10438 N Fort McDowell Rd, Fort McDowell, Arizona 85264, US
(480) 789-5300
Location Map

About We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort

In the East Valley of Phoenix-Scottsdale, We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, located on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation tribal land, features 246 guest rooms adjacent to We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, one of the best 36-hole golf clubs in Arizona. The resort features a large conference center and casino with live table games, plus an outdoor pool, fitness center and spa. In addition to golf and onsite amenities, guests can book desert experiences with Fort McDowell Adventures and experience cattle drives, horseback riding, themed cookouts and more on a 25,000-are desert recreation area. There are seven dining concepts between the golf club, casino and hotel serving everything from fine fare to buffet and deli dishes. The golf club features the acclaimed Cholla and Saguaro courses, both rated among the best desert courses in the country and both entirely void of any residential component. The facility, located about 20-30 minutes east of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, also features extensive practice facilities.

Facts

Price Range$$$, $$
Property Class★★★★
Acres25000
Year Opened2005
Number of Units100-300

Amenities

RestaurantsFine, Casual, Buffet, Bar
Room TypesRoom, Suite
Fitness CenterYes
Practice FacilityYes
Golf School/AcademyYes
CasinoYes
Banquet SpaceYes
SpaYes

Services

Room ServiceYes
ConciergeYes

Rules

Is the resort pet friendly?Yes
Is resort stay required for a tee time?No

Wekopa Stay & Play Package

FROM $217 (USD)
PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE | Enjoy 3 nights' accommodations at Wekopa Casino Resort and 3 rounds of golf at Wekopa Golf Club (Cholla & Saguaro Courses) and Sunridge Canyon Golf Club.

Golf courses at We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort

Reviews

4.3
97 Reviews (97)

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 86
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Facility is awesome, will definitely be back, however, lack of restaurant staying open and no beverage cart in afternoon was not great

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 86
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Facility is awesome, will definitely be back, however, lack of restaurant staying open and no beverage cart in afternoon was not great

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Wonderful We Ko Pa

Played the Saguaro Course and it was everything you could want and handle. 1st rate range and practice facilities to warm up before the round. Super friendly staff from the moment you drop your bag off to the time you walk to the parking lot. Highly recommend you get a t-time and check our Arizona's best course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Both Courses are a Must Play!

I live in Chicago, but I’m fortunate enough to get to do two golf trips to Arizona every winter. We’ve played courses all over the Phoenix area and We-Ko-Pa has always been our favorite. In fact, we’ve stopped going anywhere else and just stay and play at We-Ko-Pa! The rundown:

- Both courses are fantastic. They each have a different feel and set of challenges. You can also vary the tee boxes to open up a whole new challenge (word of advice, unless you are a single-digit handicap, don’t do the purple on Saguaro. I just learned that the hard way!)

- The greens are in great shape and run true. Fast, but not crazy fast. (I’d wager about an 11)

- The staff is awesome. Super friendly and fun. We even had a lost item and the lengths they went through to find it were above and beyond. Major shout out to Eric and Josh.

- The hotel is great too. Nice pool and hot tubs. The staff was a ton of fun. They were decked out in Chicago Bears gear for the NFL playoffs. They welcomed me despite the Green Bay Packer golf bag, hat, clothes, etc.! It lead to a lot of fun banter.

It may cost a little more than other courses in the area, but trust me, it is worth every penny! Both courses need to be on your AZ golf bucket list.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 392
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Golf Advisor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Second-best but still plenty good

We-Ko-Pa’s original golf course is prototypical desert golf, and that’s meant as a compliment: the interplay between grass and sand, cactus and rock works nicely in large part because the holes have enough corridor width to seldom feel like target golf. It’s just tough coexisting with a stunningly beautiful and cleverly constructed Coore & Crenshaw design next door.

Nevertheless, Cholla has plenty to recommend it, especially the drivable par-4 15th and a handsome finish, plus wonderful facilities and friendly people. Visitors need to prioritize this property on their visits.

