Sept. 5 — Every Tuesday for the past eight years, Jeff Miles has been playing golf with a group of friends. Made up mostly of retired state government and national laboratory workers, the group has grown to more than two dozen people who typically travel weekly to Marty Sanchez Links Golf Course in Santa Fe.
Miles said he doesn’t think the group would be deterred by an increase in green fees and golf cart rates being considered by the Santa Fe City Council.
“To me, it needs to be increased,” he said. “Everybody around us has higher rates than we do, and we have a great track record.”
Miles, grandson of former Gov. John Miles and son of former Gen. Franklin Miles, praised his hometown’s golf course on Caja Del Rio Road.
“To me, it’s probably, if not the best, at least one of the best public courses in New Mexico, if not anywhere,” he said.
Earlier this year, the city council unanimously approved a four-year, $11.5 million contract with Indigo Sports, a subsidiary of Troon Golf, to manage the golf course. Parks officials said at the time that a fee review was underway. The city council has since approved increasing golf fees effective Nov. 1, but approval of the actual fee structure is still pending.
The proposed new fee structure will split weekday rates among city, county, New Mexico and out-of-state residents, with slightly higher rates across the board on weekends. The biggest increases are for out-of-state golfers, which golf course superintendent Lorenzo Vigil said was intentional.
“Golf is not a cheap sport, and so we want to make sure we offer the best rate and the best amount of service and quality that we can offer,” he said.
The last fee increase was in 2020, which is unusual for golf courses, Vigil said. He’s not sure why a fee increase wasn’t proposed sooner.
To give some examples, a resident of another state who currently pays $40 to play 18 holes would pay $49 on weekdays and $56 on Saturdays and Sundays. Santa Fe residents who currently pay $35 for 18 holes would pay $40 on weekdays and $42 on weekends. Santa Fe County residents would pay $43 and $44, respectively.
Seniors would get a few dollar discounts. For example, seniors living in Santa Fe would pay $30 to play 18 holes on weekdays and $33 on weekends, while seniors living in New Mexico would pay $33 and $36, respectively, and seniors living out of state could expect to pay $44 on weekdays and $49 on weekends for 18 holes.
Vigil said about 40,000 rounds are played at Marty Sanchez each year and the course hosts 200 to 300 players a day. He estimates 95 percent of the golfers are from New Mexico.
A loyalty program offered to city and county residents would cost golfers $69 at the start of the season, after which they would pay less than they otherwise would. For example, city residents who are members would pay just $35 to play 18 holes on weekdays and $38 on weekends.
Discounts for seniors, veterans, active-duty military and police officers will remain in effect, and rates for golfers under 18 will remain unchanged. Cart fees will increase for seniors and the general public for 18 holes, but will decrease by $1 for nine holes and remain unchanged in all other categories.
The course also has a “twilight rate,” which Vigil said is for golfers who arrive at the course before they can reasonably expect to complete 18 holes. This can be as early as 1 p.m. in the winter and as late as 4 p.m. in the summer.
Vigil said the new fees will still be “very competitive” with surrounding courses and that he doesn’t know of any nearby courses with cheaper green fees than Marty Sanchez.
“We’ll probably always be the least expensive golf course in the area,” he said.
Online listings for nearby courses confirm this. Angel Fire Resort Golf Course rates start at $100 during the summer season, and Black Mesa Golf Club charges more than $90 on weekends and $70 on weekdays. Rates are more comparable at Pueblo Golf Course in Cochiti, which has green fees of $48 Monday through Thursday and $58 Friday through Sunday.
After working at the golf course for 13 years, Vigil said many of the regulars are like family, and he believes Marty Sanchez is “the best public golf course to play in the state of New Mexico.” He became the course’s superintendent earlier this year after serving as head golf professional when the course was run by the city.
Parks and Open Spaces Director Melissa McDonald said the rate review began at the same time the city put out the request for a new contractor, and the rate change was a partnership between city staff and Troon employees.
“What we’ve really tried to do is target the increases to out-of-state and out-of-Santa Fe residents so that the local community doesn’t bear the brunt of all the increases,” she said.
McDonald said she did not think the increases would deter tourists from playing golf.
“People are used to paying higher rates in their own city, so I don’t think there will be many complaints about our rates being too high,” she said.
McDonald and Vigil said conditions on the course have improved significantly since Troon’s arrival.
Vigil said Troon has much more capacity to maintain the course than city parks staff, who were previously responsible for maintaining it and many other city parks and open spaces.
“They didn’t have a full staff and it was difficult for them to get things done in terms of maintenance,” Vigil said.
Several golfers agreed.
“Now that Troon has taken over, it looks a lot better,” Miles said.
Joe Moulton plays golf with the retirement group every Tuesday, as well as on Fridays in a couples golf league with his wife. He was a marshal at the golf course for 20 years and worked in the pro shop for 10 years. He said the course has always had a good reputation.
“People would come in and be amazed that it was a public course because it was in such good condition,” he said. “The maintenance has always been top notch.”
He said he supports the idea of a new fee structure, which he said is similar to a previous iteration. It’s important that the course doesn’t “drive away locals,” Moulton said.
“When I go on vacation, if I want to play this course, I want to do it regardless of the fee,” he said. “But if you’re a local and you play here regularly, you want to at least be able to afford the fees when you come.”
Moulton said he was happy with the way Troon managed the course and there wasn’t much he would like to see changed, with one exception.
“We’d stay here a lot longer if a few of these guys could have a beer,” he said.
Vigil said he doesn’t know exactly why Marty Sanchez’s liquor license was revoked, but Troon is in the process of reapplying to have his restaurant serve alcohol again.
“It’s become a real pain without it, at least financially,” he said, noting that golf courses make “a lot of profit” from alcohol.
A fiscal impact report estimates that the fare increase will increase the course’s revenue by $200,000 per year, while failure to do so would result in “continued revenue losses and deferred maintenance.”
The resolution is sponsored by Councilwoman Signe Lindell and Mayor Alan Webber. An avid golfer herself, Lindell described Marty Sanchez as “a true treasure to the city” when she introduced the measure at the Aug. 28 City Council meeting.
“To keep it in the condition the players deserve, we need to have a little increase,” she said.
The resolution is expected to be heard for public comment at the council’s next meeting on Wednesday and put to a final vote on Oct. 9.
