The Newspaper of Record since 1878

San Carlos Apache Gaming Enterprise announces closure of Apache Stronghold Golf Course

Posted

SAN CARLOS — Employees at Apache Stronghold pulled all the flags for the last time on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. Owners and management had to make the tough decision to permanently close the 22-year-old golf course as they were facing increasing operational costs with decreasing revenue along with substantial capital needs.

“While it was a very difficult decision to close the course, we are also excited about opportunities for future uses of this extraordinary outdoor area,” said Matt Olin, San Carlos Apache Tribal Gaming Enterprise CEO. “We are in the process of hiring a firm to conduct and complete an Exploratory and Master Land Use Plan, which will incorporate some of the ideas for uses of this beautiful area.”

Apache Stronghold was ranked by Golfweek Magazine as one of the top golf courses in Arizona. It was a par-72, high desert golf course with a USGA rating of 74.6 and a USGA slope of 145. Opened in 1999, the 7,519-yard-long course was designed by acclaimed golf course architect Tom Doak.

In recent years there has been neither enough local membership nor enough rounds recorded to maintain the course. The Apache Gold Casino Resort and San Carlos Apache Tribe Gaming Enterprise Board have started evaluating the different business ventures that will best suit the area. As we continue to improve our product, services and infrastructure, we want to make sure we utilize the area that is best suited for our loyal guests’ entertainment expectations.

About San Carlos Apache Tribe

Apache Gold Casino Resort and Apache Sky Casino are owned by the San Carlos Apache Tribe. This tribal land covers over 1.8 million acres in eastern Arizona, from the Sonoran Desert to ponderosa pine forests. The Tribe’s ancestral lands once stretched across Arizona into New  Mexico. Historically, the San Carlos Apache were hunters, and they have deep cultural and spiritual ties to the land. The tribe has made the decision to keep most of its land in a natural state, which protects the habitat for big and small game, and allows the Apache to preserve their special and personal relationship with the natural world.