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Golf Course Review We Ko Pa Golf Club SAGUARO Fort McDowell Arizona

We_Ko_Pa Golf Club (Saguaro)

Golf Course Review We Ko Pa Golf Club SAGUARO Fort McDowell Arizona

Reviewed by: sixpez, Rancho Mirage, CA
This was the last stop on my 2-day trip with a noon tee time on Saguaro. I had hopes of maybe trying to squeeze in Cholla afterward, but this place was packed all day and I knew there was no chance I’d finish all 18 before dark. Will save that for another time when I can play and enjoy it properly. There was a big group out ahead of us and they slowed things down for our group. I was paired with another single and a twosome and we went of a few minutes late and then finished in about 4 hours, 40 minutes.

The Review

Golf Playing Conditions 8.36 GREAT
Golf Playing Conditions 8.36 GREAT

The course, as one would expect this time of year, was in great shape. The tee boxes and fairways were fantastic. The rough wasn’t over-seeded, so it was more semi-dormant and dappled in color. Not quite as “pretty” as full dormancy or full over-seed, but played fine. It was cut down super tight and easy to hit from.

The only drawback is that many of the fairways here fall off on the edges toward the desert or nasty bunkers, so gravity and no rough to stop your rolling were a recipe for some unfortunate breaks. It puts an extra premium on landing in the middle, though the fairways here are generally fairly wide and generous on all but a few holes. The bunkers were great and the greens were the best on this trip. They were firm and pretty fast, with beautifully kept surfaces. Being below the hole is recommended, but not always easily accomplished!

Final Word

This one has been at the top of my AZ bucket list for awhile, so I was excited to finally play Saguaro. The facilities here are fantastic and the setting is stunning, as you are basically out in the middle of nowhere.

I really liked the layout, but I personally wouldn’t put it at the very top of my list. Still, there is a lot to like and it’s definitely a must-play in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area. You will pay a pretty penny to play here in season, but deals can be found during other times of year.

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Golf Course Review We Ko Pa Golf Club SAGUARO Fort McDowell Arizona

We_Ko_Pa Golf Club (Saguaro)

Golf Course Review We Ko Pa Golf Club SAGUARO Fort McDowell Arizona

Reviewed by: jamesph99, Redmond

Golf Playing Conditions 7.78 GREAT
Golf Playing Conditions 7.78 GREAT

Took a Thanksgiving trip to Scottsdale with the family.  Walked the purple tees at the Saguaro Course at We Ko Pa last Tuesday morning (11/20/18).

The Review

I really enjoyed it as conditions were very solid all the way around. Greens were fairly quick to me but rolling very true, with hardly any un-repaired pitch marks. They held well struck shots nicely, and were very consistent throughout the course. Fairways were very nice as well, giving a decent amount of roll as well as great lies, with the exception of the un-filled divot that I found on #10. Rough was dormant and not very long, but I still found it somewhat difficult to make solid contact when I missed a fairway. Bunkers were pretty good (I found several, both fairway and green-side), and tee boxes very nice as well. Our foursome (me walking, a father and his 2 sons riding) got around in a little over 4 hours, never waiting and letting a twosome through on on #12.

The Facilities

The range here is very nice (balls are included with the green fee), and there looked to be a really nice short game area that I didn’t have time to check out. The putting green next to the 1st tee was very good, and very representative of what you were going to find on the course. Customer service was excellent, lots of help checking in and getting the clubs cleaned after the round. Saw the beverage cart 3 times, and also had a pretty good hot dog at the turn.

I really liked the layout here.  There seemed to be a pretty good mix of long and short holes. It is quite forgiving off of the tee, as you need to be pretty wild to find the desert. Approach shots need to be good though, as there are lots of green-side bunkers, and fairly large greens making 2 putts difficult at times. They market this course as walkable, and they did have some push carts available for use at the first tee. While it is walkable, it isn’t the easiest walk as it isn’t a flat course. There are some decent hills to go up and down, as well as a few forced carries where you’ll have to walk down into an arroyo and then back up and out of it. For a few of those I was happy to hop on the cart with one of my playing partners to save up some energy.

Parting Thoughts

I paid the rack rate to play here, and mainly chose it because they let you walk, plus the family and I were staying at the resort. While I got a slight break on the price, I think it was just a little bit steep. If I lived in the area I would definitely play it, but I would probably save it for special occasions.