Championship golf at the University of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Fall is tournament season at the University of New Mexico's Championship Course.

And that translates to rough - lots of it - with slick greens to match. Playing between the William H. Tucker Invitational, the second-longest-running men's collegiate event, on Sept. 22-23 and the second stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying scheduled for Oct. 19-22, I found the rough on this Red Lawrence design to be every bit as daunting as what I've encountered during media days for major championships I've attended in the past. It's that grueling and penal.

But rarely does a big score like the one I shot detract from playing such a dynamic and beautiful course, which has also hosted four NCAA Division I men's championships (1950, 1976, 1992, 1998) and one women's (1987). Put it this way, the UNM Championship Course has every bit of the same killer instinct and feel as Bethpage Black in New York. It's a brawny ballpark capable of testing the best.

The 7,555-yard course sits on a hillside overlooking downtown. It's very hilly despite the proximity to the runways of the Albuquerque International Sunport. Walking isn't easy, but one of my playing partners attempted it.

Lawrence dialed up elevated greens at every turn, notably on the front nine where the par 4s from holes 5-7 range from 428 to 520 yards. Between the ever-changing terrain, awkward lies up and down the slopes and golf at elevation of more than 5,000 feet, choosing the proper club and hitting the right shot remains difficult.

Starting at the ninth, a banana-shaped par 5, the layout brims with personality. The 10th, which climbs uphill to the fairway before falling downhill to the green, might be the toughest par 4 in the city. The short par-4 15th bends around a pond and a grove of trees tempting longer hitters to get aggressive. One final risk-reward moment - whether to go for it on the uphill par-5 18th - brings the round to a dramatic closure.

Topping out at $103 on peak season weekends, it's also a bargain, if your ego doesn't mind a beating.

"The routing of holes is exceptional," wrote GolfPass user 'David1684852' in a 2019 review. "The holes flow well. It's one good hole after another."