Golfing in Taos, New Mexico
Where but Taos could you ski in the morning and play nine or eighteen holes in the afternoon? Taos is famous for its skiing, shoping, art galleries, and singular tricultural ambiance of northern New Mexico, but not a lot of people know Taos for its golf. What a mistake!
Three golf resorts provide very different experiences from March through October. The prima donna of the three is the twelve-year-old Taos Country Club, near the village of Ranchos de Taos, south of town. Here, you must take your game very seriously to avoid being distracted by 360-degree views of rolling sage, the spellbinding Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and theatrical New Mexico skies, which effortlessly display stunning rainbows, thunderheads, and towering cumulous clouds all at once.
Golf Digest rated this 18-hole semi-private club among the top five “best in the state” during the mid-1990s, and also called it one of the nations most affordable. With weekday greens fees ranging from $12 to $65, affordability is still a strong selling point. Carts can be rented for $13 per person.
This 7,300-yard, par-72 course has bluegrass fairways and bent grass greens. Clubs are sold and rented, and there is a pro on site. The spacious clubhouse features art and photography shows, a full bar, and excellent food prepared by chef Chuck Lamendola. The Taos Country Club belongs to the American Golf Association and hosts many tournaments every year. To get there, drive south from Taos on State Road 68 and turn right on Old State Highway 570. A sign at this intersection says “National Guard Armory.” Drive one and a half miles and turn right at the Taos Country Club gate. The clubhouse is about a half mile further.
For more of a “lost-in-the-woods” experience, try Angel Fire Resort Golf Club. You’ll be high on golf at the 8,690 feet altitude. The semi-private course features 18 holes, par 72, a pro shop and driving range, as well as complete dining facilities. Driving to Angel Fire from Taos, surrounded by spectacular scenery, takes about 35 minutes. Greens fees are $60 to $75 with “twilight” greens fee (after 3:30 p.m.) $40 to $46. Carts are $15 per player. The season runs from May 1 through October 15.
Heading eastward out of Taos, take Kit Carson Road (Highway 64) or Paseo del Cañon East and follow the signs to Angel Fire. Turn south on Highway 434, bypassing the town itself, and turn right at the sign “Angel Fire Resort Country Club and Golf Course.”
The Valle Escondido Taos Canyon Golf Course has been called the region’s “blue collar mountain course.” Its Spanish name, which means “hidden valley,” might explain why many people born and raised nearby are unaware of its existence although it lies barely 12 miles from Taos Plaza. This nine-hole, par-36 course is owned by a local neighborhood association and sits at about 8,500-feet. Many believe that golf balls travel faster in the rare atmosphere of these altitudes. Take plenty of sunscreen because thin air also allows a speedier sunburn!
The Valle is uncrowded despite bargain-basement fees—$16 for an adult and $5 for a child younger than 13. No golf carts here but you can rent a pull cart for $4. The last four holes ramble among picturesque streams and ponds that offer good fishing—but that pastime, unfortunately, is reserved for association members. A snack bar in the clubhouse serves sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs and both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
Streams and ponds, not to mention the occasional wandering elk, can be golfing hazards. But the pleasure of golfing beside banks of wildflowers and watching club members yank trout from the water adds a whole new dimension to the game.
To reach Valle Escondido, watch for mile marker 267 on U.S. Highway 64 heading toward Angel Fire. Just past the marker, turn right at the Enchanted Moon RV Park (note fake covered wagon on the hillside) and drive one half mile further. A golfer could spend two hours here in the morning, lunch at the snack bar, then do Angel Fire Country Club’s eighteen holes in the afternoon, arriving back in Taos just in time to soak in Alma del Monte’s hot tub before dinner.
For more information on Taos Country Club, phone 505-758-7300.
Find tee times and other information about Angel Fire Country Club by calling 505-377-3055 or 800-633-7463.
Contact the Valle Escondido clubhouse manager at 505-758-3475.
Make your Taos golf vacation even more perfect by staying at Alma del Monte Lodging —Spirit of the Mountain where you can wrap yourself in total luxury, privacy and romance. This AAA four diamond property offers world class rooms and amenities that will hold you all the way to the 19th hole.
Article By Linda Thompson
