Mountain Man Invitational — July 20–24, 2026, Ruidoso, New Mexico

Robson Ranch Invitational Spring Fling 2027 is headed to Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Pre-tournament draft party

Monday, July 13, 20265:30 p.m.

Mountain Man illustration in the same style as the site banner: bearded mountain men around a campfire at dusk, pine forest and peaks, golf bag and a draft board easel, mountain lion in the shadows—no poster lettering.

Where

Jeff Watts’ house
9201 Ambrosia CtPark on the Sterling Dr. side — by the gate to the backyard.

Food & drinks

Hamburgers on the grill, with all the fixings.

BYOB. Ice on hand and coolers available.

On the agenda

  • Announce captains
  • Drawing of the Bears and Mountain Lions teams
  • Let the talking begin

Players

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  • Open spotSpot 1 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 2 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 3 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 4 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 5 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 6 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 7 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 8 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 9 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 10 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 11 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 12 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 13 of 16
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  • Open spotSpot 15 of 16
  • Open spotSpot 16 of 16

Teams

Mountain Lions

Defending champions

Captain

  • Llynal Carey — captain

Players

  • Player 1 — TBD
  • Player 2 — TBD
  • Player 3 — TBD
  • Player 4 — TBD
  • Player 5 — TBD
  • Player 6 — TBD
  • Player 7 — TBD
  • Player 8 — TBD

Bears

Captain

  • Donny Reed — captain

Players

  • Player 1 — TBD
  • Player 2 — TBD
  • Player 3 — TBD
  • Player 4 — TBD
  • Player 5 — TBD
  • Player 6 — TBD
  • Player 7 — TBD
  • Player 8 — TBD

Scoring

Accumulated team points (all rounds)
Mountain Lions—
Bears—

Round-by-round matchups

  • Round 1Round 1 — team formatsMonday, July 20, 2026
    • Match 1
    • Match 2
    • Match 3
    • Match 4
    Round total (match points)
  • Round 2Round 2 — 2-man best ballTuesday, July 21, 2026
    • Match 1
    • Match 2
    • Match 3
    • Match 4
    Round total (match points)
  • Round 3Round 3 — individualWednesday, July 22, 2026
    • Match 1
    • Match 2
    • Match 3
    • Match 4
    Round total (match points)

Low gross · Low net

Round 1 is team formats only — no individual stroke board here. Rounds 2 and 3 list places 1–16 for low gross and low net from Locker Room totals (names use the public roster when available).

  • Round 2Tuesday, July 21, 2026

    Low gross (1–16)

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    Low net (1–16)

    • 1——
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  • Round 3Wednesday, July 22, 2026

    Low gross (1–16)

    • 1——
    • 2——
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    • 14——
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    • 16——

    Low net (1–16)

    • 1——
    • 2——
    • 3——
    • 4——
    • 5——
    • 6——
    • 7——
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    • 9——
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    • 11——
    • 12——
    • 13——
    • 14——
    • 15——
    • 16——

Schedule & events

Trail notes

We plan to rotate rounds across Alto Country Club, The Outlaw at Alto, Kokopelli Golf Club, and Rainmakers. Tee sheets and pairings will post here once Llynal and Dale lock times.

Competition schedule — three rounds

  1. Round 1Round 1 — team formatsMonday, July 20, 2026

    Nine holes best ball (pairings TBD), then nine holes alternate shot. Course and tee time rotation will post once Llynal and Dale finalize the sheet. Competition course for this round has not been selected yet. Points (working plan): 1 point per hole to the winner; ½ point each if tied.

  2. Round 2Round 2 — 2-man best ballTuesday, July 21, 2026

    Round 2 will be 18 holes of 2-man best ball. Course and tee time rotation will post once Llynal and Dale finalize the sheet. Competition course for this round has not been selected yet. Points (working plan): 1 point per hole to the winner; ½ point each if tied.

