From subtle architectural enhancements to upgrading grasses and bunker sand, and from drainage improvements to irrigation modernization—all were curated in the effort to bring back the Jack Nicklaus-designed masterpiece to its initial look and character. Nicklaus was especially proud of what he achieved with the design of Cochise, and we are grateful Jack’s team was able to restore it to precisely what he intended. It’s now been nearly a year since the course has been open to Members, and the results—and reviews—have been tremendous. Let’s take a look back at the process it took to keep Cochise Golf Course at the top of its game.
Cochise Golf Course History
When Lyle Anderson announced plans in 1985 to transform a massive, cactus-studded tract north of Phoenix into a luxury residential community, he was greeted with laughter. It was too far from downtown Phoenix or even downtown Scottsdale, the critics argued. Anderson knew a superb property when he saw it, however, and moved ahead, undaunted. And people came, many of them inspired by the snapshot the Cochise Golf Course provided. Today, Desert Mountain represents the gold standard against which golf course communities are measured. Cochise is only one ingredient in the Desert Mountain success recipe, but it’s a hugely important one. And early on, it illuminated the virtues of the Club’s community better than any marketing tool in the arsenal.
Tournament History, Honors & Accolades
To create national awareness of the quality of Cochise and Desert Mountain Club, Anderson partnered with the PGA Senior Tour. In 1989, Cochise hosted The Tradition, and garnered countless compliments from the top senior professionals in the world. Year after year, television viewers were treated to a staggeringly beautiful layout, impeccably groomed, and replete with exciting risk/reward challenges. As a result, the Desert Mountain community grew. In 2006, Anderson looked back and gave credit where credit was due.
“We became a major right off the bat,” said Anderson. “It elevated the stature and was a huge success. We got all the best players and a lot of attention. It was wonderful for business, not only for Desert Mountain but for the whole area. People don’t fully realize the impact of The Tradition. With the tournament being on national television every year and becoming a major championship, it was paramount to promoting the whole Scottsdale area as a second home market and a wonderful place to retire and live. It really helped put Scottsdale on the national map as a true destination.
“We had The Tradition for 12 years (1989-2001) and through those glory years, with Jack Nicklaus winning four of them, and Lee Trevino and Ray Floyd and people like that were our victors—tremendous tournaments and tremendous excitement. I’m prejudiced but I thought it was the best tournament on the Senior Tour. I think people fell in love with the desert all over the country, watching that. They were fascinated—and that certainly helped our market.”
In addition to The Tradition, Cochise also hosted the PGA Tour Champions’ prestigious season-ending event, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in 2012 and 2014-2016.
A decade after The Tradition departed, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship reminded patrons, the broadcast audience and the PGA Tour Champions’ greatest players that Cochise occupied rarefied air as one of the nation’s outstanding golf courses. Next year, Cochise will again be put on a national stage as it hosts the 2026 edition of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
Cochise Restoration Highlights
After 35 years, Cochise’s irrigation system, pump station and bunker drainage were all failing so the below-ground infrastructure was priority one. Nicklaus architect Chad Goetz, and the Club’s Golf & Agronomy Committee, Director of Agronomy Todd Bohn, and PGA Director of Golf John Lyberger created a plan designed to address the issues.
The first step was to install a modern irrigation system that would allow for a regulated, isolated watering system in addition to a vastly improved pipe and a properly spaced, state-of-the-art sprinkler heads. While most of the restoration work was completed “underground” with the new irrigation system and the coring out of all the greens, it’s the above ground artistry that would be appreciated the most by Members. Paired with a new variety of drought-tolerant bermudagrass fairways, it would yield water conservation savings, consistent color and improved playing conditions.
Second on the list was re-grassing the greens to improve the putting surfaces. Third was the installation of new sand bunker liners, and new sand (75% white sand and 25% tan sand) in those bunkers, for better quality and enhanced drainage. Fourth was a turf expansion on several tee boxes, most notably at holes 1 and 13. Finally, tree management factored in as well as design restoration enhancements.
While most of the course layout and design stayed intact, several tees were reconfigured to create six different teeing areas on each hole. Every green was laser-scanned, so that they could be restored to within a tenth of an inch of their original design and size. No major changes occurred to the design of the bunkers, but the subtle changes that did take place make for a vastly improved sand situation. A few bunkers were eliminated—with Jack Nicklaus’ blessing—while others were reoriented. Member feedback stated a preference to resist adding new bunkers. Another aim of the restoration was to bring about better access for walkers and riders, redistributing and facilitating entry and exit to reduce wear and to make it easier to arrive at the destination.
Staying True to the Nicklaus Intent
In keeping the architectural elements of the Cochise Golf Course intact, it maintains the legacy of one of the greatest golfers—and architects—of all time, Jack Nicklaus. It’s an honor that Desert Mountain is the only private club that has six Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses. Chad Goetz respected that legacy by performing the restoration of Jack’s original work, based on Jack’s master plan. In some respects, Cochise was modernized from the technology standpoint, but unquestionably, the Club succeeded in preserving the integrity of what Jack Nicklaus originally designed.
