Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course Review

Today Kathy and I got a chance to play Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course on Kirtland Air Force Base.

We are on a trip west and stayed a few days in a Family Campground on Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Military “FamCamp’s” are usually well kept RV campgrounds that offer a lower price than the surrounding area. And…. sometimes there is the added bonus of a military golf course.

This is not always the case, but when it is we want to take advantage of it! 

We have only played one desert course before and didn’t really know what to expect. Driving out to the course there is nothing but sand and bushes scattered along the landscape. I was hoping that the course had a little bit of grass.

As soon as we arrived my expectations grew. There was grass and trees everywhere.

Ok, we have a golf course! 

When we walked into the clubhouse we were immediately greeted by Cappy Cappadona, the course superintendent and Charlene, the clubhouse manager. Both were welcoming and full of information.

Cappy filled us in on the course and what to expect. There were a few things that they were working on and he wanted us to be aware of them so it wouldn’t take away from our enjoyment. One of the sprinkler boxes that serviced three holes was being repaired and some of the ground in the area was dug up and some of the area was dry. If you know anything about the military, money for repairs of Moral Welfare and Recreation (MWR) facilities is last on the list. Which more times than not means the damage is worse than it originally was by the time funds arrive for the repairs. 

After getting checked in and a full rundown on the course, Kathy and I got to it. Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course has a nice layout. It surprises you with challenging holes. There are a few water holes that I thought I wouldn’t see on a desert course.

And the grass was a lot greener than I expected.

Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course is a fun course with an array of tee boxes for every skill level in mind. As you play Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course you quickly get the feeling of a course that is a little more challenging than it looks.

Loosing a golf ball is a lot easier than you think in the desert. And keeping your ball in play here is a must. As soon as you leave the first cut and get into the brush and taller grass, your ball is gone.  Where is a spotter when you need one? 

There were a couple of surprises that weren’t on the course but we enjoyed while playing the course.

• The first, was the mountain backdrop. Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course is surrounded by the Sandia Mountains and the Manzano Mountains, providing beautiful views no matter where you were on the course. 
• The second surprise was the altitude. Albuquerque is almost as high in altitude as Colorado – making your ball fly about 10% further than normal. Wow, my youth returns! It was fun. Seeing my drives sore was a fun glimpse into the past. And it was even more fun considering it was on the day before I would be getting year older! 

After we finished our round we made our way to the snack bar. It had a full menu with great prices.

We had a delicious lunch to finish off an enjoyable round!

Tijeras Arroyo Golf course is a fun golf course that has the potential to be a great course when the repairs are completed. Cappy is proud of his course and is working towards making it better.

I would play this course again and for $30 this is a good course to swing your clubs. In the condition that we played, this is a par course. When repairs are completed this could easily be a birdie course.

Make your way to Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course and enjoy your round!

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By Marc Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course: Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course 

Type: Desert Course

Date Played: 02 September 2022  

HOLE	PAR	SCORE	COMMENTS
1 – Tee Time Availability	4	4	We were able to get a morning tee time with only a day notice.
2 – Cost of Green Fees	4	3	Only $30.00 a round.
3 – Condition of Tee Boxes	4	4	The tee boxes were in good shape.
4 – Condition of Fairways	5	5	The fairways were in very good condition. They were green and full.
5 – Condition of Greens	4	5	The greens were in good shape. A few dead spots. Some were slow and needed a cut.
6 – Length of Course	5	5	The course was perfect for everyone. It was obvious that skill was considered for each of the tee boxes and the overall length of each hole.
7 – Hazards	4	5	All the sand traps were in need of some good grooming.
8 – Starter/Marshal	3	2	Charlene made sure everyone teed off on time. She and Cappy gave us a course brief – all with a warm, welcoming smile.
9 – High Handicap Friendly	3	3	Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course really considered every skill level for placement of each tee box.
OUT	36	36
10 – Practice Area	5	5	They do have a practice area, although we didn’t get a chance to check it out.
11 – Locker Rooms	3	3	The locker rooms are large and clean.
12 – Pro Shop	4	4	Small, clean and had everything you need to play a round of golf. Not a shoppers store, but just what you need.
13 – Location	4	4	Located on Kirtland AFB.
14 – Rental Equipment	4	4	They have rental equipment.
15 – Restaurant/Food Cart	4	4	Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course did not have a good cart on the course the day we played. There was a nice food counter. We got a burger after our round and it was very good.
16 – Club House	4	4	Nothing special here. Clean and open area.
17 – Parking	3	3	Parking was easy to get in and out, and seemed to be enough for a full course.
18 – Customer Service	5	4	Cappy and Charlene provided wonderful customer service. Friendly and helpful. Definitely wanted you to enjoy your round of golf.
IN	36	35
TOTAL	72	71	PLAYER:  Marc F.     ATTESTED BY:  Kathy F.