Picacho Hills Country Club Course Review

Our last course review in Las Cruces is my personal favorite. Picacho Hills Country Club is a private course, stretching just over 7,000 yards from the tips. The course boasts lush Bluegrass fairways and bentgrass greens. You would expect a flat layout but that is not what you will get at all. As the name suggests, you play through rolling hills that create some of the best hole in Las Cruces. While not in my top 5 courses I have played, it is one of my favorites in New Mexico.

The pro shop is in the bottom area of the clubhouse. It is a bit dated but has anything you may need on the day of play. The range is located behind the parking lot and has ample room. There is also a practice area with chipping green and a sand trap to the right of the range. There is also a putting green back by the pro shop, with a second green and sand area for chipping as well.

Pace of Play a Picacho Hills

I have played Picacho Hills a total of 4 times now and never has pace of play been an issue. I have played as a single and people have been excellent about allowing me to play through. This is what you would expect from a country club like Picacho Hills.

Holes 1-9 at Picacho Hills

Hole 1 is past the second chipping green and across the road to the first tee. The first is a nice start to the round. Keep your tee shot down the left hand side, avoiding the trees on the left.  With no bunkers around this green, take dead aim, just don’t miss right.

Hole 2 is a fun par 5 that will take 3 shots to get the green unless you want to really flirt with trouble. Stay left of the water that is up on the right. You can take a fairway wood off the tee here if you need to. For your second shot, all you need to do is get past the trees, but a long lay up just left of the green is a great play. Deep right just behind the green is the only decent miss other than just left of the green.

Hole 3 is neat par 4 that turns a little left. A hybrid or long iron is all that is need off the tee here. Keep it down the right hand side of the fairway, but avoid the trees on the right. Anything left will have a semi-blind shot over trees. Do not be right or long on this green, as it slopes of severely on both sides. Left or just short are not too tough to get up and down from.

Hole 4 is the second par 5 on the front, and the tee box is elevated looking down into a valley. There is water on the right hand side (not on google maps but its there), so the left side is a better option, and a better look at the green. There isn’t much keeping you from getting to the green in 2 here, just again, keep it down the left as there is only one bunker next to the green. The bunker to the left of the green isn’t as penal as the one short of the green on the right. If you decide to lay up, just hit it to the number you want down the middle left of the fairway. Short or long are really your only 2 miss options here.

Hole 5 goes back towards the 4th tee box, playing just slightly uphill on the second shot. Stay down the left, as to avoid the water on the right. The green slopes off on the right hand side, but isn’t a terrible miss. Short or just long are the best misses.

Hole 6 is a short par 3, playing only 150 yards from the tips. This green is pretty easy to hit, and is long front to back. There are a couple bunkers to the left that you will need to avoid.

Hole 7 is a par 4 that dog legs hard right and plays slightly uphill. If you play a draw off the tee, a hybrid may be the better play. If you play a cut, pony up and put it a ways down the fairway. You can either leave it short with an up hill chip, or just long.

Hole 8 is a tough par 3, that you don’t really want to be short or long on, as the green is elevated and runs left to right. It plays downhill a bit, so make sure you take that into account.

Hole 9 is a par 4 that plays a but up hill. Just keep it out of the houses on the right and you will have a shot at the green, as long as you’re not in the trees on the left. You can miss the green anywhere but right and have a pretty easy up and down.

Hole 10-18 at Picacho Hills

Hole 10 is a par 4 that plays back downhill slightly. Keep your tee shot down the right hand side to avoid having an approach over water. Just short right is the only good miss here. Avoid the bunker in the back, as you will have to play back towards the water with the green running away.

Hole 11 is another par 4, but will require a good tee shot. Keep it down the middle right of the fairway, avoiding the ravine on the left. Just long is the only good miss here as there are bunker right and left.

Hole 12 is a fun par 4. You must tee off down to the valley below some 100 feet or so. I prefer taking a long iron and aiming at the small tree at the far water, just left of the water short left. If you draw the ball off the tee with your driver, and are a long hitter, you can try to clear the water on the left. Long or just left is an the best miss on this green.

Hole 13 is a tough par 3 over water with not much room the miss. There is water short, and then bunkers on the other 3 sides. The front edge may be the only decent miss.

Hole 14 is a par 4 that will play uphill on the approach shot. Keep it down the left hand side, just right of the trees. Anything short into this green will come rolling back down hill back to you. The rough will hold it a bit better on the left and long, but the trap on the right isn’t as penal compared to the ball rolling way downhill short or left.

Hole 15 is a downhill par 3. Short, long or deep right are the misses here depending on where the pin is located. Remember to adjust your club as it plays downhill 50 feet or so.

Hole 16 is the first par 5 on the back, and can be reached in 2 with a well placed drive. Keep it down the left hand side, as the trees on the right will get in the way, even for a lay up. If you are going for it in 2, just keep it from going to far right. Any of the bunkers aren’t too much trouble as long as you hit them on your second shot. If laying up, try to land you ball just beyond the group of trees on the right, on the right hand side of the fairway. Short right is the miss here if the pin is in the front, and just long left if it’s in the back or left hand side.

Hole 17 is a par 4, very reminiscent of the 8th hole. Any one drawing it off the tee will struggle a bit more, so a fairway wood may be better here. Anyone that hits it straight or cuts the ball can hit a driver down the fairway. The approach will play slightly up hill, and anything long is better than short.

Hole 18 is a fun par 5. The tee shot is back down hill towards the clubhouse and probably drops some 50 feet or so. Keep it down the left hand side if you want a shot at the green in 2, or a stress free lay up. If you decide to go for it in 2, the miss is right, which is way better than the water short and left. If you decide to lay up, take it down the right hand side to have a straight approach to the green. The miss into the green is long or either just short right or long right between the green and large bunker on the right.

Picacho Hills is one of my favorite course, especially in Southern New Mexico. It is always in great condition and the 18th is a great finishing hole. If you are going to be in the area, have your pro call and set you up a reciprocal tee time, you won’t regret it. Thank you Picacho Hills for the fun round!

If you are in the Las Cruces area, check out Red Hawk Golf Club and Sonoma Ranch Golf Course as well!