A drop dead gorgeous golf course that was developed several years ago north of U.S. Highway 70 and east of Interstate Highway 25 in Las Cruces finally opened last week. Construction of the course was initiated by land developer Philip Philoppou and was originally going to swapped, when completed, and become the new home of Las Cruces Country Club. Under severe financial pressures, Mr. Philoppou ceased his involvement in the project.
The new course, has been christened as, "Red Hawk Golf Club." The magnificent layout has been the talk of the golfing community all over the state for several years. Red Hawk was designed by legendary golf course architect Ken Dye. Dye has designed many well-known golf projects both nationally and internationally.
The course features five sets of tees, with yardages ranging from 5,502 to 7,523. There are numerous hazards include 5 lakes (with water coming into play on 8 holes) and 76 bunkers. The layout covers 200 acres including 100 acres of turf, 50 acres of planted native grasses, and 50 acres of natural desert. It is already a haven for wildlife in the surrounding area. Red Hawk is also noteworthy for its links-style features, including rolling hills, generous greens, and a challenging yet spacious design. 
The facility will have PGA Master Professional Bill Eschenbrenner serving as Golf Pro Emeritus. Eschenbrenner was named National PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 2005 and was inducted into the National PGA Hall of Fame in 2006.
Alan Salter, Certified Golf Course Superintendent and Red Hawk’s head superintendent, is a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and supervised the grow-in of the Red Hawk golf course from 2007 through 2011. Prior to moving to Las Cruces, Alan was the head superintendent for a decade at Pinon Hills Golf Course in Farmington, New Mexico which is one of the premier public golf courses in the entire nation.
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I've seen this course up close. It's absolutely magnificent! It will be the crowning jewel that will make Las Cruces a truly must play golf destination for golfers passing through the area. Red Hawk's championship qualities have the distinct possibility of attracting U.S. Open qualifiers and a variety of other important national golf events not to mention statewide Sun Country Amateur Golf Association sanctioned events. Hotels, restaurants and local stores will be the indirect beneficiaries of this fantastic golfing venue. There are many golfers in the Tr-State area who are anxious for an opportunity to play and compete on this championship golf course. Hopefully someone will sponsor a golf tournament soon.
I just played Red Hawk golf course on a windy, rainy day. It was cold and offered no shelter for the wind or rain. The staff was very accomodating. Red Hawk has tee boxes that challenges your distance. So if you get too cocky on your game just move back to another tee box and enjoy the challenge. The greens are tough. You must be on the right tier to score well or otherwise expect bogey's plus. I felt the price was reasonable ($46.00) but I fear the pricing will have to decrease to get more play in this area. The pro shop will have to expand as time goes on. They offer tees, golf balls, hats, putters, and a few wedges for sale presently. Overall I enjoyed playing Red Hawk.
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