  3. Round 3Round 3 — individualWednesday, July 22, 2026

    Round 3 is individual stroke play, using handicap index from each player’s profile. Competition course for this round has not been selected yet. Points (working plan): 1 point per hole to the winner; ½ point each if tied.

Golf — courses

  • Alto Country Club (Alto Lakes)

    The original 18 at Alto Lakes Golf & Country Club—think mountain air, pine-lined fairways, and plenty of wildlife. The front nine plays more open and scorable; the back nine adds slope, smaller targets, and trickier greens. It is the “country club” half of the Alto duo: straight golf in a cool summer setting.

    Green fee (per round, working): $115.

    View website
    Edgy poster-style illustration: mountain-man golfer at Alto Lakes, typography with elevation and classic mountain eighteen specs.

  • The Outlaw at Alto

    The younger championship layout on the same club roster (opened 2011). Big elevation changes, native scrub, and faster greens make distance control the story—fewer trees, more sky, and a little more bruising if you get on the wrong side of a ridge. Official info lives with Alto Lakes Golf & Country Club under The Outlaw at Alto Lakes.

    Green fee (per round, working): $115.

    View website
    Edgy outlaw-style poster illustration for The Outlaw at Alto with course taglines.

  • Kokopelli Golf Club

    Set on the high mesa in Alto, Kokopelli is a tight, scenic eighteen with water in play, real elevation change, and long sights of Sierra Blanca. The routing favors placement and angles—think “executive” on the card, bigger on the eyes. The clubhouse carries a contemporary Southwest feel—full bar, dining room, and patio space—so it fits the trip rhythm when we anchor Thursday night there for closing awards and dinner (see Evening entertainment).

    Green fee (per round, working): No green fee — golf cart only.

    View website
    Vintage Western poster for Kokopelli Golf Club: stacked mesa typography, high-mesa golfer, lakes and Sierra Blanca.

  • Rainmakers

    Rainmakers Resort & Club in Alto—a private club feel with knockout Sierra Blanca views and strong conditioning. Guests play by arrangement; book early and confirm cart and hospitality details with the pro shop when your tee is firm.

    Green fee (per round, working): $125.

    View website
    Edgy resort poster illustration for Rainmakers private club and Sierra views.

Evening entertainment

  • Monday — Llynal's houseHamburgers.
  • Tuesday — Jeff's houseDonny's 70th birthday bash. Debbie hosting — dinner and drinks.
  • Wednesday (lunch) — Dale's houseMs. Sharon's brownies.
  • Wednesday (night) — Karaoke at the clubDinner on your own.
  • Thursday night — Closing awards & dinner · Kokopelli Golf ClubEveryone covers their own meal; great food and we have the entire restaurant to ourselves.

Awards

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Drivers & riders

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Lodging

Mountain Man ’26 — lodging update

Host homes

Jeff lined up the host-house rental—four bedrooms and four baths; everyone who toured says it shows really well inside.

  • Llynal Carey — Tim Hughes, Gary Smith, Scott Tefft
  • Dale Valentine — Harley Finnel, Doyle Hicks
  • Jeff Watts — Dave Emerton, Dennis Stewert

VRBO & other stays

Mountain Man group VRBO — this is the Ruidoso rental the VRBO crew shares (see the roster line below and the lodging split note). Different house than last year; still a short hop from Llynal and the host homes.

Use the listing for photos, bed / bath layout, parking, amenities, house rules, and the map. Book or save it from your phone with VRBO's app if the link opens there first.

View the property on VRBO

  • Donny Reed — staying at his own home.
  • Corey Klessig, Johnny Eason, Larry Hull, Mike Miloser, and Scott Davies — shared VRBO just down the street from Llynal (different spot than last year).
Lodging. $166 per man — twelve players split the VRBO cost evenly. Llynal Carey, Dale Valentine, Donny Reed, and Jeff Watts are outside that split (hosts / own home).

Partners & guests. Mention traveling companions when you check in with the group so we can plan partner outings. Anyone booking paid lodging outside the group VRBO or host homes handles those costs on their own.