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Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort in Elephant Butte will host the New Mexico Open for the next three years, beginning this September 15-17.
The announcement came Tuesday, March 25, at a press conference at the resort where elected officials spoke, including Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who read a proclamation from the governor.
The New Mexico Open began in 1954 and has been held annually, usually in September, at various courses around the state, usually moving every two or three years. In 2020, it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 event was pulled together at the last moment at Ladera golf course in Albuquerque. For the last three years, it has been at Rockwind Community Links in Hobbs.
Cory Armstrong, executive director of the Sun Country Golf House in Rio Rancho, said New Mexico has 12 to 15 courses difficult and interesting enough to host the state open. He said Turtleback’s staff lobbied the Sun Country Section of the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of America, which covers all of New Mexico and the westernmost part of Texas, to hold the next three opens in Elephant Butte.
Both amateur and professional golfers may enter opens. Lee Trevino won the New Mexico Open in 1966 and 1972. Notah Begay III won in 1998. Promoters say the tournament should bring in 140 players and hundreds of spectators, meaning $1 million in new spending on hotels, food, beverage and other purchases. The partnership with the new owners of the Turtleback resort, PreReal Investments, will mean this year’s open can increase its prize money and “introduce enhancements that will elevate both the player and spectator experience,” according to a news release.
Morales read a proclamation from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that designated March 25 as Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort Day for “elevating New Mexico’s status as premier golf and recreation destination by hosting the prestigious New Mexico Open, drawing elite athletes, spectators and tourism revenue to the state and further advancing its reputation as a world-class destination for leisure and sports.”
State Sen. Crystal Diamond Brantley, R-Elephant Butte, praised Prendamano at the press conference. “Your commitment has been nothing short of transformational and anyone who lives here can see the life they have breathed back into this community,” she said.
“Your work is not just building structures. It’s building the future of southern New Mexico,” she said.
Sierra County Commission Chairman Travis Day said, “as a commission, we believe that the best opportunities and the best options for a county or a local government to get involved in is to let private business do its thing and that’s exactly what PreReal has done.”
PreReal Investments, a Staten-Island based firm, owns the 18-hole golf course, the pro shop and the restaurant at the resort. It also has an adjacent residential development with 1,300 available homesites.
