Bend's Out West Golf Trip 10 states

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I know from another thread that just plain bill steered you away from playing The Hideout in Monticello, UT. I'm not here to discredit his experience and assessment of that course, but I'd like to say that my experience was different. I played The Hideout last week and really enjoyed it. It was a scenic course in great condition. I didn't find it overly penal and unfair. Disclaimer: I'm 71 and played from the white tees, so someone playing from the longer tees might have the kind of experience that just plain bill had.

 

I am still playing Hideout, but I am also playing Moab GC!!!!

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Not much to see at all between Oklahoma City and Amarillo. We stopped at a Rte 66 museum, but it was not open. A ton of wind farms all over, which look really cool.

 

Made it to Amarillo, TX and if I can stand the heat long enough to get out of the hotel pool I plan on playing 9 holes this evening. Just HAD to stop here on Rte 66 at the Big Texan! Excellent steak BTW.

 

We'll go to Commanche Trail GC and get 9 holes in this afternoon.

[just plain bill]

I thought about hitting that steak house, but once I start heading home, there's no stopping me, lol... just finished a trip from austin thru farmington thru ogden to bend, then the california delta, to ventura area and played golf for the first time in 6mos (90/83), then lake powell, then home thru chinle...

Hideout? Kinda hard to hold a fairway that's tilted as drastic as some of those holes...was disappointed cuz of the high rating...at the time, last summer, I was a decent golfer, 6.3hcap, so I should have been able to get around...and I never try to overpower a course, doing my best to stay outa trouble...but my ball kept rolling off fairways and into trouble...also, that town had no phone coverage with sprint, lol...

I hope you play well!

[deadsolid...shank]

Not much to see at all between Oklahoma City and Amarillo. We stopped at a Rte 66 museum, but it was not open. A ton of wind farms all over, which look really cool.

 

Made it to Amarillo, TX and if I can stand the heat long enough to get out of the hotel pool I plan on playing 9 holes this evening. Just HAD to stop here on Rte 66 at the Big Texan! Excellent steak BTW.

 

We'll go to Commanche Trail GC and get 9 holes in this afternoon.

 

That doesn't look like the big 64oz steak for the challenge Bend! I wanted a WRX food challenger!

[just plain bill]

Yeah, I just wanted to SEE that steak! I think I could eat half of it, lol...

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Yeah, I just wanted to SEE that steak! I think I could eat half of it, lol...

 

The challenge is 72 ounces in LESS than 60 minutes, if you can eat it all in less than an hour, it's free. If not, YOU PAY a lot for 72 oz. my steak was a small 16 oz bone in ribeye.

[deadsolid...shank]

Yeah, I just wanted to SEE that steak! I think I could eat half of it, lol...

 

The challenge is 72 ounces in LESS than 60 minutes, if you can eat it all in less than an hour, it's free. If not, YOU PAY a lot for 72 oz. my steak was a small 16 oz bone in ribeye.

 

Geez, even bigger than I thought. I wonder how many people try it. And what it costs. Also salad, bread, and a baked potato have to be eaten in order to win (if I remember correctly, which I've already demonstrated I don't).

[just plain bill]

Saw it several times on tv...I think a girl are the whole thing!

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Saw it several times on tv...I think a girl are the whole thing!

 

She was a petite thing too! It's $72 if you cannot eat all of it.

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About 96 degrees but NO humidity so a lot easier to play here in the summer than it is in Florida. I just played 9 holes at Commanche Trail GC which ended up only being about 3 miles from my hotel. I played the back 9 of the Tomahawk course. Commanche Trail has 2, 18 hole courses. Fairly wide open, links style. Nice course, and surprisingly lush. I was expecting a dried out muni, but it was not at all. Here are a few pics.

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What courses you plan on playing in Texas and when?

 

Only in Texas for 1 day, just passing through the panhandle. Commanche Trail Tomahawk course was

the lone Texan.

[Edaw68]

I never knew the golf course at Lost in the Woods was any good.

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I never knew the golf course at Lost in the Woods was any good.

 

To be honest, it looks fairly average from the road, but once you get a hole or two into it, the layout is nice, the fairways perfect and it was a really fun round of golf.

[deadsolid...shank]

Where is the next stop?

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Left Amarillo this morning headed towards Roswell, NM.

Nothing out here except HUGE cattle farms, so many that from far away they look like car junkyards. Crazy amounts of cattle in Hereford, Texas. Look closely, that is a small part of that cattle ranch on the left.

 

Made it to Roswell for a quick pit stop at the UFO Museum.

 

I will probably play 9 holes at the New Mexico Military Institute before getting on the road to Santa Fe.

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101 degrees with no humidity is easy. Slight breeze too.

[slprince67]

head to Ruidoso....there are a couple of fun courses up there. Love RainMakers, Inn of the Mountain Gods is fun.....

