We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Great Desert Golf.

We-Ko-Pa Golf Club is named after the Yavapai word meaning Four Peaks. This Club is aptly named, not only for its amazing mountain vistas, but also for its location on land owned by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. The two courses are an amazing example of desert golf at its finest. These courses posses an incredible wild beauty. In appreciation of this; The Cholla Course was recognized, in The Wall Street Journal, as one of twelve courses in the World which was beyond the reach of civilization. Pretty good for a Golf Club within 25 miles of a major international airport. What attracted me here was the lack of development around the Courses. No residential or commercial real estate development will be allowed around We-Ko-Pa Golf Club. With nothing to distract you, the only excuse for poor play will be staring at the desert landscape through which the holes traverse. Once you play here you will understand how this could happen.

There are two 18 hole courses offered at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club. The first is the 7,225 yard, Scott Miller designed, Cholla Course. The Second, is the 6,912 yard Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore designed Saguaro Course. These two desert masterpieces make a for a great 36 holes of golf. I am not convinced that the measure of a great course in to be found in the number of awards it has received. I have played many wonderful courses which boast nothing more than a caring staff and a motivated grounds crew. However, if you are traveling to a new area then you might want more than one writers’ recommendation. Don’t fret, the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club has numerous awards. The Cholla Course has been recognized by the 2006-2007 Zaggat survey as the highest ranking Arizona Golf Course and is ranked #2 Best Arizona Golf Course by Golfweek. Not to be outdone, the Saguaro Course was named one of the Top 10 Best Courses you can Play in the U.S. by Golf Magazine in January 2007.

Both the Cholla and the Saguaro Courses are stunning. The Cholla Course is the longer of the two, and I feel the slightly more challenging. Both Courses have 4 sets of tees to accommodate all skill levels, and true to desert golf, only one hole of the 36 has water which is in play. There are two other holes with water features, but they are not in play except on very errant shots. Most tee shots are over natural areas to manicured, undulating fairways. Be sure to bring your shot making skills with you. The courses appear to be more wide open than they are. There are no out of bounds stakes on the Cholla Course and no rough on the Saguaro Course. This does not mean that you will not be penalized for bad shots; there are plenty of natural plantings and desert soil available to hinder approach shots. Again the scenery is unbelievable, but the golf does not take a back seat. I would highly recommend playing all 36 Holes at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club.

We-Ko-Pa Golf Club is located approximately 23 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 18200 E Toh Vee Circle, Fort McDowell, Arizona 85264. Additional information is available by calling toll free 866-660-7700 or by going online to www.wekopa.com.