SEWAILO GOLF CLUB AT CASINO DEL SOL RESORT – Tucson, AZ
Designed on the land of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Sewailo Golf Club is regarded as one of the finer golf resorts in the state of Arizona. Sewailo was designed by PGA Tour player Notah Begay, who is also a Navajo and Pueblo and has made his name as a commentator on NBC television and The Golf Channel. Sewailo, which means “flower world” in the Pascua Yaqui language, measures 7,400 yards from the championship tees. With five separate tee boxes, the course allows for multiple yardages, welcoming players of all skill levels! Standing 10 stories tall, the Casino Del Sol Resort provides a relaxing haven after a long day on the course. With a plethora of restaurants and relaxing spa/pool facilities, Casino Del Sol makes for a great place to recharge your batteries and get on to your next adventure.
The Pro Shop at Sewailo Golf Club
By the time we arrived to Sewailo for our tee time, the winds had already reached about 20 miles per hour. I thought to myself, well this ought to be interesting! As we pulled up, the staff loaded up our carts and directed us inside. We learned upon arrival that Sewailo is home to the local University of Arizona Wildcats golf team. The golf shop and Wildcats Grille were nice, but on the smaller side. The shop featured both Sewailo Golf Club apparel alongside Wildcats gear, Beardown! If you are really feeling something different, your group can opt for GolfBoards, which allow you to “surf the turf” and offers the feel of a snowboard or skateboard.
Once we finished up inside, it was time to hit the practice facilities. I appreciated Sewailo’s attention to detail, as they had not only included our name on the cart, but our logo as well! Always nice to see, and a good indication as to how the rest of our experience would be. The drive to the practice area is windy but only a minute or two. The practice facilities at Sewailo were second to none. The driving range and chipping areas both provided balls for practice along with a basket for quick pickup around the chipping green. The chipping area featured two deep bunkers and ample pins/green space. The practice green is large, with 8 separate holes to putt to (especially useful if a whole golf team is warming up!).
SEWAILO GOLF CLUB – Hole 4 Par 4
The first hole started us off nice and easy with a 332-yard par 4 from the Ruby tees. With the wind being a big factor on this day, short par-4’s were definitely appreciated! The course played more open and links style than most desert course setups. My favorite hole on the front nine was the par-3 third hole (featured as this article’s cover photo). Playing at only 138 yards, this hole is one of the signature holes at Sewailo, as it features beautiful stone on the front edge of the green and Casino Del Sol Resort in the background. However, don’t let the length of this hole fool you. You must carry the lake to stay dry, and a front pin placement made that tough on us. I splashed one just before the green and ended up having to drop. The wind was howling in our face, but clubbing up one regardless is definitely advised to make sure and clear the water!
The front nine featured many unique holes so it was hard to pick just one of my favorites! Although the course was more of an open setup, it did feature a good amount of water. A handful of approach shots demand you to carry over water as do a few tee shots. One of those tee shots brings me to my favorite hole on the back nine. As a golfer (and I’m sure I’m not alone) I have a soft spot for short par-4’s such as hole 18 at Sewailo.
Playing at just 306 yards, the tee shot on 18 only calls for about 180 yards to set yourself up 120 yards out. A lake runs between the tee box and the fairway and up along the right side finishing around the back of the green. If you are feeling very risky you can pull driver and try to hit the green. But beware! If you hit it too well you could end up off the back, or sliced into the lake along the right side like I probably would be! I elected to pull a 4 hybrid to put myself about 220 yards out there. From there, I had a pesky 80/90-yard approach shot to put myself in a great position to score.
SEWAILO GOLF CLUB – Hole 18 Par 4
Overall, Sewailo Golf Club was a great experience! Traversing the streams, lakes, and dry creek beds was enough, but the 25+ MPH winds made our round extremely interesting! The fairways and tee boxes were well-manicured and the greens offered us challenging putts. The practice facilities gave us all the tools we needed to get warm before our round. The University of Arizona Wildcats are very fortunate to have such a great home course!
After the 2+ hour drive and 4+ hour round, we were ready to check-in to the resort and relax. The clubhouse is extremely close to the resort, so we were able to get checked in rather quickly. I recommend the valet service if staying at the hotel. With the resort being a casino, parking is sometimes tough to find and it will definitely save you having to lug bags and clubs across the parking lot.
Casino Del Sol Resort King Room
As a whole, Casino Del Sol Resort consists of 215 rooms and suites. The Grand Ballroom can host up to 2,000 people for events like business conventions. Other amenities include the relaxing Hiapsi Spa, The High Limit Lounge, and a large pool area complete with the Oasis Pool Bar for poolside snacks and drinks. If you’re feeling fancy, you can opt for a sky level suite. Here, you will be treated with expansive rooms and breathtaking views, with a few other perks to enjoy.
The resort also offers a wide array of gambling options. From table games like poker to bingo and slots, Casino Del Sol offers gamblers of all taste to come and try their luck. If you’re feeling musical, Ava Amphitheater can host up to 5,000 guests for musical performances and other live entertainment.
Once we checked in, we headed up to our room on the third floor to freshen up and experience one of the Casino Del Sol’s many restaurants. We definitely didn’t have a lack of choice! with options like PY Steakhouse, Ume Asian Cuisine and Sushi Bar, Tequila Factory, and Abuelita’s Taqueria, it made our decision tough. We decided on Tequila factory for some quesadillas and a post-round margarita. Once we finished up dinner, we decided to retreat to the room to relax before hitting the town.
Overall, our experience at Casino Del Sol Resort and Sewailo Golf Club was great! The friendly service and spacious practice facilities gave our group all we needed to get ready for the round. The challenging windy day made an already tricky course even tougher. The resort was a great place to decompress from our drive and round while also having a good time gambling and dining. With so many activities to do at and around the resort, Casino Del Sol makes for a great stay and play golf destination, especially for the gamblers and wild west risk-takers.
A look at the landscape of Sewailo Golf Club
Sewailo Golf Club Rating 4 out of 5 Stars
Sewailo rated a solid four stars out of five. Some of the things impacting the rating the most were the clubhouse/golf shop and the overall difficulty of the course. This is a course that will beat you with length, not hole setup or tight fairways. There is a lot of forgiveness out there left and right, so you can get away with some mishits off the box. Sewailo really impressed us with their practice facilities. Providing plenty of room and equipment, we had everything we needed to get ready. The staff is what really made the biggest difference in our experience. Right from the get go, we knew we would have a great day based on the staff alone.