Golf - Public Course · 27 Holes · Par 36
Pagosa Springs, CO
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Review of Pagosa Springs Golf Club – Pinon Course
Pagosa Springs Golf Club is home to three nine hole courses that are framed by towering Pagosa Pines, some clear lakes, beautiful mountain homes, and the stunning San Juan Mountains. Each of the nines has its own unique personality and characteristics:
We didn’t have time to play the Meadow Course but here is a link to our review of the Ponderosa Course.
In June 2013, Pagosa Springs Golf Club was in receivership, being managed by Tri Star a premier golf management company, and was going through a transition waiting for new owners. In addition, Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico were suffering through a third year of drought and no rain, which has had a significant impact on the course conditions. In addition, the snowpack was light this year which also impacts the conditions. And even worse, in mid-2013 the water pump for the Pinon Course broke! What a streak of bad luck – pray for rain!
The Pinon Course is home to a little bit of everything – you’ll encounter some elevation changes, water on a couple holes, some dog legs left and right, six bunkers, some uphill as well as downhill shots, and some demanding putting surfaces. It’s relatively short at 2769 to 3419 yards and it’s the middle of the road course in terms of difficulty.
Some of the holes that we enjoyed included:
When we played in June, the light snowpack, limited to no rain, and the broken water pump had severely impacted the fairway conditions – there were lots of dandelions, several damaged areas, as well as cracked and bare spots. The fairways are still very playable and don’t let this stop you from playing the course. We talked to several people who told us that normally the conditions are very good.
The fairways are ample and generous from tee to green, they range from flat to gently rolling, and there are several that run either uphill or downhill.
The greens on the Pinon Nine at Pagosa Springs range in size and shape with most being on the large side. All have some slope and contour that require some very careful study before you putt. They were in very good condition when we played, ran true, held the ball well, and ran at a good speed of between 9 to 10.
There are only six bunkers on the Pinon Nine and they seemed easy to avoid. But they are not pleasant when you do land in them - the sand was gritty and thin when we played.
Slope and rating are based on playing the Pinon and Ponderosa Nine.
Read all about this fun trip to Southern Colorado/Northern New Mexico where this is one of the courses we played.
Tee Box | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|
Blue | 3,419 | 69.5 | 115 |
White | 3,260 | 67.5 | 113 |
Red | 2,769 | 68.2 | 123 |
Approximate Weekend
Rates: $39.00 to $86.00
The pro shop has a limited supply of the basic gear, the outside grill at the turn has good burgers/dogs/sandwiches, and the range is adequate. Service is ok.
Here's How Texas Outside Determines the Scorecard RatingThe Texas Outside rating scale ranges from 1 to 10 – a perfect 10 course would be something like this: links along a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean and bordered by tall trees; lush fairways on rolling hills with lots of natural hazards; water (which is crystal clear) on most of the holes; immaculate greens (but they are undulating and tough); lots of variety and character (each hole is completely different and includes blind shots, elevation changes, doglegs, and significant challenges); perfectly manicured traps with the whitest and prettiest sand you’ve ever seen; a nice club house with great food and a 19th hole; a GPS; plenty of beverage carts or your own cooler and ice; and it only costs $40 bucks! What this means is that you probably won’t find any 10s in Texas – try Cabo San Lucas, Pebble Beach, or some of the Hawaii courses!
All of the above determines the overall score for the golf course. In other words, we like courses that are pretty, fun, very challenging with a lot of variety, and fairways and greens in excellent condition – all for $40. We also tend to play the courses that are affordable for the masses, which means in the $30 to $80 range. We rate hard and we haven’t found a 10 in Texas yet – don’t worry we haven’t given up and we’re still looking.
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