IF WE BUILD IT, WILL THEY COME?
When Tad Bourg and three other friends stood out amongst the aromatic sage and looked out over the large expanse of the high desert plain, they had to have wondered; if we built it, will they come? Well, they built it and people have traveled from all over the world to play golf at one of the finest country clubs in New Mexico, Taos Country Club.
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| Rio Grande Gorge from atop the high desert plain. |
Driving North from Española, you enter into the
abyss of the Rio Grande Gorge. As you
drive along the river amongst the steep protrusion of rock formations and massive boulders that line the roadway, you can’t
help to wonder if a land slide will occur.
After about twenty minutes of spectacular views of rock formations You start to rise in elevation. Climbing Through the twists and turns, the gorge spits you out to a breathtaking view of
hundreds of square miles of high desert plain and a mesmerizing view of the Rio Grande Gorge.
Heading through what the locals refer to as the horse shoe, you loop around to
another spectacular view of the Rio Grande Gorge and the Taos Mountains. As you
head north toward Taos, You can’t help but notice the Green Oasis that appears just off to your left. With the surrounding landscape parched and dry, you focus on it
as if it is telling you to come this way. It is reminiscent of the movie,
Field of Dreams. “If you built it they will come”. (Robertson)
Your curiosity makes you turn left to go investigate what awaits you.
The road takes you on a winding path amongst the
sage and vast arroyos that just appear from nowhere. Up and over one hill,
then another, until you finally get a glimpse of a yellow flag off to your right.
It is then that you realize that it is a golf course.
As you pass the seventh green, you arrive to the
entrance of the Taos Country Club. A wonderful assortment of purple, red, and
yellow flowers, bathe the entrance to the gated community. Your senses become
overwhelmed by the 360 degree plethora of spectacular views. From the Taos Mountains that create a crescent
around Taos, to the spectacular Adobe inspired homes, with their impeccable
landscaping that line the drive to the club house, and even the vast dessert plain, that some how camouflages the Rio Grande, you're left with a smile on your face for what you have just discovered.
When you arrive at the club house, you think that you
have seen it all, until you walk through the front Entrance. Soft earth tone colors
cover the twenty feet high walls that support massive Vegas that were harvested
from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.(Bourg)
The entire northern elevation is lined with glass windows from floor to ceiling. It is not until you walk into the pro shop that you can capture a full appreciation for the views that TCC has to offer.
The entire northern elevation is lined with glass windows from floor to ceiling. It is not until you walk into the pro shop that you can capture a full appreciation for the views that TCC has to offer.
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| View of the Taos Mountains from the club house. |
Built in 1992, Taos County Club is an 18 hole lynx style
course, that is owned and operated by PGA professional Tad Bourg. On this day, I
was given a tour and was able to play a round with Carville Bourg, an assistant
pro and son of Tad Bourg. (Bourg)
He explained that this course has been a family
affair ever since he can remember. The course was a lifelong dream of his
father, one that almost never came true, due to the large quantity of water
that is needed to maintain a course of this caliber. Working with local
authorities, a plan was devised to utilize reclaimed water from the local
treatment facility, resulting in an endless supply of recycled water.
Designed by family friend Jep Willie, each hole is laid out to give a completely different view of the Taos area. Plush bent grass greens, allow even the novice golfer to stick the ball and even give some back spin. Kentucky blue grass line the fairways and the rough consists of a fescue grass. (Bourg)
While walking in the fairway, I was tempted to take off my shoes and walk barefoot on the soft grass. It reminded me of the green meadows of grass back in New York
There are no trees on this course which may make it
seem easier, but the sage has its own set of challenges. If you do hit into the
sage, you may find your ball and you may even have a shot, but as the signs
warn, Beware of Rattlesnakes. Local rules allow you to place the ball where
it crosses into the sage, but you need to add one stroke to your score.
Playing from the blue tees, I found my ball travel to
be considerably farther than normal. At almost 7500 feet in elevation, the air
is lighter and your ball flies a lot farther. It was an emotional boost for my
golf ego. You can expect to use at least one club less while playing here. Taos
has tee locations for the novice to scratch golfers.
