[A_Clay_Man]

With $45M poured into the resort, Tamarron now has 27 holes and a new name. The new nine (Schoeder) is a private nine holes, complete with a novelty teeing ground, some 400' feet above the fairway, adjacent to the elegant new clubhouse.
The old course(Art Hills) had, for the most part, the same corridorrs, albeit not as narrow now. Still a few too many shot dictaing trees. Some added bunkering, more in the line of play, is a welcomed addition. The old bunkers have been styleized with more swoopes and tounges and the greens have been tweaked.  Honestly, they were the fastest purest greens I have seen since Stanford in '96.

Lots of elevation changes with more drop shots than uphillers. (How do they do that?) Plenty of water and lots of places to lose those newer more expensive balls. ( I switched to the top-flites after the first)

All in all, I suspect that Durango Co, is the better for all the changes to the course formally known as "The Cliffs".

[Lou_Duran]

The original 18 and the resort itself is my most disappointing experience in my golf travels.  I would not go back if invited for free.  Art Hills is a talented architect, but that course falls well short of what he can do.  The short par 5 on the front side is the only time I ever hit somebody with a golf ball.  A blind second shot from the left side of the fairway, I hit a fairway wood which one hopped a lady right on the back of the head.  The poor woman had lost something by the green, and after teeing off on the adjacent hole, came back to retrieve it.  I couldn't see her; she couldn't see me.  Seeing her sprawled on the ground, unconcious with her son kneeling over her is still very disconcerting.  Though I saw her playing later that day, my round for all practical purposes was finished.  I didn't like the course any better the next day either.

A better choice in the area is the Brauer/Colligan design in the city.   Durango is a very nice place, and still relatively inexpensive as far as I know.  Those who don't like Texans may wish to stay away.

[A_Clay_Man]

Lou- I had golfed there in'96 and cpould hardly remember a hole. After yesterdays veiwing, I won't forget too much. The changes were improvements, if that is any tell.

The course in the city? Do you mean Hillcrest? I will be definitely disappointed if there's a Jeff Brauer course, this close, I haven't been yet. A friend keeps saying how I need to see those greens, if it is Hillcrest.

[Lou_Duran]

Adam,

My apologies.  I got my trips and geography confused.

The Brauer course, The Links at Sierra Blanca, is in Ruidoso, NM.  As I recall, I flew into El Paso and drove there with my family (no golf on that trip there or at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, both beautiful areas).

On another family trip, I think that we flew into Albequerque and drove to Durango.  My recollection is that the University course in Alb. was light years better than the one at Tamarron.

[Doug Wright]

I'm with you Lou--I very much disliked Tamarron. Pretty good topography for a golf course and it was wasted IMO. Seemed like bad resort golf to me. Adam, you'd need to tell me they totally tore the thing up, rerouted it and redid it to get me back there. I doubt it.  

[A_Clay_Man]

I just noticed on the back of the scorecard, it is a Troon golf prop.

Doug, they did not gut the place, however, they did make it much more memorable.

With the close proximity of the high peaks, Banff came to mind, albeit, only because of the peaks.

The course appears to be in a mode of trying to find it's idenity. The Cliffs nine, is numbered 1-9 but plays more like a final stretch with considerable narrowing and water carries. The Hermosa nine, has at least three drop shots, one being a one shotter.  I enjoyed these drop shots even if Matt Ward thinks they're rote.

I started off on the Hermosa nine, because a 3 some had just teed off the Cliffs. I passed them on my 14th hole, their 5th. Then I caught a single with his pink claded women walking behind his cart. WHen my approach to the home hole (par 5) came a littke too close to them, he asked if that was my second, and I conceded I caught one well. He then said, unsolicited, "what a beautiful golf course", and then asked me to join them on the back nine. Thank G-d I was done.

I did run into (not literally) the asst super. He asked if was gonna get the new nine in. I told him I didn't know and that it was up to the pro. He said,"it's worth a little begging." I could only see two holes of the new nine. I think I saw centerline bunkers with ample room to golf option filled.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()