There are very few areas in the country that are under explored when it comes to golf. As one of the nation’s premier golf nomads, it is my duty to find these locations. Several of my favorite lesser know spots reside in the state of New Mexico. There is something special about the state, almost every golf course feels remote and exploratory. So when I booked a trip to Turtleback Mountain Golf Resort, I was hoping to strike golf gold again. I would not be disappointed. Turtleback is a Troon property, so the overall quality was high. Once again, it was the people are landscapes of New Mexico that would take this destination to another level.
For my coverage of the golf course, I have selected the 5 most interesting golf holes on the property below for review. All 13 holes at Turtleback are worth a look, you will just have to schedule your own visit if you want the full experience.
5th Place: Hole #13 - Par 4
Turtleback Mountain is surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert, mountains and mesas. Most importantly, the golf course gets 300 days of sunshine and that light shines beautifully on the 13th hole at sunset. A short par four on any golf course is going to be a highlight and this one is slightly longer than I would have liked. The golf hole plays uphill with trouble down the entire right hand side which can be difficult to see from the tee box. The smart play is to lay back to the left of the fairway with an iron and play a wedge into the green.
4th Place: Hole #10 - Par 5
The 10th hole takes great advantage of the natural New Mexico landscape and provides the golfer an unobstructed view of the surrounding mountains. In addition to the scenery, there is a glorious 2nd shot filled with risk and reward for those that manage to find the fairway with their drives. This golf hole is truly unique.
3rd Place: Hole #3 - Par 5
The first time I played the 3rd hole, it looked like a simple case of target golf. The second time, I had a much better appreciation for the merits of the golf hole. You can lay back and hit a pair of irons into the large parts of the fairways or you can bomb one down the middle and attempt to cut the corner on your approach. I still haven’t quite figured it out and look forward to future attempts.
Most importantly, you can see my first rate accommodations on the top of the hill by the green.
2nd Place: Hole #16 - Par 4
This is the most fun golf hole on the property. A solid long iron will put you into the fairway and should leave you short club into the green. The green is dramatically set into the cliffside and leaves the golfer an exciting approach. There are three levels to this putting surface and you would be wise to locate which one you want to land on before executing your shot.
1st Place: Hole #6 - Par 4 -
The 6th hole is the most scenic hole on the property. At approximately 6:54am in the month of April, the sun hits the green just perfectly. Aside from the top tier views, the golf hole requires a good drive that avoids the bunker on the left and stays away from the desert on the rigt hand side. A solid second shot is also required to find the putting surface.
On a personal note,