Conditions Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played

Brutally Slow Price

Ridiculously slow play. Do not waste your time or money playing here.

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Fair
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 30
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Played another 18

After paying the Cholla, we decided to give Saguaro a try. It is also a phenomenal course. It is definitely more walker friendly, and a bit more forgiving off of the tee. Not quite as picturesque as Cholla but terrific in its own. The coyotes were quite active on the afternoon we played and seemed rather comfortable being around people. I highly recommend both.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 30
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Terrific Day at We-Ko-Pa

Our guys played this course for the first time on the golf trip. It was phenomenal. The Cholla Course was breathtaking. We took several pictures of beautiful holes and particular several part threes were unbelievable. The course is playable if you can control your tee shots. The rocks and native areas can be challenging if you are a bit wild off the teeth. Overall, a wonderful experience. One minor complaint is a poorly designed short par four in my opinion, but otherwise a beautiful golf course and a fun experience. I would highly recommend any Golf or visiting the Phoenix/Scottsdale area

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 325
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Birmingham Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing

Eighty-six yards. How many times can one have less than 100 yards left into a green and not just eat? C&C just tease you with short 4s and reachable 5s on the Saguaro course, then chuckle when you can’t hit wedges into 5-yard windows and wind up watching your ball feed perilously into collection areas further and further away. And that’s if you’re lucky. The alternative is winding up in a green-side bunker that is not only deep, but houses inconsistent sand, rife with pebbles. And that’s not a complaint. They are meant to be true hazards and answer the bell.

There is a payoff, however, for all of the aforementioned strife that accompanies an afternoon tee time. The inward nine offers some fun, challenging holes that play into a sunset that drapes pink hues on the surrounding mountain range that serve as a backdrop for every shot.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 111
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 250 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Beautiful course, no rough

Played here after playing ~20 other courses. Asked everyone else what the best course they've played is and they all dropped We-Ko-Pa's name. The layout was outstanding. You are out playing in the desert with views of mountains in all directions. No homes on the course. No sounds of cars passing by or planes flying overhead. Every hole with mountain views. There's uphill holes, downhill holes, elevated tee box par 3's, split fairways, doglegs. No water hazards

The "rough" here was a joke. It's dead grass cut as short as the painted fairways. Basically an extension of the fairway. Bunkers had plenty of sand. Greens were smooth. No divot sand/mix on the fairways. Fairways were dry, big bounces and roll outs.

Large grass range prior to round. Practice greens were super fast, thankfully greens on the course weren't as fast. Water bottles provided in cart. Carts had GPS but the holes weren't 2D. No ability to order food in advance at the turn. Ended up getting soggy fries and a burger that wasn't worth finishing. Club cleaners were grumpy (even after I tipped them).

Finished in 4:15 with about 45 min of waiting on the course. The course was good but not $200+ good. Everyone playing was a tourist.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 59
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

The best

10 out of 10 experience. Course is in immaculate shape, possibly the best I've seen for a Phoenix summer. Restaurant was affordable and excellent as well.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 188
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Not as fun as Saguaro. More of a challenging course, where you'll have more blind shots off the tee and lose more balls.

PACE: Waited almost every hole, because it's just a tougher course (group ahead looking for lost balls or having a hard time advance out of range).

CONDITIONS: Tee boxes were great. Fairways were excellent. Bunkers splashed wonderfully. Greens were the best I played on my PHX trip.

STAFF: The starter was helpful. The woman at the half-way hoarse said I could only have 1 scoop of ice for my cart cooler... on a 115 degree day (2 scoops were necessary for a full cooler for my drinks). That didn't seem right.

VALUE: Did the 36 hole rate. Worth it!

LAYOUT: Not a fan of blind/hidden tee shots and this course has quite a few. This is a much tougher driving hole than Saguaro. Plus, I didn't think Cholla had the panoramic appeal Saguaro has either.

Definitely play Saguaro... Cholla isn't bad (conditions are just as great as Saguaro), just not as much fun (IMO).

