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Golf Trips / Southwest / New Mexico

Plan Your Ruidoso Golf Trip in 60 Seconds

Cool-pines mountain golf, horse racing, and casino nights

Ruidoso is a pine-covered mountain town in southern New Mexico — a summer escape from Texas heat with multiple golf courses, the famous Ruidoso Downs horse track, and the Inn of the Mountain Gods casino resort. Cool temps, a walkable Midtown, and a real Vegas-lite casino make it a fun, value-packed buddy trip.

3
courses
Summer, Fall
best season
ELP
130 min drive
10–50k
town size
The rota

Courses

The Links at Sierra BlancaPremiumLOCALS' FAVORITE

Jim Colbert/Jeff Bauer Scottish links–style course on the old airport site with big mountain views

$60–$90
Par 72 · 6,968 yds
links
The Lodge at Sierra Blanca / Inn of the Mountain Gods GolfPremiumDESIGNER CLASSIC

Ted Robinson resort course winding around a mountain lake at the Mescalero Apache casino resort

$80–$140
Par 72 · 6,834 yds
mountain
Cree Meadows Country ClubSolidBEST VALUE

Affordable, walkable 1947 course in the pines right in town — the value round

$30–$55
Par 71 · 6,437 yds
mountain · walkable
Base camp

Where to Stay

cabinSleeps 8–16

$250–$800 /night

Upper Canyon and Alto cabins set in the ponderosa pines

hot tubfireplacebig kitchendeckpinesgame room
resort houseSleeps 10–16

$200–$450 /night

Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino on the Mescalero reservation

casinoon-site golfspalakemultiple restaurants
The table

Dining

Cornerstone Bakery & Café

$$
casual

Beloved Midtown breakfast-and-lunch spot to fuel up before tee time

4.6★

Wendell's (Inn of the Mountain Gods)

$$$
steakhouse

The resort's lakeside steakhouse — the splurge dinner with a view

4.4★

Casa Blanca Restaurant & Cantina

$$
mexican

Margaritas and New Mexican plates with a big patio — the easy group dinner

4.4★

Cattle Baron Steak & Seafood

$$$
steakhouse

Reliable steaks and a salad bar that handles a hungry crew

4.4★
After the round

Nightlife

Quarters Lounge

Late night
honky tonk

Longtime Ruidoso bar with live music and dancing — the local late-night spot

Casino Bars (Inn of the Mountain Gods)

Late night
casino bar

Casino floor bars and lounges for a Vegas-lite night with blackjack

Sacred Grounds / Midtown patios

patio

Walkable Midtown bars and patios for a relaxed pine-town crawl

Off days

Activities

Inn of the Mountain Gods Casino

casino2-3 hours$0–$200/pp

Full Mescalero Apache casino with tables, slots, and a sportsbook

Ruidoso Downs Horse Racing

horsebackhalf day$10–$50/pp

Quarter-horse and thoroughbred racing — home of the world's richest quarter-horse race (summer season)

Lincoln National Forest UTV Tour

atvhalf day$110–$200/pp

Off-road the high pines around Sierra Blanca peak

Ready when you are

Build the Ruidoso trip.

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Nearby

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Head-to-head
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