Turtle Back Mountain Resort, Elephant Butte

With the peaks of Turtleback Mountain lifting from the horizon just six miles away, the 18-hole Sierra Del Rio Golf Course traverses 7,331 yards of lush fairways buttressed by seven lakes. The course's immaculate greenery provides a stark, scenic contrast to the surrounding desert highland, and the high and dry air makes perfect conditions for adding distance to towering drives and height to 6-iron baton twirls. Brambly thickets loom on the edges of most fairways, threatening ill-struck orbs as players work through many high-risk, high-reward shots that earned the course the No. 9 spot on Golf Digest's most recent Best in State Rankings. On the 610-yard, par 5 10th hole, golfers must weigh the temptation to lay up or go for the green in two against the supreme difficulty of carrying 260 yards of grazing caddies and unforgiving water. A sprinkling of 89 bunkers further complicates pin-hunting expeditions, and seven tee options temper the course's relatively difficult nature.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Distance of 7,331 yards from farthest tees
• Course rating of 74.6 from farthest tees
• Slope of 140 from farthest tees
• Seven tee options:m]]