NB3 Matchplay returns, Santa Ana Pueblo views it as opportunity bigger than just golf

SANTA ANA PUEBLO — For its second year, the NB3 Matchplay collegiate event is returning to Twin Warriors Golf Course.

Behind Albuquerque’s own and former PGA Tour pro Notah Begay III, the Santa Ana Pueblo property will welcome several college men and women golf teams to play in one of the more unique formats of the season: mixed-gender matchplay.

“Two years ago, he (Begay III) approached us with a concept of doing a match play,” Santa Ana Golf Club Chairman Jay Garcia said. “And the unique thing about this one is that it's going to involve men's and women's teams playing together. Usually, men's and women's teams are on opposite sides of the spectrum, so this will be a unique, interesting concept to enable the men and women of their respective colleges to play together.”

This year’s field will consist of local schools: the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University, once again. Aside from the Lobos and Aggies, Texas A&M, the University of Oregon, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and the University of Arizona round out the rest of the field.

Along with the NCAA coming to town, the two-day event will be televised live on NBC’s Golf Channel on Tuesday, Oct. 7, and Wednesday, Oct. 8. Begay III is an analyst on NBC’s PGA television broadcasts, as he will be on the call for this event as well.

While the television cameras bring the spotlight to these select college golfers, Garcia also states that it does wonders for putting Santa Ana Pueblo in the public eye.

“He (Begay III) had been able to negotiate TV time with the Golf Channel to air it. So when that all fell into place, we looked at it from a business perspective of getting the word out and bringing new customers in here,” Garcia said. “Golf in New Mexico is never considered a destination. People fly right over us and go to Scottsdale. They fly right over us and go to Las Vegas. But no one knows that New Mexico has quality golf courses, and golf courses for a lot less green fees. People are blown away when they come here, and they're like, ‘Wow. I didn't know this was here. Wow. This is good, I want to bring a group out next year.’”

Get the word out, it has. Last year’s tournament led to the Santa Ana’s phones ringing and new customers looking to come to the property.

But according to Garcia, the publicity is more than just filling tee times and hotel rooms; it is about educating the country about the culture in Santa Ana Pueblo.

“We want to highlight the tribe and all the positive things we're doing,” Garcia said. “Because people who don't know about tribal nations always have a negative view of tribal people; it is just the way it is. You can't change what people think, right? But we just focus on trying to teach and grow.”

You can catch commercials produced by Garcia and the group during the broadcast of the event, with the segments focused on informing viewers about different areas of their community.

These teachings to the public are reflective of how the Santa Ana Pueblo community operates, with the overarching theme of always putting everything back into the community.

For example, Begay’s “NB3” foundation is centered around ensuring Native children prioritize their health and set them up for a healthy life as they grow.

“There's often some misunderstandings with tribes and the casinos,” Garcia said. “But everything we do is we invest back into the community, reinvest it in the portfolio to serve the future generations.”

The 2025 NB3 Matchplay at Twin Warriors will be live on Golf Channel at 3:30-6:30 p.m. local time on Oct. 7 and 2:30-5:30 p.m. local time on Oct. 8. Check in to see some top-level college golf play, and keep an eye out for some Santa Ana Pueblo commercials.

“We’ve been successful, but for all that success, people don't know a lot about us,” Garcia said. “They know they can come to the casino and eat, drink and be entertained, but that's about it. They don't know the whole story, right? And that's where we kind of come in to tell that story and teach.”