Have you played the new Red Hawk Golf Club course in Last Cruces? If not, you’re in for a treat.
The fairways, comprised of blue grass, and the greens, comprised of bent grass, are spectacularly immaculate. Not a bare spot anywhere. And the view is breathtaking.
And, as three of my golfing buddies and I quickly found, it’s challenging in a different way than most courses in the area. The emphasis is on accuracy on every shot. You have to be careful where you land your ball because of strongly undulating fairways and greens that will cause your ball to roll into seriously difficult spots – like water, deep bunkers or brush in the surrounding desert.
THE HOSPITALITY is great. Director of Golf Ryan Flamm, a young and friendly Class A pro who learned the art of golf management at New Mexico State University, greeted Matt Sloan, Gene Myers, Bill Dahlberg and me with a handshake and a warm smile.
He showed us around the clubhouse. It’s a temporary structure. A more luxurious one will be built in the near future. But the present one is new and comfortable and has plenty of goodies for a thirsty or hungry golfer.
I WAS SURPRISED at how many players were on the course. It was a Friday, which is often the least played day of the week at many courses, and there were threesomes and foursomes ahead of us and behind us.
Flamm explained that yes, the course is doing very well, thank you. He estimates that the course is averaging around 70 paying customers per day. That’s impressive for such a new course. It opened only last October.
Not only have there been players from all over the Southwest, including El Paso, but there have even been “snow birds” from the northern part of the country.
There are tees to suit all handicaps. Six of them, to be exact, and they range from 5502 to 7523 yards.
THE COURSE was designed by world famous golf architect Ken Dye and is owned by Sierra Norte Land Holdings. Head of the organization is Royal Jones, owner of Mesilla Valley Transportation. Other officers include John Moscato and Dean Riggs. Cost? So far, more than $10 million.
Alan Salter, a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, heads a 15-man crew entrusted with keeping the course in tip-top shape.
Flamm’s assistants are Joey Castaneda, a UTEP graduate, and Rudy Lopez, who graduates from Western New Mexico.
NOT SURPRISINGLY, Bill Eschenbrenner, an El Paso golf legend, has had a hand in development of the course.
Eschenbrenner gave Lee Trevino to the world of golf by helping him get on the PGA Tour, developed Lone Star Golf Club into a jewel of a course in El Paso and has helped countless golfers in other ways. He has been inducted not only into the El Paso and Texas Golf Halls of Fame but the PGA Golf Professional Golf Hall of Fame as well.
Eschenbrenner is listed as the Red Hawk course’s PGA Master Professional and Pro Emeritus.
GREEN FEES? The standard rate Monday through Thursday is $30 but only $20 for seniors, students and military. Friday through Sunday it’s $10 more in each category. Cart rental fee is $16 every day.
Yes, there are annual memberships. Individual ones are $275 and family memberships are $375.
For more information or tee times, call 575-373-8100 or go to http://www.golflastcruces.com on your computer.
HOMES WILL be springing up all around the course before long. Land developers already have their blueprints and are raring to start.
Red Hawk Golf Course describes itself in its literature as “Drop dead gorgeous.” With its wide-open spaces and the Organ Mountains in full view, it’s hard to argue.
Certainly, our foursome came away singing its praises.
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