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IAIA DGC reviews
12
0
Stunning Vistas and Hidden Pins 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Mar 10, 2020
Played the course:once
Pros:
Excellent course with lots of elevation and wind, but many blind shots to frustrate the first-time visitor; pay $5 in the campus bookstore or online to play
+ Great turf mat tees, very good baskets (some with flags to help see them)
+ Champion-level signage with good maps, full descriptions and suggested strategy for play; the maps at the tees are taken from an overall downloadable course map
+ Some holes include white poles placed on the fairway for guidance (and their locations are noted on the maps at the tees)
+ The "IAIA AM Classic" layout includes includes seven par 4's spread among the front and back for a total of almost 7000 feet from the back tees
+ Excellent set of alternate "AM" (red) tees featuring very manageable but still challenging lengths: although they don't have their own signage, they're easily located from the maps at the "PRO" tees
+ Hole #1 is a short uphill-but-makeable par 3. It's a good starter hole because it introduces the most frequent IAIA challenges: elevation, short guardian trees protecting the green, a hole that's open to wind
+ Hole #2 has you now working a downhill short teeshot and the green is tighter: you can see the basket through a gap in the front, but if you're short to either side, you're obstructed and two-putting for par
+ The back tee on hole #6 is a bit pinched by trees on either side that frame a beautiful view of the valley stretching out beyond the hidden basket. Be careful: it's really easy to lose sight of distance on this downhill shot, and there's an OB fence just beyond the green. This fence line at the bottom comes into play quite a bit on the back 9
+ Holes #7 and #8 measure as short pars 3 and 4 respectively, but you're throwing up a fair amount of elevation
+ Hole #10 is uphill - but the shortest hole on the course. It eases you into the back nine, which features three consecutive par 4's ("the gauntlet") on #11 - #14
+ Holes #12 and #13 feature some modern art on the fairways. The white figure guarding the fairway on #12 is especially creepy
+ Don't let the wide open vistas lull you into complacency: there's an OB fence line at the bottom of the valley that comes into play, especially during the back 9 (holes #15, #16, #17). Long shots that drift right have a way of finding OB (at least that's my experience!)
+ Hole #18 has a row of guardian trees across the fairway. Throw high at the largest gap, and a good throw, combined with the downhill elevation, will likely sail above the line. The approach includes a flagged OB area up by the green (on the left). It adds challenge to an otherwise open approach - but the flags are low and difficult to see from the distance you'll probably be throwing
+ Great turf mat tees, very good baskets (some with flags to help see them)
+ Champion-level signage with good maps, full descriptions and suggested strategy for play; the maps at the tees are taken from an overall downloadable course map
+ Some holes include white poles placed on the fairway for guidance (and their locations are noted on the maps at the tees)
+ The "IAIA AM Classic" layout includes includes seven par 4's spread among the front and back for a total of almost 7000 feet from the back tees
+ Excellent set of alternate "AM" (red) tees featuring very manageable but still challenging lengths: although they don't have their own signage, they're easily located from the maps at the "PRO" tees
+ Hole #1 is a short uphill-but-makeable par 3. It's a good starter hole because it introduces the most frequent IAIA challenges: elevation, short guardian trees protecting the green, a hole that's open to wind
+ Hole #2 has you now working a downhill short teeshot and the green is tighter: you can see the basket through a gap in the front, but if you're short to either side, you're obstructed and two-putting for par
+ The back tee on hole #6 is a bit pinched by trees on either side that frame a beautiful view of the valley stretching out beyond the hidden basket. Be careful: it's really easy to lose sight of distance on this downhill shot, and there's an OB fence just beyond the green. This fence line at the bottom comes into play quite a bit on the back 9
+ Holes #7 and #8 measure as short pars 3 and 4 respectively, but you're throwing up a fair amount of elevation
+ Hole #10 is uphill - but the shortest hole on the course. It eases you into the back nine, which features three consecutive par 4's ("the gauntlet") on #11 - #14
+ Holes #12 and #13 feature some modern art on the fairways. The white figure guarding the fairway on #12 is especially creepy
+ Don't let the wide open vistas lull you into complacency: there's an OB fence line at the bottom of the valley that comes into play, especially during the back 9 (holes #15, #16, #17). Long shots that drift right have a way of finding OB (at least that's my experience!)
