Butterfield Trail Golf Club Review

We decided to head to El Paso and play a couple rounds at two of their best public courses. Our first stop was Butterfield Trail Golf Club. I had played it once before and was excited to play it again. It’s as if Palm springs meets Scottsdale. Tom Fazio did a tremendous job of using the natural landscape and tying it into the course. There are large waste bunkers throughout the course that you will need to steer clear of. The terrain roles throughout the course, and there isn’t really any hole that is flat.

At $45 for residents, and $65 for non-residents Monday through Friday, Butterfield trail is one of the better values we have gotten. The course was in great shape. You could argue that there were some bad spots, but none of those were on the fairways or greens where you should be hitting your ball. They will also get your clubs at the club drop and bring the cart out to your car if you wish, similar to most private clubs. They also will provide you with three tees and a towel in the cart. They have a water bucket if you need to dip your towel to wet it for cleaning clubs off as well. There is plenty of bottled water on the course. Yes, bottled water. When you are finished, they will give you a cold bottle of water and a cold towel as you head to your vehicle. I can’t tell you how good these cold towels feel after a hot round. I’m not sure why more courses haven’t done this as this isn’t an expensive feature to add, but sure is delightful.

We played a beautiful overcast day. Not very often do you play a round in El Paso and hardly break a sweat. We were running a bit late on time but check in was fast and we headed to the range to warm up as quick as one can. The range is ample and I was impressed by the condition of the grass. It made it much easier to warm up. There is also a good sized area for chipping green with a bunker included. They also have a decent sized practice green next to the 1st Tee. The one thing I regret is not getting any pictures of the practice areas but like I mentioned above, we were running late and I got caught up in trying to warm up.

Tom Fazio in a Pete Dye esque way, has made a fairly simple first hole. It’s 433 yards long from the tips but the tee shot plays a bit downhill. Be short of the trap on the left for a good look at the green. There is a bunker left of the green, but it isn’t a tough up and down from there. I would prefer to be left, even though it drops off a bit. Anything too far right and you are in a desert lie.

Hole 2 is a Par 5 that can be reached in two with a good drive. Aim your tee shot down the right hand side as everything will run towards the left side of the fairway. If you’re going for it in two, try to be just short or right with your miss as the green slopes off severely on the left. If you’re going for it in 2, miss either just short or right as the green slope off severely to the left and your ball will run a ways off from a long approach. If you decide to lay up, the aggressive play is to keep it down the left and flirt with the bunker so you are positioned straighter with the green for a good look at the green. The stress free lay up is towards the back right bunker or just left. This will leave you a much tougher approach as you will want to avoid the bunker now in front of you and keep it from going long, where it severely slopes down.

Hole 3 is the second longest par 4 on the course. Make sure you keep it left off the tee, avoiding the bunker on the right and the very large waste bunker further down on the right. On your approach, avoid the large waster bunker on the right at all costs. It is compact sand and not easy to hit out of. Miss just left if anything.

Hole 4 is a straight forward par 3. Avoid the bunker short left. Anything right or just long right is your best chance at an up and down. Make sure you take note of the pin as there is a ridge on the green halfway through it.

Hole 5 is a short par 4. If you want to be able to hit a full shot in, be short of both of the bunkers. You can be aggressive off the tee with a driver but will need to thread the needle between the two sand traps but will leave you with a short chip up to the green. There are no bunkers directly in front so you could bump and run a shot up if you wen with driver off the tee. Just avoid the smaller bunker on the right. There is plenty of room long left.

Hole 6 is the second par 5 on the front and the longest on the course. There is a smaller bunker of the left that can be carried for those the drive the ball well. The fairway does narrow and there is a large bunker on the right so you don’t have to hit driver. It will take a well placed drive to get to the green in 2 but the majority of us will need to lay up. If you do go for it, have plenty of club. A little of left is your best miss option. There is plenty of room to lay up, and this is why I say you don’t need driver. Every course has one or two par 5’s that are 3 shot par 5’s and this is one of them. The miss on the layup is left, as there is plenty of room there. On your approach if you have layed up, just avoid the bunker on the right. My personal miss here is left if anything, but this green isn’t too tough to get. If the pin is back right, keep left of the bunker and give yourself a shot at a long birdie rather than having to hit out of the bunker.

