Those halcyon days of golf and more golf eventually fade when kids, dogs, guinea pigs etc. join the fray. Now I might be lucky to see fifteen new courses a year, a great amount to some and a paltry sum to others. Nonetheless, each visit to a new course needs to matter, especially because I travel with the intent to profile courses for this website.
During a recent trip to Arizona, I was especially impressed by both Desert Forest and the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa. Architects usually have to create man-made hazards to lend playing interest to inland/parkland courses play. That’s much less true when the beguiling desert surrounds each playing corridor. As counterintuitive as it seems, the desert is conducive to good golf. Consider its virtues: skies of a scale entirely unfamiliar to us east coasters, long views unimpeded by trees, natural hazards of a fierce nature, and a genuine connection with nature. Wow – am I talking about Scotland?!
My visceral response to the desert golf was so intense that it made me wonder: Was I overreacting/too excited?
One benefit of working with photos and scripting a course profile for 15-20 hours is that it forces you to mull over the X’s and O’s. It also creates a cooling down period and nothing dampens enthusiasm better than the crucible of time (save for perhaps a dusty and barren beverage cabinet
). Having said that, no tempering occurred and I remained - dare I use the word - ebullient!
So ... I started checking around with a few well-traveled folks for their perspective. The gent with the strongest opinion was Bill Schulz. He lives in Arizona, has played the Golf Magazine World Top 100 lists since 2001, seen numerous other gems worldwide, and is thoroughly familiar with the best in his home state. Most relevant to this profile, Bill has played the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club over 100 times. That’s important, as I am loath to make a dogmatic determination after going around a course only three times, as I did at We-Ko-Pa. I have played five courses 100 or more times (the 3 courses at CC of Virginia, Southern Pines GC, and Newcastle in Australia). That experience confirms that warts and all are exposed after 100 rounds!
So after that brief intro I reprint Bill’s thoughts with his permission:
We-Ko-Pa Saguaro is my favorite golf course in Arizona and the best truly public (no resort or college affiliation) course in the United States. I say that with a confidence developed after playing over 100 rounds there. Desert Forest is an iconic and innovative desert design; Forest Highlands (my home club) is a spectacular course in Arizona’s high country (Doak gave it an 8 in the original Confidential Guide); and Estancia is the most visually arresting desert course (Stone Canyon is a close 2nd) with an eminently walkable routing. However, Coore and Crenshaw’s dramatic inclusion of many half par holes (4 par 4s under 336 yards, three par 4s over 470 yards, a short and monster par 5 on the scorecard and par 3s ranging from 137 to 255 yards) make We- ko-Pa one of the most elastic designs in the world. There are short, potential birdie (even eagle for the scratch golfer) holes fraught with danger as well as holes of epic length that demand a golfer’s perseverance and imagination to conquer. One can enjoy the Saguaro with both high handicap beginners from Denver and earnest young pros striving for Q school because of the generous width of the fairways. Coore’s wonderful design philosophy that enables a round of golf with just one golf ball is within reach with a little bit of luck and without the frustration of regularly looking for errant golf balls (and rattlesnakes). My favorite aspect of the Saguaro is the magic of playing a round of golf (without any homes or other development) first thing in the morning with my bag over my shoulder. I try not to laugh (or shake my head!) at cartballers who walk 25 yards back to their cart after putting out on the 1st green , drive 40 yards ahead and then walk 15 yards back to the second tee; we walkers simply take a few steps off the rear of the 1st green onto the next tee. Coore’s thoughtful routing takes you to all corners of the property and the next tee usually lies only a few paces from the previous green. Each and every round at We-Ko-Pa Saguaro soars with infinite possibilities!Strong words, and one can surmise that Saguaro Course possesses the ingredients to engender an intense connection. Few courses are capable of producing such passion and those that do will always be heralded on this website. We-Ko-Pa (Desert Forest too) is such a course, so we are particularly delighted to add its profile to the Courses by Country section. The stage was set for Coore & Crenshaw to produce something special as they had expansive acreage with interesting land forms without the hindrance of a real estate component. Plus, they really enjoyed their interaction with Ed Francese, the Saguaro Project Manager for the Yavapai Indians of Fort McDowell. Overall, it was a fun project for all concerned and that enjoyment bubbles through into the final product.
Different setting to be sure than some of C&C’s famous private Northeast ones but just as special a design sharing the same core values.
Joe Passov apparently has just re-reviewed the Saguaro Course elsewhere and I am anxious to find that article to see what he has to say. Knowing him as I do, I’d be shocked if it wasn’t along the same glowing lines as Bill.
Have a look at this profile and tell me what you think. Though my playing experience in the desert is limited, I was mesmerized. The question that resonates with me is: What more could you POSSIBLY hope for from golf in the desert?!
Cheers,