Executive Traveler May 2006
© Dale Leatherman 2006
Photos © Donnelle Oxley
As a winter golf destination, it doesn’t get any better than the Valley of the Sun.
The sun was dropping when we reached the eighteenth hole of the We-Ko-Pa Golf Course, northeast of Phoenix. As we hit our drives, the course and the surrounding desert were bathed in a golden glow. The shadows of saguaro cacti reached long, dark fingers across the fairway. Hares, long ears twitching, crept from the mesquite bushes to nibble the lush grass.
We moved quickly, racing darkness but still taking care with our approach shots to the green. Par was at stake. Just as we got to the putting surface, the serenade began--a few happy yips followed by a long, quavering howl. Another coyote chimed in with a warbling refrain, and then the whole pack gave voice to a cacophony of happy yelps and cries from the underbrush nearby.
The hair rose on the back of my neck--not from fear, but from the poignancy of the moment. I could imagine pioneers hearing this inimitable song of the West and wondering whether this rugged land could ever be tamed. Centuries later, at We-Ko-Pa, the desert is still wild and the coyotes still sing.
The chorus continued while we sank our putts and turned our golf cart toward the clubhouse lights. Inside the angular stone and wood structure, the bold, earthy colors of Native American art shout from wall hangings, rugs and statuary. Like the coyotes, the Yavapai Tribe roamed this area long before America had a name. We-Ko-Pa (the Yavapai pronunciation for Four Peaks Mountain) lies within the boundaries of the 40-square-mile Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, and is owned and operated by the tribe.
Located a mere 23 miles from the booming real estate market in Phoenix, We-Ko-Pa remains devoid of houses along its fairways, as is the tribe’s policy. The view is unobstructed 30 miles across the Sonoran Desert to the namesake mountain range rising 7,000 feet into the sky.
It was our second golf trip to the Phoenix-Scottsdale area. We played We-Ko-Pa last, wanting the wild desert landscape and warm evening breeze to linger in our minds when we deplaned back East into the teeth of a fierce November snowstorm. In this part of Arizona the sun shines 330 days a year, pausing for brief rainy seasons to replenish the desert foliage. But who’s counting?
The area’s transition from dusty Western towns to a golfer’s dream destination began in 1910 and has been in high gear since the 1970s. Today more than 200 layouts are woven around and through dozens of upscale communities and resorts. The Robb Report has called it “America’s Best Place to Live for Golf.” It’s not bad for a visit, either. There’s no destination on the planet with a better concentration of superior courses. Complementing the golf is an impressive array of hotels, spas and restaurants.
Dispensing with superlatives, suffice it to say that a golf vacation here is expensive, but that every aspect from mattresses to menus is likely to meet or exceed your expectations. Here’s a sampler of some of the top places to play in this corner of the Sonoran Desert.
Contact me to discuss second rights or a rewrite of this article. daleatherman@cs.com