Played all the golf courses the Santa Fe area has to offer? Ever played the Codorniz de Diablo? Didn’t think so. Few have heard of the elusive “Quail Devil”. But for the seven Santa Fe pro’s who turned out last Monday for this “fiendish” 9-hole round, this was no Sunday school practice.
Even under the best conditions, Quail Run’s immaculately groomed fairways are narrow, with out-of-bounds lurking ever so close and glistening condominium windows just daring the swinger to slice.
The devil must have been at work in the wee hours Monday morning, as the players found the blue boxes as far back as possible in their respective tee boxes. In several cases, the fairway distance was increased by 20 – 30 yards. On the par three’s, pins were hidden behind copses of trees, invisible from the tee box.
And if there was a slope to be found on the manicured greens, the pin proudly stood at the severest of angles.
Hole #2 and Hole #8 particularly bedeviled the players: Hole #2’s pin was inches off the rear collar on a 15 degree backward slope. Hole #8’s length was increased to nearly 360 yards from the typical 340 and the pin placement was also adjacent to the rear collar sloping severely down and left; A close miss ended in a ball rolling unhindered 10 or more feet away.
Described as one of New Mexico’s most difficult holes period, Hole #7’s par 5 distance was increased to over 540 yards – the tee box offering the narrowest of windows through the trees to the fairway beyond. A beguiling hole on a typical day, most players over play this hole, refusing to lay up and tending to try for 150 – 175 yard green shots. Dense trees on the left and an arroyo on the right foul 80% of these tried and true players. On this day, two of our seven pro’s birdied this hole – both taking a calculated second swing to lie 100 yards out and wedging their ball to the green on their third. Arguably, two risky putts awarded the players with the lead – but this was only the 7th.
By the end of the ninth hole, four of our seven pro’s tied for a one-under par, or 31. When asked, the five visiting pro’s all commented that the course pleasantly surprised them on this day and that they would never underestimate the Quail’s prowess again.
Quail Run offers a great but often overlooked golf course and other amenities. Its located in Southeast Santa Fe and is a community worth exploring if golf is important to your lifestyle.
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Falling real estate prices are becoming as much a feature of high-end neighborhoods as ocean views, infinity pools and four-car garages.