How do I book a tee time at Paako Ridge?

Online tee-time reservations are subject to a 30-day advance booking window. To book further ahead, call the Pro Shop at 505-281-6000 or submit the club's online tee-time inquiry form; club staff assists with booking more than 30 days out, as a request the club confirms rather than an instant online booking. For the 2026 season the club is open 29 April through 18 October 2026, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so plan any tee time inside that window.

When is Paako Ridge open in 2026, and when does the season end?

For the 2026 season, Paako Ridge is open 29 April through 18 October 2026, closed Mondays and Tuesdays every week. The season's closing date, 18 October 2026, is the date to plan around for a visit later in the year.

Is Golf Digest's ranking for the whole 27-hole course?

No. Golf Digest's own listing names the ranked course "Paako Ridge (1st & 2nd 9s)" — a specific eighteen holes at the facility, not the 27-hole property as a whole.

Does Golf Digest really rank Paako Ridge number one?

Not currently. Golf Digest's 2025-'26 Best in State New Mexico ranking places Paako Ridge second, behind The Club At Las Campanas: Sunset. Golf Digest's own prior New Mexico list records Paako Ridge's previous rank as one, meaning Golf Digest ranked it first in New Mexico in the edition before 2023-'24; it has ranked second in the state in every edition since. It remains the highest-ranked public course in New Mexico on the current list.

Is Paako Ridge on tribal land?

No. Geocoding the course's own coordinates returns no federal Indian reservation layer. By contrast, geocoding Sandia Resort & Casino in Albuquerque — one of the lodging options the club itself names — returns Sandia Pueblo, showing the geocoding method does surface reservation land where it exists.

What county is Paako Ridge in?

Bernalillo County, in unincorporated Paa-Ko CDP, with a Sandia Park, New Mexico mailing address. This is not the same place as the town of Bernalillo, which sits in Sandoval County — a town and a county sharing a name in different parts of the state.

Do I need a membership to play Paako Ridge?

No. Paako Ridge is a public, daily-fee course; Golf Digest's own listing labels it "Public."

Paako Ridge Golf Club: Golf in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Part of A Public Course, State by State

Golf Digest's 2025-'26 Best in State ranking places Paako Ridge Golf Club second in New Mexico, labelled "Public" — the only course ranked above it, The Club At Las Campanas: Sunset, is labelled "Private," which makes Paako Ridge the highest-ranked public course in the state. Golf Digest ranked Paako Ridge first in New Mexico in the edition before its 2023-'24 list; it has ranked second in the state in every edition since, including the current 2025-'26 ranking. What Golf Digest ranks is a specific eighteen at the facility — its own listing names it "Paako Ridge (1st & 2nd 9s)" — not the 27-hole property as a whole. The course sits in unincorporated Bernalillo County, in Paa-Ko CDP, with a Sandia Park, New Mexico mailing address; it is not on tribal land. For the 2026 season, Paako Ridge is open from 29 April through 18 October 2026, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Paako Ridge Golf Club

sight

Second on Golf Digest's 2025-'26 New Mexico ranking, labelled "Public"; ranked first in the edition before 2023-'24. Open 29 April - 18 October 2026, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Hotel Chaco

stay

One of the club's two named lodging recommendations, in Albuquerque.
Sandia Resort

stay

The club's other named lodging recommendation; sits on Sandia Pueblo land, unlike the course itself.
Paako Ridge Clubhouse Dining

food

On-site dining during the 2026 season, Wednesday through Sunday.

Getting there

Paako Ridge's own directions page states road distances from the club: Albuquerque, 28 miles; Santa Fe, 48 miles; Taos, 117 miles; Las Cruces, 249 miles. Independent road routing from the course's geocoded coordinates puts the drive to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) at about 31 miles, and to Santa Fe at 47.6 miles, matching the operator's own figure. The club's own site also names a club-operated nine-passenger Mercedes Sprinter limousine, available to and from the airport, lodging and the course, priced per trip leg.

