Below is a video I captured at the HOG World Tour stop last week in New Mexico at Black Mesa Golf Club. This is a flyover of the fun par-4 14th hole. I call this hole “Island Drive” because it is a risk/reward driveable par-4 with an island of New Mexico desert in the middle of the fairway.
Here’s a video flyover of the awesome par-5 16th hole at New Mexico’s Black Mesa Golf Club, also known as “Stairway to Seven.” I captured this will my “little” multi-rotor helicopter (some call them drones, but the word drone has a negative connotation).
Two days ago the Hooked On Golf Blog World Tour rolled into Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Course, about 45 minutes east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The experience at Paa-Ko was splendid. The course is in a very beautiful area and the holes carved through a fabulous New Mexico mountain desert.
Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Course – click to see more photos
Last October for my birthday my lovely bride bought me a little UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), also known as a “drone.” Since then I’ve been deeply into the aerial photography/video world. So much so that sometimes I’ve wanted to work on that more than play golf. I can fly that UAV over golf courses to capture amazing photos and video. The little drone is great, but due to its limitations and the fact that I have the desire for the best quality I can get, I’ve built a much bigger one which is almost ready to fly over golf courses. See the image to the right. Stay tuned for more on the big bird.
There’s too much “drone hysteria” right now. Drones have a negative connotation because people think all that is done with them is risking people’s lives and invading their privacy. I really don’t care what you do in your bedroom and I’m not flying my drone around trying to catch a crappy, blurry photo of you in your undies. You should be much more worried about your own government spying on you than an “RC (remote control) geek” flying his toy helicopter. I’m much more interested in capturing imagery from angles and perspectives never before possible, like this one:
Above left is the 18th hole at Black Mesa Golf Club. Black Mesa is about 30 minutes north of Santa Fe in New Mexico. Right of the mountainside is the back nine, with #10 far right and all the bunkers on #12 in the upper right third of the image. So amazing looking.
Below is a shot of the par-3 15th hole. The shot was captured with the camera about 150 feet in the air and floating above the mountains right of the par-5 16th.
Black Mesa Golf Club – Par-3 15th Hole – click for more
If you are looking for aerial photos/video for your golf course or other subject, lets talk.
The famous Hooked On Golf Blog World Tour resumes today. I’m heading to the airport in a few hours. All packed. Ready to go. The HWT returns to perhaps my favorite golf course on the planet, Black Mesa Golf Club. It has been far too long since I visited the course back in 2012.
Black Mesa Golf Club – Click for more images
In addition to Black Mesa I will also be checking out Paa-Ko Ridge this Sunday. Paa-Ko Ridge is a very highly rated course and I’m looking forward to checking it out. I really dig the New Mexico landscape and what it can help produce in terms of golf architecture.
Paa-Ko Ridge
If time allows, I may try to sneak down to Cochiti Golf Course as well.
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