Golf - Private Course · 18 Holes · Par 72
Alto, New Mexico
Website
Review and Rating of Rainmakers Golf Club in Alto New Mexico
Rainmakers Golf Club is an exclusive private 18 hole golf course in Alto New Mexico, just a few miles from Ruidoso. In 2008 Robert Trent Jones Jr created a masterpiece in the foothills of the Sacramento Mountains by leveraging the natural terrain of mountain plateaus and valleys, meandering arroyos, natural areas, rock outcroppings, and dramatic elevation changes. It's not surprising that Golf Digest named Rainmakers the 5th Best Course in New Mexico for 2015 - 2016 and it was clearly on Texas Outside's list of the Best Courses in New Mexico that we have played and reviewed.
As you drive into the parking lot of Rainmakers and view the 18th hole, the well landscaped putting green, the scenic beauty, and the upscale facilities you know you're in for a special treat - and you won't be disappointed. From our perspective what makes Rainmakers Golf Club one of the best includes:
The bent grass greens at Rainmakers are a variety of shapes and sizes ranging from 24 to 43 yards deep. Before you head out make sure you practice your putting because the greens are fast with some combination of contour, ridges, slope, and tiers. Most are raised and guarded with at least one bunker. They are soft and hold the ball well and run true if you can read the breaks, which is difficult and may require your playing them a couple to three times to get to know the breaks and where to place the ball.
Generally speaking, the fairways at Rainmakers are wide and sweeping with plenty of room off the tee box - but miss the fairway and wide rough and you're most likely lost in the trees and natural areas. All of the fairways have some combination of slope and contour and bunkers that you need to manage. There are 6 sets of tee boxes (two of which are combos - play gold on one hole and blue on the next for example) with yardages ranging form 7143 to 4854 and course plays a little longer because of the elevation changes - it's critical that you pick the right set of tee boxes. When we played the fairways were lush and plush and near perfect. The rough was in great condition and cut thick but playable - miss that and you're in the natural areas.
The bunkers at Rainmakers range from small to big monsters. The lips are manageable (no lip to 15 inches or so) and in some cases you may get lucky and roll out of the bunker. All the recent rain had an impact on the playability of the bunkers, it made the sand very hard and compact.
Every hole on Rainmaker has something that makes it scenic, challenging, or fun to play. The front nine is really fun and more difficult as it plays across a plateau with a sharp drop off the side and then down toward a valley and back up. As such it full of contoured fairways, dramatic elevation changes, deep arroyos, and more to keep you focused. The front is a par 37 with two par 3s, 3 par 5s, and 4 par 4s. Some of the holes we really liked on the front included:
The back nine gives you a much better opportunity to score and it has a very different look and feel. #10 starts the climb back up hill to the plateau and holes 12 to 18. This nine is home to some excellent holes like:
It's hard to top this fantastic layout with excellent conditions, first class service, challenging greens, and scenic holes. Every hole we played was fantastic and we had to take several pictures and for the first time ever, we are adding a dedicated page with more pictures of Rainmakers Golf Club.
Tee Box | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 7,143 | 74.6 | 140 |
Blue | 6,213 | 70.7 | 132 |
White | 5,614 | 67.7 | 126 |
Gold | 6,499 | 71.7 | 134 |
Red | 4,854 | 69.4 | 134 |
Initiation Fees: $10,001 to $25,000
Monthly Dues: $201 to $400
Service is first class, the pro shop is very well stocked, the paractice facilties are very good, and the facilities are excellent - a restaurant with delicious food, a spa, fitness center, upscale men's and women's locker rooms, and a patio with a stunning view of the valley, mountains, and lush green fairway of the 18th hole.
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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