+ Hole #18 has a row of guardian trees across the fairway. Throw high at the largest gap, and a good throw, combined with the downhill elevation, will likely sail above the line. The approach includes a flagged OB area up by the green (on the left). It adds challenge to an otherwise open approach - but the flags are low and difficult to see from the distance you'll probably be throwing
Cons:
- Too many blind holes. There's a run of what seems like 10 or 11 holes in a row where you stand on the tee unable to see your target, which is obscured by those damn junipers or by elevation. The first time player will spend a lot of extra time walking up the fairway to look for baskets
- The baskets or greens could use some "next hole" arrows. This is especially true at a course like IAIA, with greens that are often ringed by bushy juniper trees: you can't see anything until you get outside of the ring, and if you've come out the wrong side, you're gonna do a lot of circling around and searching. Admittedly, the map at each IAIA tee shows the direction to go after holing out, but I never seemed to be able to remember, or to orient myself successfully. I learned to look at the ground to see which trail away from the green seemed to be the most heavily used, and that worked OK. Reviews from 3-4 years ago indicate there were red arrows at the time, but they're gone now. One more permanent (and inexpensive) alternative is to hang short pieces of plastic conduit below the bottom of the basket, like at Brent Baca in ABQ
- There are a few longish walks between holes, and a long walk in from #18
- The baskets or greens could use some "next hole" arrows. This is especially true at a course like IAIA, with greens that are often ringed by bushy juniper trees: you can't see anything until you get outside of the ring, and if you've come out the wrong side, you're gonna do a lot of circling around and searching. Admittedly, the map at each IAIA tee shows the direction to go after holing out, but I never seemed to be able to remember, or to orient myself successfully. I learned to look at the ground to see which trail away from the green seemed to be the most heavily used, and that worked OK. Reviews from 3-4 years ago indicate there were red arrows at the time, but they're gone now. One more permanent (and inexpensive) alternative is to hang short pieces of plastic conduit below the bottom of the basket, like at Brent Baca in ABQ
- There are a few longish walks between holes, and a long walk in from #18
Other Thoughts:
~ A note about payment: I played on a weekday afternoon after the campus bookstore closed (the hours, location, campus map, payment form and course information are all online). But the main sign board near the first tee includes a QR code and link, so you can pay on-the spot. My sense is that this is very much an honor system. The form is a pain-in-the-ass to fill out. Since the course was vacant (and I was impatient to play as always!), I took a picture of the QR code, and processed the payment after the round
~ A note about parking: there are campus lots that get you pretty close to the course (although I don't know if they ticket). There's space for three or four cars on the dirt circle next to the course itself: follow the uDisc locator all the way around the back of the dorms and maintenance buildings
~ IAIA was my third course of the day, and I admit I ran out of gas toward the end. I shifted to the Red "AM" tees around #14, and the course experience didn't feel at all compromised - still plenty of challenge
~ The only real "Cons" to my experience at IAIA were the blind tee shots and basket-to-tee navigation. I'm sure multiple plays would eliminate those problems, while the course would stay demanding. I played here and at the nearby Arroyo Chamisos course on the same day, and they made for a great set of contrasts and similarities. I would feel very fortunate to live close enough to play both regularly
~ A note about parking: there are campus lots that get you pretty close to the course (although I don't know if they ticket). There's space for three or four cars on the dirt circle next to the course itself: follow the uDisc locator all the way around the back of the dorms and maintenance buildings
~ IAIA was my third course of the day, and I admit I ran out of gas toward the end. I shifted to the Red "AM" tees around #14, and the course experience didn't feel at all compromised - still plenty of challenge
~ The only real "Cons" to my experience at IAIA were the blind tee shots and basket-to-tee navigation. I'm sure multiple plays would eliminate those problems, while the course would stay demanding. I played here and at the nearby Arroyo Chamisos course on the same day, and they made for a great set of contrasts and similarities. I would feel very fortunate to live close enough to play both regularly
2
0
dax2013
Experience:
1 played
1 reviews
IAIA AM Classic 2017 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 8, 2017
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Great signage with description of each hole, creative tee pads and baskets. Challenging. Wide variety of shots. Beautiful scenery.
Cons:
I imagine this place can get very hot in summer months and windy in the spring. Lots of vegetation to scrape or scratch legs on (it is a high desert course) so pants are recommend which could be brutal in the summer heat. I didn't feel like there was a signature hole for the course.
Other Thoughts:
Really enjoyed testing out my skills on this course. I think I threw every kind of shot except a roller. Stay out of the trees and clean in the fairway for a good score, if not you will be scrambling. Looking forward to version 2.0 in 2018.
