popular sandia park golf course to see variety of improvements

The construction of more than 60 residential and 18 guest cottages is part of a larger plan to upgrade the Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club in Sandia Park, roughly 25 miles to the northeast of Albuquerque.

The 27-hole course, located at 1 Club House Drive near the eastern foothills of the Sandia Mountains, has undergone a recent change of ownership, having been purchased earlier this spring for an undisclosed price by the New York-based Alvarez & Marsal, LLC.

That company developed the Hogs Head Golf Club in County Kerry, Ireland, which also saw the construction of a large lodge, 10,000 square-foot spa, and a number of cottages.

Ranked by Golf Digest as the number one public course in New Mexico, Paa-Ko Ridge is also expected to see a renovation of its current bar and grill area, along with the possible building out of space for a new restaurant.

A timetable for when construction of the lodge and guest cottages will launch has not yet been announced.

Designed by architect Ken Dye and originally opened in the spring of 2000, Paa-Ko Ridge has a devoted fan base, with some golfers flying in from other parts of the country just to play for a day on the course.

By Garry Boulard