Paa-Ko Ridge
Played Paa-Ko Ridge in 2010 on a family vacation on the way from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Paa-Ko is equidistant from both cities but not in a direct line. It’s pretty out there whether on a trip to Santa Fe or from Albuquerque. It’s ranked number one in New Mexico and really is a great course, so I recommend taking the trip (just maybe not with family waiting on you).
Paa-Ko is a mainstay on top public courses and was on the Golfweek Top 100 Modern Courses through 2014. BTW Planet Golf is a great site that lists all of the various Top 100’s and gives a good course description if you’re into that kind of thing. Of course, my scrapbook gives a great description and shows you some photos and a layout of the course if you’re into that kind of thing! I generally agree with Golfweek in the 2014 rankings with the only exception (of the courses I’ve played) being World Woods – Pine Barrens which was good but in no way better than Paa-Ko. On the latest ranking, Paa-Ko has been bounced but the only exception of the courses I’ve played that I would rank lower are Hidden Creek and Stonewall and even then only by a schmoodge.
I understand that this was sold in 2018 and they are adding some lodging which would be great but they need another course out here so you could do that and Paa-Ko, making the trek worthwhile.
To the course. I’m really taxing my memory to tell you I remember any one hole. Overall, this is a residential golf course but homes do not spoil the view. I read on the Top 100 Golf Courses site various reviews which went from totally stinky to great. The architecture snobs on that site pan the course while the site itself and others praise it. It’s #1 in New Mexico people!!! Again, in the way I rank courses, Paa-Ko is Top 100. It’s fun to play. It has awesome elevation changes, a great variety of holes all on a huge sprawling property. Conditioning was good. The snobs say the course lacks strategy but I guess that is one man’s opinion and you know they say, “Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and the other guy’s always stinks worse than yours.”
As I said, I did this as part of a family vacation and Santa Fe is a nice destination. First, Albuquerque. You know if you use a TV series about crack or meth or whatever as your vacation promo video, you got issues. We flew into and out of Albuquerque and Breaking Bad doesn’t do the place justice. It’s BAD! We literally got to our hotel at night after landing and by the airport and there were crackheads outside the rooms and blood on the walls inside the room. No joke.
We moved hotels and got out of AQ early the next morning for Paa-Ko. There is probably a nicer area but my one-night experience wasn’t good. On the way to Paa-Ko or actually on the way from there to Santa Fe was a stop at the town of Madrid (they have the restaurant from Wild Hogs there and was an interesting little and I mean little town). We stayed at Bishops Lodge in Santa Fe and it was really nice. Did the horse back riding thing and was able to escape for an early morning round at the Indian Reservation/Casino course, Towa. Meh. The town of Santa Fe is neat but can’t remember where we ate to give any recommendation. Taos was also a good excursion from there. I included some photos below.
Golf Scrapbook 