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TRAVELIN' JOE'S TOP 5 ARIZONA DESERT
COURSES YOU CAN PLAY
• BY Joe Passov
T
o play cactus-covered golf, you have to
come to the Arizona desert. It's hardly a
traditional setting for the ancient game, but
it's certainly among the most memorable.
As major champion-turned architect Tom Weiskopf
once told me, "Desert golf courses are different. By
law, we can only irrigate 90 acres of turf. Conse-
quently, nearly all of the great new courses are target-
oriented. On the plus side, this makes for a unique,
dramatic look, the striking contrasts of green formality
against the rugged desert backdrop."
Combine those distinctive desert designs with 330
days of sunshine per year, mountain vistas, glorious
sunsets and top professional tournaments and it's
easy to justify a golf trip to the Grand Canyon State.
The main problem is narrowing down which courses
to sample. To help refine your options, here are my
top five places to play in the Arizona desert.
>>>
The Saguaro Course at
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club.
Travelin' Joe Passov is a veteran magazine editor specializing
in courses, travel, history and architecture. He's played more
than 1,800 golf courses in 35 countries and all 50 states.
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