near 62 degrees. Mountain courses,
including Paa-Ko Ridge on the east side of the Sandia Mountains, have a
slightly cooler average high temperature of 84 degrees in June, July and
August; mornings start out around 50 degrees.
Combine the mile-high elevation and varied landscape of central New
Mexico with warm sun, low humidity and an endless blue sky and the
result is an ideal locale for golfers of every skill level. The area’s
unique scenery combines with affordability to provide unbeatable
cost-to-quality value draws visitors from across the nation.
A
local organization, Golf on the Santa Fe Trail, arranges custom golf
packages featuring eight world-class golf courses nestled along a
100-mile stretch of the Rio Grande Valley. 1-866-465-3660,
http://www.golfonthesantafetrail.com/
Just outside Albuquerque are two public golf courses that rank in
the nation's top 50: Twin Warriors Golf Club and Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club,
which was awarded the only five-star rating in the Southwest by readers
of Golf Digest in 2006 and it was one of only 25 courses to receive an
overall "top-rated" score in the Zagat America's Top Golf Courses Survey
for 2007/2008. Paa-Ko Ridge was also voted No. 4 on "America's 100
Best Courses for $100 or Less" by Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine,
demonstrating the affordability of world-class golf in Albuquerque.
Golf Rankings 
The Albuquerque region frequently appears in golf magazines and
trade publications as a top golf destination. Albuquerque’s recent
rankings and news include:
- Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club ranked No. 3 in the United States for
best public golf courses in a Readers Choice Poll by subscribers of Golf
World, October 2008.
- 2008 Best Modern Courses (No. 43 Paa Ko Ridge, No. 73 Black Mesa Golf Club), by Golfweek, 2008
- Albuquerque hosted the NCAA Women's Golf Division I
National Championships in May 2008 at UNM Championship Golf Course in
Albuquerque
- Area golf courses among the top 40 golf courses by Golf
Digest (No. 10 Twin Warriors Golf Club, No. 28 Sandia Golf Club, No. 33
Santa Ana Golf Club), July 2007
- Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa is among the Top 100 reader-rated golf resorts in Conde Nast Traveler, June 2007
- Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club as the Best the Southwest by Zagat Survey, May 2007
- Golf on the Santa Fe Trail ranked among four best multi-stop shops for your next golf trip, GOLF Magazine, May 2007
- "Golf at its absolute best" Five Star Rating to Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club from Golf Digest, April 2006
- 2006 Gold Tee Award awarded to Twin Warriors Golf Club from Meetings and Conventions Magazine, May 2006
- One of "America's 75 Best Golf Resorts" is the Hyatt
Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa Twin Warriors' Golf Club by GOLF
Magazine , March 2006
- Sandia Golf Club at Sandia Resort and Casino, has been named Development of the Year by Golf Inc. magazine, 2005
- Sandia Golf Club named one of the “Top Ten New Courses You Can Play” by GOLF Magazine, December 2005
- New Mexico's Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa named "America's 75 Best Golf Resorts" by GOLF Magazine, March 2004
- Santa Ana Golf Club named "One of America's three best true links-style golf courses" by The New York Times, March 2004
View additional Albuquerque area rankings:
http://www.itsatrip.org/albuquerque/whats-new/top-ranking.aspx.