Best Golf Courses Near Farmington, NM

Farmington, New Mexico, a hub city of 45,000 in the Four Corner region, boasts a year-round pleasant climate and a high plateau desert setting that makes it a paradise for anyone who loves the outdoors. The city, which is surrounded by three Native American tribal reservations, boasts one of America’s great municipal golf courses, Pinon Hills. From the tee boxes you’ll see stunning craggy canyons that engulf a challenging layout laden with deep bunkers and inhospitable desert lies when you’re not on a fairway or green. The city of Farmington also operates the beginner-friendly 9-hole Civitan Golf Course, a walking-only executive par 3 course. The other 18 in the area, Riverview Golf Course in Kirtland, is a tale of contrasting nines: the front features tree-lined fairways while the back extends over exposed rolling hills. After golf, Farmington, which is on the Animus River, offers enticing opportunities for paddling, watersports, hiking, off-road driving, and mountain biking. The Animus River Walk in town provides serene communion with nature and excellent birdwatching. Another reason to go into the countryside is to connect with Native American culture by visiting natural landmarks such as the 1700-foot-tall Shiprock (which can be seen from 50 miles away) or exploring the ruins of an ancestral Pueblo village at Aztec Ruins National Monument. Numerous trading posts, where you can pick up Native American arts and crafts, also dot the region. If you like baseball, the best time to visit Farmington is in July when the Connie Mack World Series for 16-to-18-year-olds is contested here. For live quarter horse and thoroughbred horse racing, head to SunRay Park & Casino. The racing season runs from late April to the end of May.