There are giants in the desert. Enormous, armed caretakers of the land so plentiful, it would take you centuries to count them all. We’re talking about, of course, The Iconic Saguaro cactus. If you’ve read our piece on the Noble and Iconic Saguaro, you know the cactus is beloved by all citizens of the Southwest and grows nowhere else but the Sonoran Desert. And no matter where the Saguaro is in its lifecycle, it has many uses from food to furniture for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.
While the time on Earth for our thorned friends extends well past a mere human life – some live more than 300 years – like all things, Saguaros eventually die and leave behind a skeleton, many of which still stand, presiding over the Sonoran Desert sunset. It is that final, proud moment and its meaning which We-Ko-Pa Golf Club has chosen to honor with its brand-new club icon – The Skeleton Saguaro.
We-Ko-Pa’s most visible Skeleton Saguaro, ironically, is near Cholla No. 1 teebox just north of the Cholla tees west of the cart path. Coming up the hill to No. 1, the Skeleton Saguaro can be seen watching over opening tee shots, and from the teebox itself, players can see Saguaros in every stage of their life. Three-foot “babies” only 50 years old are found on both sides of the teeing area. Two adolescents, alive for the better part of a century but have yet to grow any arms, are visible in the large waste area guarding the left side of the fairway. And many fully mature, adult, Saguaros with multiple arms, can be found in the native desert area on both sides of the fairway and green.
The icon will be available soon on nearly everything in the We-Ko-Pa Golf Shop from golf balls to hats and quarter-zips to hand towels to add to your We-Ko-Pa wardrobe.
