Pros:
Amazing New Mexico scenery of rivers, mountains, and tall pines
World class amenities- bathrooms, lodging, camping, restaurant, bar, free wi-fi, "pro shop"
Great use of elevation
Nice locations of signs to keep you on track, pretty easy to follow the first time.
Many different shots are required
Basket location - often on a ridge or surrounded by trouble
Multiple teepad locations for all skill levels
Good flow to the course, not a lot of excessive hiking
Great views
Great fairways with well placed guardian trees
Specifics-
Start on Hole 20, plays up and to the left
Hole 1 - Challenging dowhill hole across the ski runs, basket to the left of the tire swing - This hole can play tough from the long
Hole 2 - Very cool ace run shot over the creek in the meadow
Hole 4 - Uphill tight shot over water
Hole 5 - Super sick ROC shot slighly downhill to a highly guarded basket
Hole 8 - Cool downhill blind hole, nice row of trees that guard the basket
Hole 9 - Very cool shot into a bowl
Hole 12 - Great downhill hole with a narrow fairway
Hole 14 - Great Par 3 hole where you have a right dogleg into a narrow landing zone and around a 200 ft upshot. This shot requires placement over power!
Hole 18 - One of my favorites I have played. Downhill 568ft and is easy to blow by. Very narrow fairway, very nice duece
Hole 19 - Downhill into a cluster of trees with water in play behind the basket.
This course is worth the drive
Cons:
Relative isolation
A better pro shop with sipapu stamped discs as souvenirs - kind of bummed they had nothing
More benches
A few trash cans
More length and challenge from pro tees
NOT MUCH TO CRITICIZE
Other Thoughts:
This course was so much fun that I played it three times in one day on my way to santa fe. I went to two gray hares after my second round at sipapu and left after two holes to go back to the resort. This course is so much fun and is not an extreme workout - however I live in high elevation.
Scores PAR 60
Round 1 59
Round 2 54 (2 on hole 18, very stoked about that)
Round 3 57
This course plays longer than is listed but with the exception of hole 14 every hole can and has been dueced. However, this is easier said than done. I only played the professional tees but the adv and rec teepads welcome all abilities and levels of competitiveness. I cant say enough about this course, it is by far the best mountain course I have played, the scenery is beautiful! You wont have to wait at this course very often due to its isolation but that is part of the charm. I found this course to be very lefty friendly ( I am a lefty ) and did not always demand a full power shot, I like this. Placement is important. I wish there were more holes like 14 that are borderline par 3/4 holes where it doesnt matter how big your arm is. The basket locations are great, sometimes on ridges, in valleys, next to water, so so cool. Blind holes, straight holes, uphill holes, lots of downhill holes. As always, bring what you take in and no butt flicking, keep it clean. Add to your favorites.
Just do it.
One more thing, there is a Carson National Forest campground called Comales where I camped the night before playing. It only costs 5 bucks and is on the Rio Pueblo. Campground is about 2 miles before Sipapu on the left side of the street. Nice place to camp.
IMO, the only thing keeping this from being a 5/5 rated course is a few "filler" holes, like hole 3
IT IS FREE TO PLAY!!!!!!!