Played 8/9/19. $200 POP 3.5 hrs. Pretty much had the course to myself. Course was in fantastic shape. Fairways green and lush with good roll and cushion. Greens were perfection. Rolled true at a mediu... Continue »

Played 8/9/19. $200 POP 3.5 hrs. Pretty much had the course to myself. Course was in fantastic shape. Fairways green and lush with good roll and cushion. Greens were perfection. Rolled true at a medium fast pace and receptive. Traps were in good shape. Grainy sand and slightly compacted but consistent . Fantastic fun layout. Wasn't a fan of the 250 & 230 yrd par 3's. But the rest of the course was a good mix of shorter target and bomber holes through the hills. The green fees included two meals and all the non alcoholic drinks you wanted. My wife met me after the round and we had a nice lunch with the two meals. They are rebuilding the clubhouse so a semitrailer is in use with small proshop, grill and bar.

Currently ranked 46th in Golf Digest's 100 Best Public Courses in the US, it was an absolute pleasure to play Paa-Ko Ridge outside of Albuquerque this past Saturday. This course has it all - fantastic... Continue »

Currently ranked 46th in Golf Digest's 100 Best Public Courses in the US, it was an absolute pleasure to play Paa-Ko Ridge outside of Albuquerque this past Saturday. This course has it all - fantastic layout, unreal setting, perfect conditions and quality customer service. And believe it or not - it's absolutely affordable for the perfection you will experience.

Paa-Ko Ridge is a 27-hole course with the latter holes 19-27 having been added within the last decade I believe. My friend and I were instructed that we would be playing tracks 2 and 3 for the day and it only leaves me wanting more and the chance to play holes 1-9 next time I get the opportunity.

Holes 10-18 are a wild journey that feels more like you're in the mountains than the desert, and the way the holes serpentine through the valley is simply stunning. There's a great amount of greenery on this side of the Sandia Mountain range and it's highlighted even more when you see the picture perfect fairways winding through, up and around the topography. Each and every hole seems like the Signature Hole. Yes. Each and every one. It's fantastic. Throwaway holes? Forget it. None here. But you better believe that it's challenging as can be and the distances from the first two tee boxes are very intimidating (we opted for the green tees).

The newer part of the course, holes 19-27, feel a bit different and this new addition is actually even harder than the first part that we played. You don't feel as much isolation and solitude as you do on the other nines as this course is either up or down and has many more houses lining the property (though they're very aesthetically pleasing and fit into the landscape very nicely). Elevations galore here, long carries, tough angles, but even more beautiful scenery as the mountains in front and the valleys behind really sing to you all day long. This nine also features the 3-3-3 combo of par 5s, 4s and 3s so you get it all. And the par 3s are really tough and long and mostly downhill and terrifying. But awesome, too.

Conditions? What can I say that you can't already figure out for yourself? It's mostly immaculate from tee to green in every way. The fairways are lush and green and so inviting, especially off the tee. They pull you in very dramatically. The rough is thick and daunting but you can find the ball sitting up nicely if you're lucky. There are a lot of places to get in trouble though if you're off and we often heard back in Albuquerque, "Bring a lot of balls." It's good advice. Tee boxes perfect. The only knock? Bunkers were good, not great.

Greens were fantastic. Absolutely perfect and running around an 11 or 12 on the Stimp. No ball marks to be found - a gem of a surface on each and every hole. I didn't play very well sadly after the first four holes, but my buddy was -1 after 10 holes and had no problem at all stopping the ball on the greens from just about every conceivable angle. Amazing.

Can't say enough about this place. Easily now in my Top 10 of all time. And again - it's really affordable in relation to some other high-end tracks around the country. It's about a 40-minute drive from Albuquerque so you've really got no excuse to miss it. Staff was also very friendly and mostly helpful and there were water bottles and ice every third or fourth hole which was great and necessary. I love this place and can't wait to go back. Again and again.

I played PaaKo on 3/23, the second time this year. The course was in pretty good condition for NM spring. The greens rolled pretty good but were a little inconsistent as to be expected this time of ... Continue »

I played PaaKo on 3/23, the second time this year. The course was in pretty good condition for NM spring. The greens rolled pretty good but were a little inconsistent as to be expected this time of year. The big news is that the course was sold recently so things are in a state of flux. No liquor can be sold until the state approves the transfer of the liquor license. The rates usually go up to peak in mid-April but at this time they don't know what that will be. One of the best things about PaaKo was that they used to offer a play 3 times for the price of 2 card, well they are not offering that anymore. Rumor has it that the new owner/s may try to make it a high end resort type course with some new facilities on property for overnight stay catering mostly to out of towners. Time will tell so play it soon!

I played PaaKo on Friday and it was in decent shape. The course is pretty brown as the grass still seems to be dormant. The greens rolled pretty well and there weren't to many ball marks as they had... Continue »

I played PaaKo on Friday and it was in decent shape. The course is pretty brown as the grass still seems to be dormant. The greens rolled pretty well and there weren't to many ball marks as they had only been open a week. They have not watered a lot thru the winter probably due to the fact that they are close to the mountains and it is a little colder than Albuquerque, and mother nature has not been a big help in this dry NM winter we have had. PaaKo always amazes me how quick they can get the course into great shape so we'll see how it changes in the next 2-3 weeks. Typically they change to peak rate in mid-April and if conditions don't improve significantly by then it won't be worth what they charge.

