Sandia Course

[Mako8]

I live in New Mexico and play disc golf as much as I can. Although the course on the east side of the mountains is lacking. I believe a mountain course using the ski area or related land would be great for Albuquerque and New Mexico. Has anyone from Albuquerque, NM wanted to get a course started in the sandia mountains? I would like as many people as would support it. I also believe that the John A. Milne open space would be a great place for a disc golf course. Anyone else here from NM wanting a mountain course close to Albuquerque? I've never done this before so any guidance would be priceless, Thanks in advance...

 

[mfcastillo17]

Yes, we have tried and tried to get a course up on Sandia. We tried to have mini up there a couple of weeks a go and were pretty much told to f off by the owners of the ski area. They even confiscated one of our baskets. We would LOVE a course in the Sandias, but at this point it may take private land to make it happen. You would have plenty of support from the golfers, but unfortunately, there aren't too many of us in Abq. We have tried to tell them the advantages of a dg course on the ski hill are, but they don't want to hear it, although they are one of the only ski areas in the state not to have a course.

 

[Mako8]

Thanks for the reply castillo, I am from Santa Fe and have lived in the East Mountains for about 5 years. Have you had any experience with the city of ABQ on putting a new course in an open space. There is an awesome open space off of highway 14 in Cedar Crest called John Milne open space or Gutierrez Canyon. This place would be incredible to put a course; although a lot of work because it is virgin ground. CABQ bought the property and have been improving the bicycle trails, so why not a disc golf course? Check out Gutierrez Canyon/John A. Milne open space. Where do you play most in ABQ?

 

[mfcastillo17]

I practice at Roosevelt. Play at Baca in winter. Usually hit the road on weekends during tournament season. Check out www.nmdiscgolf.org. It has our league and tournament schedules. I work for the Village of Los Lunas and I'm in the process of getting a course put in in the Bosque along the Rio Grande. The red tape is slowly clearing and I hope to begin work on it soon.

 

[Mako8]

I am working at the ABQ studios right now and have hit baca a few times, I think it is one of the best in town. The bosque would be great for a course. I am all in trying to get new courses to happen. Have you played Wildlife West Nature Park? I heard there use to be 18 holes but now there is only 9, do you know what happened why it shrunk and what happened to the baskets?

 

[mfcastillo17]

Yes I've played Wildlife West. It is in our rotation for our traveling Saturday mini. I'm not sure why they pulled the back nine. The baskets were on loan from the Albuquerque club. We use them for temp course tournament.

 

[Mako8]

I am interested in joining the league next season, when does the league start up again. What all is involved in joining the league? I would really like to become more involved in the NM disc golf scene but am unsure where to start.

 

[mfcastillo17]

We don't really have a "league" or a membership. We have weekly rounds at various courses and times. The schedule is on that website I linked earlier. Right now we have traveling Saturday singles. Sunday Tag Challenge at 730am at Roosevelt, and random doubles at 1030. Those are year round. During daylight savings, there is a 5pm Monday at Ladera, 5pm Wed doubles at rosie, 4pm Thursdays at Baca, and 5pm Fridays at Roosevelt. They all have various formats and entry fees.

 

[jtencer]

I just moved to Albuquerque but haven't gotten to play too much (Roosevelt a few times and Baca once). There's so much park land and open space around, I was really disappointed in the lack of courses.

 

[Mako8]

Yea I feel ya, I have been playing in NM for years and more courses have popped up over the last few years but I am trying to get a course in the Cedar Crest in the John A. Milne open space. E-mail the City of ABQ open space division requesting a course here and get your friends too also. I'll post updates when I get them. Let me know if you want to throw a round sometime, I usually play brent baca as it is the best course in ABQ.

 

[jtencer]

Is there a specific email address or person that I should write to? Writing a note seems like an easy thing to do and I know they can make a difference if you get enough in front of the right people.

 

[KDFrosty]

How about we try a Sandia Casino course?!
Ive been working on this for the past month or so.

 

[Mako8]

I like the way you think frosty I think that would work

 

[John Hansen]

Looking at an aerial view of the grounds and you could put in a very nice course. This would be very cool.

 

[jtencer]

I would love to help out or otherwise support either of these projects if there's actually potential here.

 

[Mako8]

I contacted the open space division in regards to a course in Gutierrez Canyon/Milne open space. It turns out the area is for "low impact" recreation. DG is apparently a high impact recreation. My contact tells me to check in with Bernalillo county Parks and Rec. to see if there are spaces for disc golf around the sandias. I'll keep you posted on the progress, I believe the gentle slopes of the east side holds plenty of potential for DG.

 

[Mako8]

@KDFrosty, What about Paa-Ko ridge golf course? Do you think they would even consider the idea of a DG course? Its supposed to be one of the most scenic courses in the nation.

 

[KDFrosty]

@KDFrosty, What about Paa-Ko ridge golf course? Do you think they would even consider the idea of a DG course? Its supposed to be one of the most scenic courses in the nation.

Golf courses are really difficult because they lose significant $$ if they're hosting disc golf as opposed to hosting ball golf.
I already had a point of contact @ Sandia Casino Golf Course and went with it. Honestly, it doesnt look to promising unless we plan for the winter and hope for good weather, and even then they will probably want players to pay some kind of course fee.
There's one more golf course that I have been in talks with too, and they actually have 3 nine hole courses, but only two are being played at any one time.

 

[jtencer]

Golf courses are really difficult because they lose significant $$ if they're hosting disc golf as opposed to hosting ball golf.
I already had a point of contact @ Sandia Casino Golf Course and went with it. Honestly, it doesnt look to promising unless we plan for the winter and hope for good weather, and even then they will probably want players to pay some kind of course fee.
There's one more golf course that I have been in talks with too, and they actually have 3 nine hole courses, but only two are being played at any one time.

If the course is nice enough, a fee probably wouldn't be an issue. Pay to play models have worked well in other places including most of the ski slope courses. I'm not sure if they would recoup the initial investment very quickly, but you might could argue that getting more people onto casino property is of value to them. There's probably also some added revenue from food and drinks to be had.

 

[Mako8]

Golf courses are really difficult because they lose significant $$ if they're hosting disc golf as opposed to hosting ball golf.
I already had a point of contact @ Sandia Casino Golf Course and went with it. Honestly, it doesnt look to promising unless we plan for the winter and hope for good weather, and even then they will probably want players to pay some kind of course fee.
There's one more golf course that I have been in talks with too, and they actually have 3 nine hole courses, but only two are being played at any one time.

I agree with what you said, they would lose significant money. But I think Paa-Ko has more land around the course; it almost looks like you could set up a course around the existing ball course. More scouting and communication is needed though, just spitting out ideas.