Hole 7 is a par 3 that plays a bit shorter than it looks. There isn’t much room long so make sure you hit the lesser club if you’re in between clubs. The bunker isn’t too penal but isn’t as easy of an up and down as it would be if you missed in front, or just left.

Hole 8 for some reason plays tougher than it should for me. The fairway is a bit more narrow than most and is the second longest par 4 on the front. Keep your tee shot down the middle as there is a bunch of trouble lurking on the edges. Short right is the only good miss on this green, and avoid the bunker on the left as the green will run away from it.

Hole 9 is a nice finishing hole for the front 9. Be aggressive off the tee if you want a very short approach. With driver you should be able to clear the water on the left but will bring in more trouble on the right if you miss there. Also, club down if you want a full shot in. A hybrid or driving iron should be perfect. Surprisingly there are no bunkers on the hole but the green slopes from back to front so keep your shot below the hole to be able to have a good look at birdie.

As you make the turn you will drive by the clubhouse and grill, so this is a good opportunity to stop if you need anything. Hole 10 is a fun short par 3. Do not miss left here. Short right or right are you best two options. Make sure you know which direction the wind is blowing because is may be playing shorter than it already is.

Hole 11 is the 3rd longest par 4 on the course, and you will need to drive the ball well here as the fairway narrows with a large bunker on the right that will need to be avoided. There is a small bunker on the left front of the green to avoid but there is plenty of room right, so don’t be afraid to put one close.

Hole 12 is one of my favorite par 4’s on the course. You can hit driver as there is plenty of room in the fairway. Keep it down the right to have a straight shot into the green. On your approach, avoid the large bunker on the left. The miss here is right and long.

Hole 13 is another long par 4. Keep your tee shot just left of the bunker on the right to have the best look at the green. On your approach, do not miss left into the large, deep waste bunker. Short right is this miss here and anything on the right hand side of the green isn’t too tough of a putt.

Hole 14 is the shortest par 5 on the course at only 520 yards. Hit your tee shot between the bunkers and it will run downhill and give you an iron into the green. If you do happen to hit it into the bunker, it’s not a tough out for a lay up. If you do need to lay up, left in my opinion is the better option as you will have a straighter shot into the green. If you decide to go for it in two, or hitting your approach, long left is the best miss. Try to avoid the bunkers so make sure you have enough club to get over them.

Usually I like to group the last 3 finishing holes together but I want to include the short par 4 15th as well. At only 343 yards from the tips, it can be drive-able, especially from the blue tees. Hit straight over the clump of bushes with your tee shot, preferably with a draw back towards the green. You may end up in the green side bunker but it is an easy up and down from there. If you don’t want to mess with the clump of bushes, hit a hybrid or long iron out the the right of them to leave yourself a full shot into the green. If you decide to do that, be aggressive with your approach as the only bunker will be in front of you and is not terribly hard to get up and down from it.

Now that you have had the shortest par 4, it’s time for the longest. At 510 yards, the 16th hole is only 10 yards shorter than the shortest par 5. It does play slightly down hill off the tee, so be aggressive and take on the bunkers on the left hand side. A cut in my opinion is the best shot off the tee but a draw aimed at the large bunker on the right, drawing back. On your approach, short right is the miss. avoid the deep bunker on the left. Walk away with a par and be happy.

What can follow the longest par 4 on the course? Well the longest par 3 on the course! Well on paper at least. It measures 233 yards from the tips but plays 50 feet down hill. Don’t be afraid to club down 2 if not 3 clubs. Anything short is much easier to get up and down than from behind. Just avoid the larger bunker on the left as it is fairly deep. Again, keep a good round going with a par.

With probably my personal 2nd favorite finishing hole of any course, you have a 566 yard par 5 between you and that great round. Even though it plays downhill off the tee, this hole seems to play longer than its yardage. If you can bomb a driver, be weary of the water that may come into play on the right. The green is protected on 3 sides with water. The only side that isn’t is the left side. In my opinion, the risk is much greater than the reward to go for it in 2. I prefer to lay up down the left side, just short of the bunker. This gives you a straighter approach and a good miss left if you need it. Just avoid the bunker in front and you will be fine. As long as your not so long that your in the water, you will have an easy up and down if you aren’t already on the green.

We really enjoyed Butterfield Trail Golf Club and definitely will play the next time we are in the area, or on a road trip out to Scottsdale or Palm Springs!