Paako Ridge

Paako Ridge Golf Club is a 27-hole daily-fee facility designed by Ken Dye, which opened in 2000. Golf Digest's 2025-'26 Best in State New Mexico ranking places it second, labelled "Public," behind only The Club At Las Campanas: Sunset, labelled "Private." Golf Digest's own prior New Mexico list, headed "our 2023-'24 ranking," carried the entry as "Paako Ridge Golf Club (1st/2nd)" at rank two with a previous rank of one — Golf Digest's own record of having ranked it first in New Mexico in the edition before 2023-'24. Golf Digest also lists the course on its America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses, 56th in the 2025-'26 edition. Play starts on the 1st and 10th tees each day, with holes 19 through 27 open after 10:30 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday. The club states its own elevation as 6,500 feet above sea level. Paako Ridge has hosted the U.S. Senior Challenge.

Booking a round

Paako Ridge is a public, daily-fee course with no membership required to play. Online tee-time reservations are subject to a 30-day advance booking window; the club's own tee-sheet page states it plainly: online reservations are "subject to a 30-day advance booking window." To book further ahead, the club's own reservations page describes a request-based process for 2026: a visitor fills out an online tee-time inquiry form, or calls the Pro Shop at 505-281-6000, and the club's staff assists with booking more than 30 days out. That further-out route is a request the club confirms, not an instant online booking. For the 2026 season, the club's own rates are $225 plus tax for 18 holes with a cart, and $100 plus tax for a same-day replay round; the club is cashless and takes major cards.

The 2026 season

For the 2026 season, Paako Ridge Golf Club is open 29 April through 18 October 2026, closed Mondays and Tuesdays each week for golf, the pro shop and dining. Anyone planning a visit after 18 October 2026 should plan around that closing date. The club's pro shop and practice facilities run 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, during the season; the clubhouse serves 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The club notes that its hours of operation are ultimately at the discretion of management.

Basecamp: Albuquerque

Paako Ridge names its own lodging recommendations on its directions page: Hotel Chaco, at 2000 Bellamah Ave NW in Albuquerque, and Sandia Resort, at 30 Rainbow Rd NE in Albuquerque. Sandia Resort sits on Sandia Pueblo land — geocoding its address returns a federal Indian reservation, Sandia Pueblo — which is a different jurisdiction from Paako Ridge itself, whose own coordinates return no reservation layer at all.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book a tee time at Paako Ridge?: Online tee-time reservations are subject to a 30-day advance booking window. To book further ahead, call the Pro Shop at 505-281-6000 or submit the club's online tee-time inquiry form; club staff assists with booking more than 30 days out, as a request the club confirms rather than an instant online booking. For the 2026 season the club is open 29 April through 18 October 2026, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so plan any tee time inside that window.
When is Paako Ridge open in 2026, and when does the season end?: For the 2026 season, Paako Ridge is open 29 April through 18 October 2026, closed Mondays and Tuesdays every week. The season's closing date, 18 October 2026, is the date to plan around for a visit later in the year.
Is Golf Digest's ranking for the whole 27-hole course?: No. Golf Digest's own listing names the ranked course "Paako Ridge (1st & 2nd 9s)" — a specific eighteen holes at the facility, not the 27-hole property as a whole.
Does Golf Digest really rank Paako Ridge number one?: Not currently. Golf Digest's 2025-'26 Best in State New Mexico ranking places Paako Ridge second, behind The Club At Las Campanas: Sunset. Golf Digest's own prior New Mexico list records Paako Ridge's previous rank as one, meaning Golf Digest ranked it first in New Mexico in the edition before 2023-'24; it has ranked second in the state in every edition since. It remains the highest-ranked public course in New Mexico on the current list.
Is Paako Ridge on tribal land?: No. Geocoding the course's own coordinates returns no federal Indian reservation layer. By contrast, geocoding Sandia Resort & Casino in Albuquerque — one of the lodging options the club itself names — returns Sandia Pueblo, showing the geocoding method does surface reservation land where it exists.
What county is Paako Ridge in?: Bernalillo County, in unincorporated Paa-Ko CDP, with a Sandia Park, New Mexico mailing address. This is not the same place as the town of Bernalillo, which sits in Sandoval County — a town and a county sharing a name in different parts of the state.
Do I need a membership to play Paako Ridge?: No. Paako Ridge is a public, daily-fee course; Golf Digest's own listing labels it "Public."