Well-known golf course in Four Corners reopens for the first time since major renovations

FARMINGTON, N.M.- A beloved golf course in the Four Corners has been closed just since Jan. 20 for renovations. Now that those changes are almost finished, golfers made their return to the fairway on Thursday, where the course is hoping they’ve aced the renovations.

Pinon Hills Golf Course has been around since the late 1980s. 

“The course it’s really important to the community, our people here are really proud of it,” General Manager, Chris Jones said.

It’s 300 acres of golfer’s paradise, nestled in the high desert of Farmington. 

“With us being in the rankings every year of the best courses not only in New Mexico, but the best municipal courses in the country, we get a lot of notoriety,” Jones added.

For almost 34 years, golfers have been hitting the green and although age is just a number, the wear and tear couldn’t be ignored. 

“Just over the years there is so much sandstone and rock in the soil that the pipes start jumping as you put water in them, it would break and crack, and we just had leaks all over the place,” said Jones. 

Making that hole in one, even more difficult. 

“If you don’t have 25 leaks on the golf course it’s going to be better conditions for your golfers, we’re going to save a lot of water with this new system it’s way more efficient,” Jones said.

But that isn’t the only renovation. 

“In addition to the irrigation system all the sand traps were excavated, put new liners in and new sand, the clubhouse is being finished right now, so the pro-shop and restaurant remodeled,” said Jones. 

After nearly a year of renovations, T-time is back on.

“We filled up pretty quickly for the weekend. Obviously a lot of our people are glad to be back, we’ve already had some of our regulars from Durango and Pagosa come down and see it,” Jones said.

Jones added with the City of Farmington’s shift towards outdoor recreation, the new renovations are a great addition. 

“It definitely impacts the local economy not only for our resident golfers, but we get golfers all around the Four Corners that come here, and we also get people who travel quite a long distance sometimes,” said Jones. 

Jones added the pro-shop renovations will be completed in a couple of weeks, and the restaurant will be done in a month.