We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Cholla Course)

The Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club offers a dramatic test of golf that plays through shady arroyos, over desert ridges and amid some of the most picturesque Sonoran Desert on the planet. For this reason, Cholla is widely considered as one of the most pristine desert golf experiences in the Southwest with nothing to spoil the sweeping views of the nearby river valleys, Red Mountain, Four Peaks and the rest of the majestic Superstition Mountains. The aesthetic charm of Cholla appeals to golfers just as much as its strategic challenge.

Cholla is clearly one of Miller’s best designs and embodies some of well-known architect’s favorite philosophies. With clear landing areas and well-defined, noticeable trouble, Cholla weaves through ancient land with a clear risk/reward line on every shot while staying true to the natural land and its gifts. Desert courses, Miller says, should still allow the traditional recovery shot. “When you’re playing a traditional course out East and you get in trouble in the rough, you can either be a hero and hit through the trees or you can chip out to the fairway and take your penalty. But when you hit into the brittle bush in the desert, it’s often just unplayable. That’s why we give players saving bunkers. We give them the option of strategy. We all like to be challenged, but we want enough area to play.”