Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club
On the wooded east side of the Sandia Mountains, Ken Dye routed a course through pinon, juniper and granite that plays like a mountain links in the sky. Opened in 2000 and named Golf Digest's Best New Affordable Public Course, Paa-Ko Ridge is a par 72 past 7,500 yards at around 6,500 feet, widely regarded as the finest course you can simply book in New Mexico.
Photograph: Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club, via Google
The verdict
Paa-Ko Ridge is the public course New Mexico golfers are proudest of. Ken Dye found a forested mountain site on the east slope of the Sandias above Albuquerque, and he routed eighteen holes through the pinon, juniper and granite that make the place feel more like the Rockies than the desert. When it opened in 2000 it was named Golf Digest's Best New Affordable Public Course, and it has stayed at or near the top of every ranking of public golf in the state ever since, with a third nine added in 2005 to meet the demand.
For the traveling golfer, Paa-Ko Ridge is the mountain centerpiece of a northern New Mexico trip, the round that earns the drive up the hill. It sits at around 6,500 feet, so the ball carries and the long card plays shorter than the number, and the holes use the natural fall of the mountain for elevated tees, downhill drives and approaches framed by rock and forest. It is open for public play, which makes a course of this quality genuinely attainable, and it pairs naturally with the value golf and private polish elsewhere in the area for a varied high desert swing.
Paa-Ko Ridge at a glance
- Opened
- 2000
- Designer
- Ken Dye
- Type
- Mountain high desert
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Past 7,500 yds
- Access
- Public
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from course databases and club sources. The original 18 play as a par 72 past 7,500 yards from the back tees at around 6,500 feet, routed through pinon, juniper and granite in the Sandia foothills, with a third nine added in 2005. It is open for public play; rates are seasonal and time of day dependent, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Paa-Ko Ridge plays bigger than the card, because the mountain is always in the equation. Elevated tees drop the drive into fairways framed by forest and rock, and the elevation change works in both directions, so reading the slope and the uphill or downhill nature of each shot matters as much as the yardage. The fairways are generous enough to swing freely, but the native scrub, the granite outcrops and the desert margins punish the wayward shot, so the strategy is to use the room and respect the trouble.
The greens are large and full of subtle movement, and the approach is where the round is decided. With the ball flying further in the thin air, club selection is a constant judgment, and the player who trusts the altitude and commits to the right number will leave the makeable putts. The par 3s use the mountain for drama, the par 5s tempt a long carry to set up a short approach, and the closing holes return through the forest with the lights of Albuquerque spread out below on a clear evening.
What lingers is the setting and the variety. Paa-Ko Ridge is a genuine mountain course, cool and forested where the desert below is hot and open, and it offers the kind of scenery and shot making that golfers travel a long way for, all on a tee sheet anyone can book. For a player building a northern New Mexico trip, it is the round that lifts the itinerary from good to memorable, and the reason the Sandias belong on the map.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public; visitors are welcome and can book a tee time directly, no membership or resort stay required |
| Green fee | Indicative public green fees for the 2026 season are mid range for a course of this quality, with twilight and resident rates; they are seasonal, so always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking | Direct with the club; weekends and the prime spring and autumn windows fill, so book ahead |
| Walking and carts | Carts are standard given the mountain routing and the spread of the holes; check current walking policy with the club |
| Best months | Late spring through autumn, when the mountain is at its best; the altitude keeps it cooler than the desert below, and early and late season can be cold |
| Getting there | At Sandia Park on the east side of the Sandia Mountains, about thirty minutes from Albuquerque and roughly an hour from Santa Fe |
Access verified June 2026 from club sources; rates are seasonal, so always confirm directly before booking. Ask about a New Mexico golf trip.
Where to stay nearby
The two natural bases are Albuquerque, thirty minutes down the mountain, and Santa Fe, about an hour north. Albuquerque keeps you close to the first tee and to the airport, while Santa Fe trades a little driving for adobe charm, galleries and some of the best food in the Southwest. Either works well for a group splitting time between the mountain and the high desert courses.
Because northern New Mexico has more golf than a single round, most visitors build a multi day trip around Paa-Ko Ridge. Pair the mountain with the wild, affordable links of Black Mesa Golf Club in the Rio Grande valley and the private polish of the Las Campanas Sunrise Course on the edge of Santa Fe for a trip that covers the full range of the state's golf.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Build a New Mexico golf trip
Paa-Ko Ridge is the mountain highlight of northern New Mexico, best played alongside the area's value and private courses on a Santa Fe and Albuquerque trip. We plan trips through the Southwest, arrange the tee times and the order of play, and handle the hotels and the logistics. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Paa-Ko Ridge questions
Can visitors play Paa-Ko Ridge?
Yes. Paa-Ko Ridge is open for public play and is regarded as one of the finest courses you can book in New Mexico, so visitors can reserve a tee time directly. Rates are seasonal and time of day dependent, so always confirm directly before booking.
Who designed Paa-Ko Ridge?
Paa-Ko Ridge was designed by Ken Dye and opened in 2000 with 18 holes, with a third nine added in 2005. The original course was named Best New Affordable Public Course by Golf Digest, and it is consistently ranked among the very best public courses in New Mexico.
What is the par and yardage at Paa-Ko Ridge?
The original 18 at Paa-Ko Ridge play as a par 72 stretching past 7,500 yards from the back tees. The course sits at around 6,500 feet in the Sandia foothills, where the thin air adds carry, and the holes weave through pinon, juniper and granite outcrops with significant elevation change.
Where is Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club?
Paa-Ko Ridge is at Sandia Park, on the east side of the Sandia Mountains about thirty minutes from Albuquerque and roughly an hour from Santa Fe. Its mountain setting makes it a natural anchor for a high desert golf trip through northern New Mexico.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.