Rockwind Community Links Names New Head Golf Professional

Hobbs, NM – Rockwind Community Links announces the hiring of Steve Schoch as the new Golf Professional and Clubhouse Operations General Manager. Prior to joining Rockwind, Schoch managed several New Mexico golf courses including Taos Country Club in Taos, New Mexico, Riverview Golf Course in Kirtland, New Mexico, and Sierra del Rio Golf Course in Elephant Butte. A native of El Paso, Schoch is a Class A member of the PGA.

“We are very excited to have Steve Schoch join our team at Rockwind Community Links,” said Doug McDaniel, Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Hobbs. “Steve’s experience as a golf professional and general manager will continue the efforts to make Rockwind Community Links the premier municipal golf facility in our state.”

Schoch has played the Rockwind layout many times since the course first opened in 2015. He finds the visionary concept of “community links” a real success and believes the facility is positioned to promote the game of golf to all ages.

“The vision that Hobbs’ public officials had for Rockwind is tremendous,” said Schoch. “That combined with the effort by the Rockwind staff has resulted in the course being ranked as one of the best municipal golf courses in the nation and #2 in New Mexico. My wife and I are excited to be here and look forward to contributing to that effort. Our team at Rockwind will strive to make it a friendly and fun environment for residents and visitors. With both golf and non-golf events, we will aim to continue the culture of hospitality for which Rockwind is best known.”

The Rockwind facility is considered a trailblazer in uniting golf with the local community. “Community Links” is a concept introduced by architect Andy 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.

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.

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