Pinon Hills Golf Course

Overview: Pinon Hills Golf Course in Farmington is a municipal high-desert layout where Ken Dye let the natural character of the site do much of the architectural work. The course moves across rolling ground with broad desert views, rocky edges and arroyos, creating a setting that is distinctly northern New Mexico rather than a heavily landscaped resort landscape. Its scale gives the holes room to breathe, while the changing lies and exposed terrain make club selection and approach angles important. The result is a public course with a strong sense of place and a routing that rewards players who study the land.

History: The course opened in 1989 as part of Farmington’s investment in a substantial municipal recreation facility. Dye’s plan used a 1,000-acre site, of which roughly 300 acres were considered usable for golf, and relied on relatively modest earthmoving instead of trying to erase the original terrain. That approach helped preserve the rolling, open character of the property while giving the city an 18-hole course with a serious championship profile.

Did You Know? Pinon Hills was assembled as part of a tax-funded recreation package rather than a private resort development. The city’s own budget materials describe it as an 18-hole municipal course, and its unusual combination of broad scale, natural ground and public ownership has helped make Farmington a notable stop on New Mexico’s golf map.