1800 West Guadalupe Road Gilbert, Az. 85233 (480) 926-3589
Tee Box Options: Black=6716 Yards. Yellow=6220 Yards. Green=5805 Yards. Silver=4992 Yards. Total Par=72.
I played Kokopelli for the first time earlier this year on April 30th. I had heard good things about the course and it had many good reviews. Let’s just say it wasn’t my day to play. I bombed the front nine. I played so horribly that I quit. I couldn’t hit any club in my bag correctly. I lost about 6 balls and after 9 holes was at a 63 for the front. I tee’d off on #10. My drive resembled that of a parabola….or a bell shape. I gave up. I’ve skipped a hole here and there before, but never just quit. That was my lot on this particular day.
That has set in the back of my head all summer. I wanted a rematch. I wanted redemption! Well…..last Monday I got it. I was sitting around the previous night with no golf plans, yet wanting to play on Monday. I was perusing www.golfnow.com and Kokopelli was under $20. It seemed it was time for another go at this fine track. The weather in the valley is slightly beginning to cool down (at least it is for us!). When the days are consistently just under 100° we are all quite happy and are out doing more. Lucky for me, though, the course wasn’t very populated. On the drive in there were quite a few players on the back 9, but it didn’t affect my round at all. Like the previous round, I played the green tees. This yardage is slightly less than what I would like to play. In previous blogs I’ve said I like to play around 6000 yards. I think that is a good yardage for my handicap (20) and when my handicap improves a couple more strokes, I am going to move back a tee and play longer yardages. I tee’d off on #1. This hole is a dogleg right par 5 around the driving range.
What is kind of funny about this hole is all of the range balls are yellow. If you play a fluorescent like I do, it can be quite confusing looking for your ball after your first shot. It took a minute, but I found it and was at the side of the green within 3, just missing having my first hole be green in regulation.
The layout of each fairway is rolling, bumpy, and hilly on the sides of the fairway. There isn’t a flat green on this course. That doesn’t mean they are impossible, but a challenge none the less. The golf gods were on my side, though. I chipped in my 4th shot which I aimed way to the left just hoping to get close to the hole and not roll off the green. I started the round with a birdie!
From my yardage, the next hole is a 145 yard par 3. I bogeyed that one, but I was even par. Holes 1, 2, and 9 are on the north side of Guadalupe Road. For # 3, you have to drive through a tunnel under the road. On the north side there is a big body of water with a nice fountain spraying water. This does come into play when playing # 2. # 3 is a straight 314 yard par 4. A side road lines the right side of the fairway, while 200 yards out on the left there is a pond with reeds.
From the pond a small creek extends to the left. I had a straight drive and a layup shot before the creek. A chip over and a 2 put gave me a bogey. #4-#8 wind through a neighborhood then you use the tunnel again to play #9. The layout, except for a couple of doglegs, is straight ahead. When I played Kokopelli the first time, I was in every sand trap. The sand in the bunkers that day was like cement.
I remember dropping my cart off and making a comment to the attendant about the trap conditions. He said he takes a drop and adds 1 stroke so he doesn’t ruin a club. I’m happy to say that I was in one trap during my redemption round and the sand was playable. #8 has a green that is about 15 feet high from the ground. There is water on the back side with a bunker between the green and water. I hit a 41 for the front.
The back 9 winds through the El Dorado Lakes neighborhood and has less character than the front 9.
#12 has another pond next to the tee. #17 is a very short 125 yard par 3 (I bogeyed it). #18 is a dogleg left and has a pond around the back and left of the green, but that’s about it. There’s not much to write about regarding this set of 9 holes. I don’t know why, but on the back 9 I couldn’t hit a club off of the tee straight to save my life. I shanked every dang one to the right
.
My recovery shots were good, but it was still frustrating. I had 3 double bogeys and 6 bogeys on the back for a total of 89. I was very happy with this round and redemption was sweet. For the most part, the course was in good shape. A little on the brown side, but overseeding is right around the corner…..in a week or so. It’s not the easiest course with the rolling fairways. You could have a great drive and as it’s rolling down the fairway your ball can take a wicked bounce. The greens are no joke, either. Most are angled and wavy. It’s easy for your ball to roll off the side. But, I highly recommend playing Kokopelli if you get the chance.
Dry Heat Hacker 