Fabulous Los Cabos, A Golfer's Delight

The Lure of Los Cabos, Mexico

Courtesy of Palmilla Golf Club

The most important lesson a golfer learns, it has been said, is to be single-minded and not think about anything during a match but hitting the target.

This is difficult when playing on Mexico’s Los Cabos courses. The distraction isn’t just the color palette: beautiful manicured greens under a flawless blue sky and the beauty of the Sea of Cortez.

The problem is more serious. Just imagine — your club is on the down swing to cinch that hole at five under par and out of the corner of your eye you spot a 50-foot whale breaking a wave on its way to its winter mating grounds. So much for under par!

Or, you’re hunched down studying the quirks of the course and suddenly an armada of giant turtles hit the beach scrambling for a nesting place to lay a hundred eggs — each.

They probably won’t start until dusk, but so much for not thinking about anything but sinking a put.

But there is one thing you never have to worry about: temperatures will never drop so low as to cause the head of your club to snap when you hit the ball, as has been reported in other parts of the world, possibly even in Colorado!

THE BIRTH OF GOLF AND PONIES

In 1986, golf was born in Los Cabos. It started with a 9-hole Mario Schjetnan-designed municipal course in San Jose del Cabo.

The biggest hazards surrounding the inviting greens would often be the horses coming down from the hills to foal on the emerald green pasture.

The course also brought to Los Cabos a new type of tourist. No longer was Cabo home to just world-class fishing, as newly arrived duffers and the idyllic environment beckoned for more golf.

It was the efforts of the national Fund for Tourism Development or FONATUR that developed the first course and whose foresight began the transformation of the tip of the Baja Peninsula into a world-class golfing destination.

GOLDEN SUN AND GOLDEN BEAR

It was Don Koll, developer of the ultra posh Palmilla resort, who first enticed Jack Nicklaus to Los Cabos.

The unquestionable beauty overwhelmed the Golden Bear, who proclaimed Los Cabos “a golfer’s dreamland” and created his first signature course in Latin America at Palmilla, which opened in 1992.

Today Los Cabos is home to four Jack Nicklaus beach and desert courses that are beyond compare, with links masterfully designed to complement the brilliant blues of the sea, tropical fauna and the clarity of the desert skies.

The world-class courses offer plenty of challenges for all levels of play but beware of the hazards.

Most hazardous is the distraction created by breaching whales and the intoxicating feeling of playing the greatest game in the world in unmatched natural surroundings.

WORLD FAMOUS AND WORLD CLASS

In 1996 the first Senior Slam tournament was held in Los Cabos at Cabo Real, with its awe-inspiring vistas.

The spectacular beach holes five and six, the showpieces of the tournament, were the result of the passionate design by Robert Trent Jones II.

The two nine-hole courses boast a 36 and 37 par respectively spread out over 3,500 yards each. The tournament is said to have put Los Cabos on the golf “map” of the world.

IT’S TEE TIME

Today Los Cabos offers an unmatched golfing experience.

Timing is everything and the timing seems perfect for a golf trip to Cabo. With airlines offering special rates and the hotels offering dramatic savings and golf packages, the invitation could not be more attractive.

It’s easy to enjoy a golf weekend in Cabo; you can simply rent clubs at each course or bring your own.

Many return visitors will make their tee times prior to arrival and have been known to go directly to the clubhouse from the airport.

The weather is almost always cloudless, warm and dry in Los Cabos, located on the southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula.

August and September have the most chance of rain, but on average Los Cabos will see five days or less annually.

October through July ideal. Keep in mind sunscreen and twilight golf will leave you pleasantly — and  economically — surprised. 

Choices for accommodations are plentiful in San Jose del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas and the Corridor.

They either surround the courses or are within a short distance. Simply pick the one that best suits your needs.

CABO’S “LONG DRIVE”

The area that takes you along the coastline and beaches from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas is known as the Corridor.

It is considered the most prestigious, exclusive and beautiful real estate in all of Mexico.

The unadorned symmetry of the desert, mountains, beaches and sea has been complemented by unparalleled championship golf courses and some of the finest resorts in the world.

Lush and manicured, the courses range from 9 to 27 holes and represent some of the finest courses ever designed by the golf industry’s top bold-faced names: Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Robert Trent Jones II, Tom Fazio and Greg Norman.

Public and private courses in Los Cabos are continually rated among the premier courses anywhere.

Unparalleled views of the desert and ocean, the backdrop of pink sunsets and soothing sound of ocean waves, whales jumping from the sea are striking details that make a round even more satisfying here.

