Rockwind Named A Top Course of Last Decade

Rockwind Community Links in Hobbs, New Mexico, continues to earn honors for its excellent design and recognition as one of the region's most popular golf destinations. Golf Advisor, a global service that provides course reviews and ratings, named Rockwind as One of the 24 New Courses That Shaped the 2010s. Rockwind was selected to represent 2015 as the notable North American course of the year.

In its review, Golf Advisor stated: "Take an underperforming municipal layout, repurpose it complete with imagination, improved soil conditions and low-irrigation plantings and you have what innovative golf architect Andy Staples champions as a 'community links.' The first of these, in Hobbs, New Mexico, now serves as a thriving golf course, practice and learning center and (for non-golfers) a public park."

The Staples design, which opened in May 2015, has received numerous awards from leading golf publications including: Golfweek's ranking at #2 in New Mexico in their Best Courses You Can Play in each state list; inclusion in Golf Digest's 2017-18 Best in State course ratings at #7; named one of Golf Digest's Best New Courses of 2015; and cited as a Top Five New Golf Development in the World by Golf Inc. Magazine.

"This is another significant honor for Rockwind to be recognized as one of the world's finest new golf courses of the last decade," said Doug McDaniel, Parks & Recreation Director in Hobbs. "For Golf Advisor to feature Rockwind as one of just 24 courses is a remarkable achievement that we all celebrate. Everyone associated with the success and prestige of Rockwind is to be congratulated on this special recognition."

The facility is considered a trailblazer in uniting golf with the local community. "Community Links" is a concept introduced by Staples where the focus of the entire project was to link the golf course to the fabric of life in Hobbs. A special feature is a surrounding trail system complete with multiple trail heads, various outdoor seating areas, picnic spaces and scenic viewing points, including access to the site's five acre lake that overlooks the golf course. The United States Golf Association also singled out Rockwind for breaking the mold and being more than just a golf course in a special video entitled "A Model Muni: Rockwind Community Links."

About Rockwind Community Links
The main course, which offers five sets of tees with playing lengths ranging from over 7,100 yards for the accomplished player down to approximately 4,200 yards for the forward "express" tees, has been designed to embrace the flat nature of the southeastern New Mexico landscape, keeping irrigation to a minimum and the turf fast and firm. The design provides challenging features such as large elevated greens, disguised bunkers and interesting ground contours.

Architect Andy Staples has incorporated characteristics typically found on courses along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. built during the turn of the 20th century. Rock walls line fairways and a large interior lake is in play on a few holes that attractively punctuates the course routing. The 9-hole par-3 course called Li'l Rock is meant to complement the dual-ended practice range and short game area. It was built to facilitate walking, families, beginner golfers and kids. The length of shots ranges from a sand wedge to a driver. Rockwind Community Links also is a site for The First Tee of Southeastern New Mexico.

For more information visit www.rockwindgolfcourse.com or call (575) 397-9297.