Destination Phoenix: Desert Golf at We-Ko

Destination Phoenix:
Desert Golf at We-Ko-Pa
T
he greater Phoenix area is fortunate
to have an abundance of exciting golf
courses. And sometimes, you're lucky
enough to find two excellent courses
side by side, so you can get in a full
day of great golf without leaving the
parking lot.
The We-Ko-Pa Golf Club offers two
courses of pure desert golf. They are
similar, yet each presents its own set of
challenges and rewards for good golf
shots. Golfweek's 2015 list of the top 25
public courses in Arizona includes WeKo-Pa's Saguaro as #2 and Cholla as #4.
That says a great deal about the quality
of the two courses!
We-Ko-Pa is located just east of
Fountain Hills on the ancestral grounds
of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
(We-Ko-Pa means “Four Peaks” in
the Yavapai language.) Cholla opened
in 2001 and Saguaro opened in 2006,
both on land that will never be used for
residential development. Wide open
We-Ko-Pa Cholla #3
By Wes Bolyard
vistas give you a mountain view in every
direction: Four Peaks to the east, the
McDowells to the west, Red Mountain
and the Superstitions to the south, and
Mazatzals to the north. Also to the west
over the foothills, you can see one of the
world’s tallest fountains spraying up to
560 feet on the hour every hour for
15 minutes.
The Cholla course, a Scott Miller
design, is more of a target style desert
golf course, while the Saguaro course,
a Coore – Crenshaw design, is a little
more of a traditional style. There are
five sets of tee boxes on each course to
accommodate players of all skill levels.
Cholla has more dramatic elevation
changes, where tee shots drop down
to the fairway then back up to elevated
green complexes. A prime example is
number 8, a par five that goes down the
hill with a fairway that wraps around
the corner, dropping about 100 feet and
finally crossing a dry wash to the green.
There are several holes with doglegs, and
14 Summer 2015 Kansas City Golf Tournament & Travel
some with hazards in the middle of the
fairway composed of trees and sandy
areas. As you head to the downhill 18th
hole, be aware if you go to the right that
the lake that is closer than on the left
side of the fairway; however, the left side
is protected by bunkers crossing
the fairway.
When standing on the first tee of
Saguaro, you have a panoramic view of
several holes. The elevation change is
a more subtle here, with the fairways
flowing naturally with the terrain.
When this course was built, there was
minimal movement of earth, and the
design places the tees for the next hole
a nominal distance from the previous
green. There are several natural washes
which are normally dry, and only 68
acres of turf are interspersed with the
surrounding desert.
Saguaro has slightly larger green
complexes and slightly wider fairways
than Cholla. The highest elevation for
these two courses is about 1,800 feet,
giving you about half a club advantage.
Be sure to refer to the course guide, both
for distances to bunkers and for carries
required to get to the best part of the
fairway for your next shot. The goal at
We-Ko-Pa from the very beginning was
to create golf holes that are beautiful and
thrilling to play!
There is a large practice facility to
warm up, and two restaurants, one at
the clubhouse and a snack shop near the
first tee of Saguaro. Guests who stay at
the We-Ko-Pa Resort and Conference
Center can get a special stay and play
package. There is an annual We-KoPass cardholder program plus a 36-hole
package that doesn’t require you to play
all 36 in one day.
We-Ko-Pa Cholla # 18
A friend of mine, Robin Scott, a
Missouri resident who visits Arizona
during the winter and is a We-Ko-Pass
cardholder, shared his experience on the
two courses: “I love the disparity in the
two courses. The Cholla course requires
a lot of thinking and shot making
whereas the Saguaro has beautiful vistas
and the intimidation factor that goes
along with it. Each course is always in
immaculate condition and both are a
thrill to play.”
An interesting note is that the overall
acreage of the golf property is 635 acres,
with just 73 acres of grass on Cholla and
68 on Saguaro. This may sound like there
isn’t much grass to hit to, but the landing
areas are actually very generous and, in
most cases, the slope of the fairways will
keep the ball in play if you hit it to the
correct side. There are so many good
holes on both courses; playing here will
enhance your overall golfing experience.
With doglegs that bend both right and
left and large greens just awaiting your
shots, your shot making abilities will
be tested. With such a natural setting,
these will be two of the more memorable
courses you will ever play.
www.wekopa.com
We-Ko-Pa Saguaro #15
We-Ko-Pa Saguaro #6
Summer 2015
Kansas City Golf Tournament & Travel
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