[TravelingGolfSticks]

Rainmakers is good. Have to disagree with you on Inn of the Mountain Gods though. Service is always so-so, course layout is a let down (who puts three giant pine trees in the middle of the fairways) and not worth the $100 they ask. My favorite in Ruidoso is the Links at Sierra Blanca. Will be there Wednesday actually.

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We played 9 holes at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell today. Was over 100 degrees when we teed off and over 100 degrees after 9. No humidity, so it is surprisingly tolerable. Course was OK, lots of roll on the drier fairways. Greens were great. This was the first course played in New Mexico for me.

 

The drive from Roswell to Santa Fe was 185 miles of complete boredom. Nothing but desert, and maybe some cattle ranches.

 

View as you head into Santa Fe.

 

Tuesday - Marty Sanchez Links (early AM while wife sleeps in)

Wednesday - PaaKo Ridge

Thursday - Pinon Hills

 

I am gonna pass on Black Mesa bc I have no idea as to the current state of condition. I'll fit that in next time. It was in poor shape last year as I heard they lost their well.

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This morning while my wife slept I went and played 9, which turned into 18 since the course was so nice. Only took 3 hrs for 18 holes which was nice. I played the Links de Santa Fe (aka Marty Sanchez GC). Awesome golf course, with epic mountain views.

Drive on the way to the golf course at 6am.

 

Happy 4th of July!

 

Miles driven this past week, about 1700 miles.

[teejaywhy]

Bend, you got to try the new Mexican style stacked enchiladas. Green chili, blue corn tortillas with a fried egg on top. Delicious! The Shed is a good place.

 

For a fast food burger, Blakes green chili cheeseburger.

 

Green chili... see a theme? Lol

 

Love road trips. With golf, all the better.

 

You are wise to bypass AZ. Hotter than HELLo right now!

 

[Subsonic]

Awesome trip! Thanks for sharing!

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I must say, summer weather in Santa Fe is pretty awesome. Cool in the morning, heats up well into the 90's with no humidity. By 530 pm it's down to mid 80's, but feels like 70 without any humidity at all. Great for being outside.

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Today's round is at Paako Ridge Golf Club, which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Very green and lush, SUPER fast greens!

 

At the 9th hole a huge thunderstorm popped up causing a play stoppage!

[Sean2]

Really, really nice job on the photography!

 

Decades ago I traveled Route 66 from start to finish, though I didn't encounter any aliens. :-)

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Had about a 30 minute rain delay in middle of the 9th hole, ironic as we were in the desert. This is a really nice course, with good elevation changes. The greens were crazy fast too. If you didn't see the desert peaks, you would think that you were golfing in Michigan as it seemed to be more of a parkland layout (like Forest Dunes but with more elevated shots) than a desert golf course. It was much more "green" than I expected. It's really in the middle of nowhere. Hardly anyone was on the course playing today. It was about 87 degrees, but no humidity. They don't give tee times for a single (which is stupid), but I had no issues getting out as soon as I showed up.

 

The road to Paako Ridge is NM14, aka The Turquoise Trail. It's an extremely scenic drive with epic views that go on for miles and miles.

 

Tomorrow I head up north to play Pinon Hills GC in Farmington, NM, then to Durango and then over to Utah.

 

All pics taken with iPhone 7 so I can get them posted immediately. We walked around Santa Fe this morning and we also visited the New Mexico History museum, which was pretty interesting.

 

The architecture is radically different from the midwest.

 

We did not get to eat at Blakes, but we did eat some awesome food at The Cowgirl last night and at the Fire and Hops Gastropub this evening. BOTH were awesome.

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Over 2000 miles into my golf roadtrip. Nothing between Santa Fe and Farmington for 200+ miles.

 

We'll be playing Pinon Hills GC this afternoon. Supposedly a top ranked course in New Mexico. If I ranked the 3 courses played in New Mexico so far:

 

1. Links de Sante Fe

2. Paako Ridge GC

3. NM Military Institute GC

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Played Pinon Hills today, awesome municipal golf course. I think this is the best course that I have played in New Mexico. It was high 90's but super windy today. The course would be easier the 2nd time around with some extra course knowledge. Played fast and firm, fast greens too.

Best 9 holes yet. Sucked on the back nine with 3 doubles and had an 88.

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Headed out from our really nice bed and breakfast in Farmington, NM right on the Silver River to see Ship Rock Monument, 4 Corners National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park. In the afternoon I'll play at least 9 at Hideout GC in Utah. If passing thru Farmington, I highly recommend a stay at the Silver River Adobe Bed and Breakfast.

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Shiprock, New Mexico

 

 

Ended up skipping my round at Hideout GC today. We stopped at 4 corners monument today and then spent most of the day exploring Mesa Verde National Park. I will play Hideout at 7am tomorrow and then Moab GC in the afternoon tomorrow.