By Isabel Laulhe
LAS CRUCES – Six years ago, T.J. McMullan opened his golf training facility on Wyatt Drive. It was a modest space where he spent his days giving lessons and helping players improve their swings.
But he soon realized how difficult it was to track his clients’ progress once they went out to the golf course on their own. That is when he decided to relocate and expand Cruces Total Golf into a larger facility with top-level simulators.
McMullan, the three-time Professional Golfers’ Association Teacher of the Year, had dreamed of building a place like this since his years at New Mexico State University, where he majored in PGA Golf Management, a program offered at only 15 other universities in the United States.
Like many business owners, McMullan encountered challenges at first, particularly with finances and developing the overall concept.
However, in 2024, Cruces Total Golf moved to its current, larger location on 170 W. Picacho Ave., which was formerly a skating rink.
The facility features 10 hitting bays, each of them equipped with a TrackMan simulator. The simulators track ball and club data and offer features ranging from a virtual driving range to simulations of some of the world’s most renowned golf courses. Eight of the bays are available for rental, while two are reserved for McMullan’s lessons and club fittings. The facility includes a putting green as well.
McMullan also hosts leagues and tournaments and offers club repair, customization and equipment ordering.
Photo/Cruces Total Golf website
Today, the facility attracts a wide range of customers, from beginners to professionals. The NMSU men’s and women’s golf teams also practice there, particularly when weather makes outdoor practice difficult. Visitors say they like the friendly atmosphere, and the facility has become a gathering place for golfers of all ages and skills.
“Especially when it’s too windy, too cold or too hot, that’s when I like to come work on my game,” said Emma Bunch, a senior from Denmark and the 2024 Conference USA individual champion.
People not only come for golf. Cruces Total Golf also offers arcade games, table tennis, pool tables and a bar, McMulligan’s, which opened several months ago.
The facility benefits Las Cruces by offering a more inclusive and accessible way to play golf.
“It is a family environment, something Las Cruces is in desperate need of,” said McMullan.
Cruces Total Golf is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bay rentals cost $35 per hour and $90 for three hours, while monthly memberships range from $110 to $310 per month. One-hour lessons are available for $70, and club fittings cost $55. For more information, visit crucestotalgolf.com or call 575-449-4762.
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