Golf in Ruidoso

Ruidoso occupies a mountain valley in Lincoln County at roughly 6,900 feet beneath Sierra Blanca, a peak that rises to 11,973 feet and anchors the Sacramento Mountains. The village functions as a year-round mountain resort — Ski Apache operates on the Sierra Blanca slopes, Ruidoso Downs Racetrack hosts the world's richest quarter horse race, and the Inn of the Mountain Gods resort, operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, provides full-destination amenities. Seven golf courses make Ruidoso one of the most golf-concentrated small communities in New Mexico, ranging from the Apache-operated Inn of the Mountain Gods layout to several private residential clubs including Alto Lakes, Kokopelli, and Innsbrook Village. Forested mountain terrain defines every course — ponderosa and oak replace the desert scrub characteristic of lower-altitude New Mexico. Summer afternoons cool noticeably compared to the lowlands, making July and August as pleasant for golf here as anywhere in the state.