Another wonderful day of golf in New Mexico! Today we were at the Santa Ana Golf Club and played the Tamaya and Cheena nines. This course has 27 holes, the 9 holes not reviewed today are part of the Star nine. Cheena is a little unusual with the last two holes of this nine, both being par 5’s. The course is a links style, with blue grass and played well today for the winter conditions. The fairways were a little dry, but overall, in good condition. The greens were rather slow and fuzzy. They are usually very fast, and the tee boxes were in good shape. This course has great practice areas, including a large driving range, large putting green and a nice pitching/sand practice area.
I’ve included a picture of Ervin “Nuey” Johnson, the starter at Santa Ana. Nuey caddied on the LPGA for 10 years and is an accomplished golfer in his own right. Being around the LPGA Tour, he expects you to report for your tee time promptly but is a wonderful guy!
Santa Ana Golf is adjacent to Twin Warrier which will be reviewed sometime soon. Both courses are located on the Santa Ana Reservation. There are eight lakes on the course. There is a 22,000 sq ft club house and the 4 star “Prairie Star” restaurant along with a casual restaurant for the turn. Try the green chili stew, it’s delicious! In a few of the pictures, you’ll see the picturesque Sandia Mountains at sundown, always a breathtaking site! Santa Ana Golf has been featured in Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and the New York Times. Attached rates show the course is very affordable for a resort type course. There is a 6 story, 204 room, hotel along with a large casino for your non golf entertainment.