Green fee's will cost you ($82) Monday - Thursday and ($92) Friday - Sunday. These prices include a cart. Walkers can deduct ($17) for the cart.
Green fee's will cost you ($82) Monday - Thursday and ($92) Friday - Sunday. These prices include a cart. Walkers can deduct ($17) for the cart.
For a club of this caliber, I was surprised by the
quality of the golf cart. Loud, sputtering, carbon producing carts are not what
I would have expected. Generally, higher end courses utilize electric carts.
Carville explained that they were in the process of transitioning to electric
and that the change out should be completed by 2017.
Making
the turn, you are greeted by the friendly
staff of The Terrace. A full service restaurant and bar with impeccable
views
overlooking the eighteenth hole. Managed by Jacob Herrera, The Terrace
is open seven
days a week with various menus throughout the day. They also cater to
charity events, graduation and family parties, along with being the
prime scenic location for weddings.(Herrera)
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| Chipotle ABLT. ( $14.50) |
Per the suggestion of the server, I tried the Chipotle
ABLT, along with an order of rings and a cold pale ale. Not necessarily the
healthiest food, but it was delicious. The thick bacon slices, covered with a
perfect layer of avocado, crispy lettuce, and a huge cherry tomatoes speared
through the heart of the sandwich. Accompanying that was an order of onion
rings prepared exactly to my specifications and a perfect pour of beer. ($14.50)
A future delight that will be waiting to be served
on my plate is the Italian Grilled Cheese. Two types of cheese on homemade bread,
served with a basil pesto and a tomato relish. ($8.50)
This masterpiece of unimaginable flavor had me
wondering why I had never ordered a grilled cheese before. One bite was all I
needed. I will be ordering this delight the next time.
On a return visit, I was fortunate enough to experience Their Sunday brunch. From 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. TCC serves up an impeccable brunch that includes a variety of Eggs Benedict to the ultimate Omelet. A wonderful mixture of soft poached eggs, laid on top of an English muffin, with a perfectly cooked piece of Canadian bacon, that was smothered with holendaise sauce. A side of fresh fruit and perfectly cooked home fries added to this masterpiece.
My mouth watered as I saw the plate arrive. It was watering because the orange juice that was delivered pretty much came in a shot glass. I was told that they were limited to the size of glass, but that I could receive free refills.
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| Classical Egg's Benedict ($12.00) |
My mouth watered as I saw the plate arrive. It was watering because the orange juice that was delivered pretty much came in a shot glass. I was told that they were limited to the size of glass, but that I could receive free refills.
After completing the round, I returned to The
Terrace to indulge in another Pale Ale. Unfortunately the tap system was down
and they provided me a beer from a bottle. Not the worst thing to happen, but a
local member said that it was a common occurrence but that they always make it up to you. (O'Roarke) Just a side note. I returned after my Sunday brunch and played in a skins match with Aden O'Roarke, the member I met earlier in the week. TCC offers a wide arrange of events that are sanctioned by the country club or by their members. This happened to be sanctioned by the members. $20.00 gets you in and all it takes is one solo skin to win a portion of the pot. When we finished, we arrived at the Terrace to find once again the taps were down. The Cumbré in a chilled glass was more than exceptional, so all was well.
If you love to play golf and would like to experience the wonderful views and food from the Terrace, then I would make a visit to Taos Country Club. If you are not a golfer, then the Terrace is the place to go to enjoy what will be an unbelievable meal.
I'll see you there!
Taos Country club
54 Golf Course Road
Ranchos de Taos
575-758-7300
www.Taoscountryclub.com
Works Cited
Bourg, Carville. Oasis on the Desert John
Romansky. 26 June 2015. Document.
Field of Dreams. Dir. Phil Alden Robertson. Perf. Kevin Costner. 1989. Film.
Herrera, Jacob. The Terrace John Romansky. 24
June 2015. Document.
O'Roarke, Aden. How do you like TCC John
Romansky. June 2015.
