We-Ko-Pa Saguaro

[linkerpan]

Day 2 of trip to Scottsdale. My impression is that you better bring your "A" game to get the feeling that you performed well.

This course is as beautiful as you can find in a desert course. Views, nature life (saguaros, coyotes, Road runners...). The care of the course is apparent in the way the fairways and greens are, basically no blemishes. The fairways are very well defined, with lush grass, and there are as many marks as you'll need. Have very demanding greens, with ondulations and well guarded by traps. Definitely, a jewel of a design by Coore and Crenshaw.

The clubhouse and halfway house are neat and comfortable. The practice areas are as good as the rest of the course, with free range balls and very good setup.

Now, I feel that I played like yesterday, but shoot 12 strokes more. There are many force carries over desert land. Actually, being realistic, it is not a course for the 18+ player. The 4th hole par 5 was 595 from the whites. The 18th hole was playing today 480 yards par 4 from the whites. The purple was almost 500 and the tips almost 517. On the scorecard, the whites are 6,252 and purple 6603, just don't think the short par 4s are a gimme. If I was the course, I would short the whites to 6,000 and would make the card a par 72. Oh, yes, because it is par 71!

All of this is of course, forgiven because the quality of the track. Is the kind of place I would play once and once again.

Pros: Beauty, competition course, demanding, all around fantastic golf facilities.

Cons: course for players that play, not for hackers. How much is ask for bottles of water in the desert courses?

 

[txeconomist]

I did a golfing trip to Scottsdale and Tuscon in May and played both the Cholla and Saguero and liked them equally well. Over the trip I played: both We-Ko-Pa courses, both of the Troon courses, Grayhawk Raptor, and several rounds at Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain outside Tuscon. All the courses were great.

Re: "better bring your A game" - I brought my B- game and lost a lot of golfballs.

[murph9095]

i played yesterday and i am a 1 handicap i found the course very fun and scenic. However the only flaw was that there are 4 drivable par 4's therefore there are a lot of long par 4's and long par 5's that par 5 that is almost 600 yards from the white did seem difficult. great course though but i think i prefer eagle mountain which i played today.

[teejaywhy]

Saguaro is my favorite public course in the state.

I find it to be quite generous in terms of turf area, not only driving zones but around the greens as well. One of the big faults I find with desert courses is so many designs bench the greens very close to the native areas which means a slight miss can easily lead to an unplayable or lost ball. Makes for a striking visual aesthetic, but at the sacrifice of playability. I think Saguaro's design (and every Coore/Crenshaw course I've had the pleasure to play) is focused more on providing an interesting and fun to play golf experience as opposed to creating a series of "signature" holes that make great photographs for a calendar or marketing brochure.

That said, just like any course with natural desert native, if you are really off, you can lose a ball or three.

I do like the variety of hole designs and the interesting use of the natural terrain. I like that the bunkering presents options that invokes strategy rather than just defining the line of play and penalizing the poorly executed shot. I like that it is a core course that is not routed through a housing development. I like that the course is set up for walking (despite being a bit hilly), with close tee/green proximity and paths from the tees to the fairways.

I do find the par values interesting, and also realize it is a source of much grumbling (the 500 yard, uphill, par 4 finishing hole for example). From my view, par is just an arbitrary number, and the goal should be to shoot your best score. If the par value of a hole temps one to try an ill advised shot, then the designer has done his job to get into the golfer's head. I love the short par 4's at Saguaro especially #2 and #16. Both look "drivable" if you are just looking at the yardage. But the best way to birdie these holes is with a short wedge and the easiest way to double bogey is with a driver from the tee.

Saguaro is a course I never tire of playing and would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

[sabram]

[quote name='murph9095' timestamp='1357007531' post='6146167']
the only flaw was that there are 4 drivable par 4's ,,,, [/quote]

Not for most of us mortals.

[quote name='murph9095' timestamp='1357007531' post='6146167']
great course though but i think i prefer eagle mountain which i played today.[/quote]

Is there anything about Eagle Mountain that you preferred to Saguaro other than fewer short par 4's?

[sabram]

Saguaro is my favorite public course in the state.

 

I find it to be quite generous in terms of turf area, not only driving zones but around the greens as well. One of the big faults I find with desert courses is so many designs bench the greens very close to the native areas which means a slight miss can easily lead to an unplayable or lost ball. Makes for a striking visual aesthetic, but at the sacrifice of playability. I think Saguaro's design (and every Coore/Crenshaw course I've had the pleasure to play) is focused more on providing an interesting and fun to play golf experience as opposed to creating a series of "signature" holes that make great photographs for a calendar or marketing brochure.

 

That said, just like any course with natural desert native, if you are really off, you can lose a ball or three.

 

I do like the variety of hole designs and the interesting use of the natural terrain. I like that the bunkering presents options that invokes strategy rather than just defining the line of play and penalizing the poorly executed shot. I like that it is a core course that is not routed through a housing development. I like that the course is set up for walking (despite being a bit hilly), with close tee/green proximity and paths from the tees to the fairways.

 

I do find the par values interesting, and also realize it is a source of much grumbling (the 500 yard, uphill, par 4 finishing hole for example). From my view, par is just an arbitrary number, and the goal should be to shoot your best score. If the par value of a hole temps one to try an ill advised shot, then the designer has done his job to get into the golfer's head. I love the short par 4's at Saguaro especially #2 and #16. Both look "drivable" if you are just looking at the yardage. But the best way to birdie these holes is with a short wedge and the easiest way to double bogey is with a driver from the tee.

 

Saguaro is a course I never tire of playing and would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

 

+1 Great post,

 

[media=] [/media] - Saguaro slideshow

 

 

We-Ko-Pa - Saguaro #4 from left by tewiespix, on Flickr

 

 

We-Ko-Pa Saguaro #16 short, uphill par 4 r by tewiespix, on Flickr

[peepster96]

I played the Cholla. From what I've heard, the Saguaro is much better. I can't wait to get back and play it. If you have time to play more golf out there, I'd recomend Vista Verde and Sunridge Canyon. I have family out there and they say all the locals recommend those. Vista Verde is one of my favorite courses I've played. Quinterro Is a very good course as well.