Played 11/13 at 10:30 as a twosome. Thanks to Tesuquegolfer and 24hourgolf - is there anyplace you haven't played - for enthusiastic endorsements. Staff was New Mexico friendly from top to bottom, e... Continue »

Played 11/13 at 10:30 as a twosome. Thanks to Tesuquegolfer and 24hourgolf - is there anyplace you haven't played - for enthusiastic endorsements. Staff was New Mexico friendly from top to bottom, extremely unpretentious for this caliber of course. Very nice range, chipping area and representative putting green. Course was understandably full in spite of the distance from Alb. and Santa Fe. This one could be a #1 in a lot of states. Just a great mountain course. Reasonable landing areas off the tee left challenging approach shots to fast greens framed by deep traps and many false fronts. Greens were deceptively large and I'm sure a second time around would reduce the pucker factor of that approach. Tees and fairways were in splendid shape, especially this late in the season. Shoulder season rate is $62 for a Sunday and a steal this time of year. Greens were smooth, fast and undulating. Traps were compacted sand and deep, making it tough to land close to a tight pin. Many elevation changes and swirling winds help to complicate this puzzle. Surprisingly, there were two walkers behind us, as there was some distance between greens and tees, but I guess it's possible. I would third fellow GKers' recommendations on this course. I'd be very disappointed if I was in this area and unable to play this one again. Breakfast burrito was excellent, and a smattering of local beers on tap was appreciated.

PaaKo is the gem of NM, ranked in the top 50 in Golf Digest top 100 almost every year. It is beautiful and very challenging. One must keep the ball in play to score on this course. I once played th... Continue »

PaaKo is the gem of NM, ranked in the top 50 in Golf Digest top 100 almost every year. It is beautiful and very challenging. One must keep the ball in play to score on this course. I once played the State Match Play qualifier here with 15+ mph winds and the best score was 77, mind you there were plenty of + handicaps including 4-5 Division 1 players. I shot 87 as a 5hdcp and finished in the middle of the field missing the top 32 cut by one stroke. From the green tees, which is only 6700 yds at 7000+ feet elevation, the par 3s are tough and can all play at over 200 yds. The course winds around through the mountains with few sights of other holes. The course is almost always in immaculate condition, which is as it should be for the price of $117 peak rate, which is about twice what we NM residents pay at our resort courses. About 30 minutes from ABQ and 45 from Santa Fe, it is a must play.

Played Sept 24 and there are not enough words to describe this course. Kudos to all the other reviewers and their picture submissions. If this is not (in my opinion) the best golf course in NM, then p... Continue »

Played Sept 24 and there are not enough words to describe this course. Kudos to all the other reviewers and their picture submissions. If this is not (in my opinion) the best golf course in NM, then please tell me which is? Course conditions were top shelf. The greens were rolling at 11 and I curse the guy who was placing the flags. Have played here numerous times and every time the course seems to be in better shape with maturity. We played the original 18 and if you play, please drive to the top of 16 and 17 to check out the tee boxes. 7562 from the tips @ 7400 elevation, not to mention the 100 yard green on # 4 named Dye-abolical. This is truly the course to save for last (if you can) before ending your golf trip to NM. Surely a must for all golfers. And have the Santa Fe Sandwich that includes green chili with your beer on the patio after your round.

Paa Ko Ridge Golf Club Review
Albuquerque New Mexico Golf Course Reviews

To follow up on my review yesterday for Black Mesa, I guess the "rugged" look is more a sign of the course's economic struggles than a purposeful stylistic choice. This according to the starter at Paa... Continue »

To follow up on my review yesterday for Black Mesa, I guess the "rugged" look is more a sign of the course's economic struggles than a purposeful stylistic choice. This according to the starter at Paa-Ko Ridge. I still loved it out there, though.

Speaking of love, I really loved Paa-Ko Ridge. There's a reason this is generally considered the best public track in NM. Absolutely beautiful setting in the mountains. Fun and challenging layout that winds back and forth. Lots of great elevation changes and diversity in hole designs. Truly a wonderful course and a definite must-play if you are in the area. Price a little steep ($114 today), but worth the splurge.

Course was in great overall shape. Greens still seem to be recovering a little bit from a previous aeration. They seemed kind of dried out, but still held well on approaches and ran true on putts, so no major complaints. Rough is DEEP and penalizing. Fairways lush and a dream to hit off of. Bunkers OK and tee boxes fine.

If you are in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area, Paa-Ko should be at the top of your list! Pictures to come on GK when I get back home.

Paa Ko Ridge Golf Club Review
Albuquerque New Mexico Golf Course Reviews

If you are traveling to Albuquerque and can bring your clubs, play here. The course was in great shape. From the minute we walked into the clubhouse, the experience was great. I had played here many y... Continue »

If you are traveling to Albuquerque and can bring your clubs, play here. The course was in great shape. From the minute we walked into the clubhouse, the experience was great. I had played here many years ago, when the course only had 18 holes. It now has 27 and the new 9 are wonderful. From tee to green, the course plays great. It is one of those places that you are sorry to see the round end. We could not have asked for better weather. Of course the rates are always better weekdays, the reason we played today. Ken Dye did a marvelous job with this course. While you are playing at about 6,000 feet, it really does not feel that way because of the layout. The course does not beat you up like some mountain courses do. It is playable, fair and challenging. Put this one on your list when you come to Albuquerque.