San Carlos Apache Reservation, Globe, Arizona 1999
I’ve been fortunate to work for many interesting clients, but surely none were more interesting that the San Carlos Apache Tribe. They wanted a course that would respect Tribal lands, while attracting customers to their casino and resort, two hours NE of Phoenix; and they wanted to build it with Tribal labor. Sadly, the commitment to maintaining the course has not been as strong, due to the vagaries of Tribal politics.
This was some of the most beautiful terrain we have worked in — gently tilting plains, secondary valleys just the right width for a single fairway, ridges for dramatic elevated tees, and desert washes as natural hazards at all scales. It was the perfect site for a real minimalist design married with the desert landscape. We would love to see it restored to its proper condition.