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 188
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Perfect course. PERFECT!

The Saguaro course is shorter, but also more fun (IMO) than the Cholla course.

PACE: Waited a few times, but nothing distracting.

CONDITIONS: Tee boxes were great. Fairways were excellent. Bunkers splashed wonderfully. Greens were the best I played on my PHX trip.

STAFF: Proactively helpful. The starter on the Saguaro course answered all my questions, and even answered questions I didn't know I should have. Fantastic!

VALUE: Go, play, and enjoy!

LAYOUT: Good mix of par 3 holes, short par 4 holes, and fair par 5 holes. Very few blind or hidden tee shots. Very fair and fun.

AMENITIES: Great practice/warm-up facilities. Half-way house on Saguaro is awesome. Are panoramic views and amenity? They are here, and they're great!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 72
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Colorado Advisor
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

Walkable Classic Desert Casino Course

90-minute frost delay - an email alert would be nice since they send an email tee-time reminder the day before. Staff very friendly and accommodating. They have a new fleet of pull-carts that are very nice. The course is walkable, especially during winter cool weather, although the back 9 has plenty of elevation changes and is a good workout. Course conditions were excellent, and the selection of tee boxes is something for everyone. The greens were medium speed and lots of front of green dropoffs so if the pin is up front you could have a tough down-hiller or if your approach comes up short it can roll 20 yards back. I thought the price was a bit steep but would consider paying it again because we really enjoyed the round.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 392
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Golf Advisor
First Time Playing
Walked

Desert splendor courtesy of Coore & Crenshaw

What a place for the first round of true desert golf in my life, and my first round in Arizona. Amid such breathtaking scenery, laying out a golf course that could successfully draw a player's eye away from mountains and sky to fairways and greens is a tall order, but C&C succeeded. They gave Saguaro enough width, attractive and strategic bunkering and interesting green complexes to make it one of the best courses in the Valley of the Sun.

If there's one bit of constructive criticism to give, it's that the full and lush overseed the course (and most others in the area) receives in the fall makes it play a bit mushy and slow, which would be in opposition to the C&C ethos embracing firm and fast turf. Still, you should consider Saguaro in the upper echelon of Phoenix/Scottsdale area golf.

Conditions Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 28
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Best Course

One of the nicest courses I have ever played. Played this the last day of my Bachelor Party and even completely hungover it was nothing short of amazing

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 102
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 250 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Great course!

Played Saguaro yesterday and it was in great shape for hot summers in AZ. The course and staff are all top notch! We Ko Pa is no doubt one of the best places you can play in all of Arizona!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

A must play course BUT

If you're in Scottsdale on a golf trip, We Ko Pa is a must play due to the views alone. Layout is also great and the courses were in great shape considering it was in the middle of heat wave (115 degrees). Amenities and staff were also top notch.

But one thing really really annoyed me...I take my golf and my USGA handicap pretty seriously and I play the tee box that I think matches my ability and length off the tee. If I'm playing the whites, I want to play the whites. At We Ko Pa however, about half the white tees were actually placed on the green tee boxes thus shortening the yardage I played by several hundred yards (No white tees were placed back to compensate for this). I feel like the people in charge must think we're not intelligent enough to figure this out - and I'm sure they do it to speed up play. But don't insult my intelligence please, put the tees where they belong just like every other course I have played in the Scottsdale area. Rant over - I would still go back but next time I'll just play from the white tee box instead of the tee box where the white tee is sitting.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Great course with great scenery.. If you play, there is no water on the course. They gave you 1 bottle of water in your cooler and thankfully the starter gave us an extra. Cart girl came around on our 1st and 9th hole.. conditions otherwise were excellent.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing

Solid

Both courses are about the same layout. Fun design, some topography changes - good desert golf. Great place to play 36 in one day. Greens are just so-so - pretty slow, They look good, but putt slow. Fairways are perfect. A good day of golf, but nothing special.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
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