PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Kokopelli Golf Club

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Kokopelli Golf Club in Gilbert, AZ.

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Kokopelli Golf Club golf course

Kokopelli Golf Club

Gilbert, AZ
Black tees · 6,667 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Kokopelli Golf Club

Kokopelli Golf Club in Gilbert, Arizona is an 18-hole daily-fee championship course designed by Bill Phillips in 1992 within the El Dorado Lakes community. Blending Scottish links-style mounding with East Valley desert landscape elements, the layout features rolling Bermuda turf, moguls, mature trees, elevated tees, and seven serpentine lakes that bring water hazards into play on over half of the holes.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Kokopelli Golf Club

Off the tee

Fairways offer broad landing areas, but extensive mounding and moguls ensure flat lies are rare. Tee shots must navigate fairway sand traps, native scrub, out-of-bounds stakes, and lateral water hazards bordering multiple fairways.

Elevation & terrain

While the natural Gilbert landscape is flat, manufactured elevation plays a prominent role via elevated tee boxes, heavy fairway mounding, and raised green complexes that influence visual perception and distance control.

Approach play

Approach shots demand precise distance control over sand bunkers and water hazards. The firm, fast Bermuda greens reward high-trajectory shots or strategic ground-game approaches landed short of the target.

Around the greens

Green complexes feature firm surfaces, multi-tiered slopes, and sharp breaks that test lag putting. Deep bunkering and subtle collection hollows surround many greens, making short-sided misses difficult to recover from.

Best way to play it

Keep tee shots on the fairway to maintain clean lies off the mounds, manage risk conservatively around water-guarded greens, and target green centers to leave uphill putting opportunities on fast surfaces.

Key takeaways

  • Designed by Bill Phillips with Scottish links-inspired mounding and moguls creating uneven fairway lies throughout.
  • Seven serpentine lakes bring water hazards into play on 10 to 11 holes.
  • Firm, fast, multi-tiered greens require accurate distance control and sound green-reading.
  • Elevated teeing grounds and raised green complexes alter sightlines and club selection.
  • Narrow approaches and water-protected greens on par 5s reward disciplined layup strategies.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
4
367
8
Your 240 yd driver · ~127 yards remaining by raw distance.
2
4
345
14
Your 240 yd driver · ~105 yards remaining by raw distance.
3
4
426
6
Your 240 yd driver · ~186 yards remaining by raw distance.
4
4
359
10
Your 240 yd driver · ~119 yards remaining by raw distance.
5
3
179
18
Take enough club to clear the fronting bunkers, as missing short leaves a difficult recovery shot. Aiming for the center or missing slightly long provides a safer alternative to hold the firm putting green.
6
5
530
2
Your 240 yd driver · ~290 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
7
4
355
12
Your 240 yd driver · ~115 yards remaining by raw distance.
8
3
203
16
9
5
567
4
Aim off the tee toward the right side of the fairway bunker at the dogleg elbow. Execute a controlled layup shot to leave an approach across water and a large bunker into an elevated green protected on three sides by water.
Your 240 yd driver · ~327 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
10
5
516
3
Favor the right-center side of the fairway on the drive to open up the dogleg angle. Maintain proper positioning on the layup to set up a short-iron approach into the elevated target.
Your 240 yd driver · ~276 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
11
3
215
15
Select sufficient club to cover the distance and clear the greenside bunker short-left. Favoring the right side of the green complex avoids trouble and provides a safe landing area.
12
4
342
9
Target the right-center of the fairway off the tee to keep clear of the water hazard running down the left while staying inside the right boundary line. Approach shots must carry precisely to a green flanked by water.
Your 240 yd driver · ~102 yards remaining by raw distance.
13
4
399
7
Your 240 yd driver · ~159 yards remaining by raw distance.
14
4
408
5
Your 240 yd driver · ~168 yards remaining by raw distance.
15
3
205
17
16
4
356
13
Your 240 yd driver · ~116 yards remaining by raw distance.
17
5
572
1
Position the tee shot down the right side to establish a clear angle past the dogleg. Lay up short of the narrow green throat to set up a precise short approach away from the water hazard guarding the right and rear.
Your 240 yd driver · ~332 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
18
4
323
11
Your 240 yd driver · ~83 yards remaining by raw distance. Favor position and approach angle over extra tee-shot distance.

Course information and strategy are provided for planning purposes. Yardages, course setup, hazards and playing conditions can change. Always confirm current course information before your round.