Desert Classic Among America's Best

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1 Desert Classic Among America's Best Pinon Hills at Farmington, New Mexico By Robert Castellino, Photographer and Author For Immediate Release Contact: Chris Jones, PGA General Manager, Pinon Hills Tonya Stinson, Farmington Convention & Vistors Bureau

2 I knew it was a good site. It was a big piece of property the thing that made it exciting to work on was that there were no restrictions as to where to build it within the perimeter of the 1,000 acres. Half of the 1,000 acres weren t usable because it was too steep. The city told us to 'put the course where you think it fits best.' We focused on the 300 acres on the northern portion near the college. Ken Dye Pinon Hills Golf Course Architect

3 Why wait to play America's Best Municipal Golf Courses? Why wait overnight in your car in the Torrey Pines parking lot for the dawn patrol to come and wake you for a tee time to play the south course (site of the 2008 U.S. Open)? Or why back your car into a designated numbered spot at Bethpage State Park, receive your wristband then wait till 4:30 in the morning to get a ticket handed to you so you can have an opportunity to purchase and play a round at Bethpage Black (site of the 2009 U.S. Open)? Or, why dice with unpredictable weather at Chambers Bay near Seattle to pay a premium for a chance to play the 2015 U.S. Open host? Why do any of this when you can play the storied Pinon Hills at Farmington, New Mexico, where one phone call to a friendly starter at the pro shop guarantees you a date on your calendar, and where the sun shines over 300 days a year? The only thing you will be missing is throngs of people trying to get No Waiting for a Tee Time at Pinon Hills a tee time before daybreak and backing play up at every hole. Here s the inside on Pinon Hills. Mention the words Pinon Hills in golfing circles, and players ears prick up immediately. The course and place have captivated the imagination of golfers worldwide since opening twenty four years ago. To this day, many of the world s most noted pros and golf course architects have emulated many of the features that make Pinon Hills the original gold standard for desert golf. Following years as Golf Digest s Best Municipal course, Pinon Hills has become a legend in golf s American municipal landscape. Only Bethpage Black, Chambers Bay and Torrey Pines South all home to the U.S. Open stand ahead of Pinon Hills according to Golf Week in This is elite company for a course located far-and-away from any major metropolitan area.

4 Where Monet used a canvas to paint masterpieces with color and light, Ken Dye has sculpted a world-class course design in the New Mexican desert. Okay, maybe Dye isn t what Monet was to art, but he did craft a spectacular piece of golf course architecture at Pinon Hills. The clubhouse sits atop a hill overlooking this beautifully scenic and challenging landscape. The track is shaped around and through rolling layers of hardened sandstone, a number of arroyos, a slot canyon, across several draws, around a butte known as Signal Hill and through piñon pines dotting the landscape everywhere. The green complexes are multi-tiered, undulating, varied in shape and, more often than not, surrounded by large grass containment mounds and bunkers instead of natural desert vegetation. The greens are fair, and they run true yet not pretentiously quick. The course plays a tough 7,249 yards from the tips with par slated at 72. Pinon Hills is a true desert course design. Nothing was spared in concept on course layout even with the tightest of budgets.

5 The terrain dictated the course layout, making this a true exercise in routing," says Dye. "The tee sites, fairway landing areas and greens were dictated by the natural desert features and formations. The idea was to route the course along or around them but not over them, otherwise you would destroy them, taking them out of play. The main slot canyon/arroyo and dry gulches are the centerpiece of the course s design. The other features were the rolling and undulating terrain, cliff overhangs and dunes. Ken Dye Pinon Hills Golf Course Architect

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7 PGA General Manager, Chris Jones and Ty Hamer, head pro, round out the pro staff both PGA Certified Professionals. The teaching facilities at Pinon Hills are designed around the driving range, practice putting green and chipping area. Private lessons, groups and juniors are welcome. They host group outings as well as tournaments for a range of events. Recently, the University of New Mexico s men s basketball team s Sixth Man Program visited Pinon Hills as part of an annual outing, and Head Coach Steve Alford praised the event highly. They treat us great. The golf is awesome. Great event and hospitality. Unbelievably affordable! Their burgers at the Grill on the Hill are the best at any golf course. Where else can you find it this good in New Mexico? Chris Jones PGA General Manager Ty Hamer PGA Head Professional

8 Randy Hisey Course Superintendent Manicured to perfection, the course is kept in impeccable condition by renowned course superintendent Randy Hisey. Hisey is one course superintendent who not only loves this course, he knows the game of golf. At one point in his years of playing he was a pure scratch golfer. With his guidance he has improved the turf s quality from tee to green. The greens roll consistently true from one green to the next. There are even subtle improvements and touches around the clubhouse that catch the eye. He has increased the size of the putting practice area and added a small chipping green for warmup. As I walked the course with Hisey he explained, We are working at decreasing the amount of grass and water use without changing the playability of the course. All in the name of course management, everything he enhances adds up to a better round of golf for anyone who plays here.

9 So take a moment, envision the beauty of northern New Mexico s enchanting landscape and find yourself in Farmington on the 1st tee at Pinon Hills: After driving off the first tee over desert terrain, your second shot after the dogleg left is into a multi-tiered green protected by water right, an exposed slick rock hazard and rolling mounds left. You are in for a spectacular ride. Ken Dye has a number of favorite holes, yet it is Hole 15 that stands out among many as his number one. Hole 15 is a short par 3. I love the way this hole presents itself," says Dye, "from tee to green over the slot canyon wash from the back, with the up front tees left avoiding the slot canyon it makes the slightly uphill smallish long green look like a postage stamp. Add the grassy hill left sloping down to the green, and the sand trap right set well below the green level almost dropping into the wash 40 to 50 feet below this makes for an exciting and tough hole. Ken Dye Pinon Hills Golf Course Architect

10 Although Dye s Hole 5 makes the list as one of his favorites, the par 3 Hole 6 is considered the course s signature hole. There are two sets of elevated tees, one atop a slick rock sandstone cliff and the other set directly across the valley on a butte some 234 yards from the tips to the massive green complex at the bottom of a slot-canyon-wash left. The hole is punctuated by two huge sandstone monoliths jutting upward at its back edge. The only way to enhance this magical vista is by taking the challenge to play it. Land of Enchantment, anyone?

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