With so many exceptional courses, it’s nearly impossible to play them all in a single visit to region. And that challenge is what draws golfers back to Los Cabos season after season.

THE COURSES

Cabo Del Sol Ocean Course

Holes: 18, par 72

Yards: 7,103

Design: Jack Nicklaus Signature

Awards: Ranked #1 “Best Resort Courses, Mexico & Latin America” by Travel + Leisure’s 2007 World’s Best Golf Resorts. Ranked #23 “Top 100 Golf Resorts” by Condé Nast Traveler Golf Poll 2007.

Ranked #67 in the world according to Golf Magazine, the Ocean course sets the standard for long and tough in Los Cabos.

The course offers several holes with difficult to judge carries over arroyos, which is typical of desert golf.

But it also offers five holes with exceptional exposure to the Sea of Cortez and the excitement of spying a whale breaching during the height of the season, which is not typical of desert golf.

Holes 5 and 17 are ranked among the top 500 holes in the world.

Jack Nicklaus describes the three finishing holes as “the best three finishing holes along the ocean in the world.”

Cabo Del Sol Desert Course

Holes: 18, par 72

Yards: 7,100

Design: Tom Weiskopf

Awards: Ranked #23 “Top 100 Golf Resorts” by Condé Nast Traveler Golf Poll 2007.

This inland layout has 180-degree views of the Sea of Cortez from almost every hole; Tom Weiskopf calls it one of the most scenic courses he has designed.

Varying in length from 4,810 to 7,097 yards with five sets of tees, this course takes advantage of natural river washes, changes in elevations and dramatic bunkering.

It offers challenges for every level of golfer with meandering water courses, changes in elevation and arroyo carries enhancing the game.

The large clubhouse offers a welcome respite for golfers after a challenging round.

Cabo Real Golf Course

Holes: 18, par 72

Yards: 7,037

Design: Robert Trent Jones II

Robert Trent Jones II designed two nines that play so differently that you wonder if you are still on the same course.

The front nine is long and tough, challenging the best golfer. The second nine is more strategic and can be played well by all levels.

Enhancing the excitement are a couple of holes along the ocean.

Cabo Real is popular with the locals because of the variety of holes and it always seems less crowded.

It opened in 1994 and has three beautiful oceanfront holes.

Cabo San Lucas Country Club - Los Cabos Golf Resort

Holes: 18

Design: Dye Corporation

While the view is spectacular from every golf course in Los Cabos, this is the only club with a view of Land’s End, that great stone arch that appears in every story about Los Cabos.

While the course is playable for beginners through professionals, it is especially course-friendly for beginners and intermediate golfers.

The signature hole is number 13, while par 5 Hole 7, at 620-yards, is the longest in Mexico. Watch out for water hazards and scenic views that can easily take your mind off your golf game.

Club Campestre San Jose Golf Course

Holes: 18, par 71

Yards: 2,900

Design: Jack Nicklaus

The newest golf course to open in Los Cabos, Club Campestre, is centrally located in San Jose del Cabo.

Offering panoramic views of the San Jose bay and the mountains, this 18-hole par 71 Nicklaus- designed course boasts dramatic elevation changes and large greens. Club Campestre’s USGA course rating is 74.3, while the slope is 139.

According to head professional Fernando Ortiz, “This is a demanding course that promises to get better with age.” Club Campestre Golf Course is currently open to the public and community members.

But don’t wait too long to experience this course, for it will become a private facility in about three years.

The jewel of the 550 upscale resort community at Club Campestre includes a private beach club, jogging trails and a full service clubhouse.

Palmilla Golf Club

Holes: 27, par 72

Yards: over 7,000

Design: Jack Nicklaus Signature

Awards: Ranked #2 “Best Resort Courses, Mexico & Latin America” by Travel + Leisure’s 2007 World’s Best Golf Resorts. Ranked #32 “Top 100 Golf Resorts” by Condé Nast Traveler Golf Poll 2007.

The 27 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus offer varying degrees of challenge.

These three nines offer a great selection of golf holes and plenty of challenge for all levels of play.

Palmilla Ocean: The Ocean nine has one hole along the ocean and several with difficult-to-judge carries over arroyos. It offers the prettiest hole in Lob Cabos, the par three fourth, with multi-colored bougainvillea surrounding the green and tee areas.

Palmilla Desert: The Arroyo nine is the shortest and most strategic.

An excellent golfer can try to drive two of the par fours and can hit a second shot to the greens of the par fives.

The Mountain nine is the toughest with the signature fifth hole that requires two arroyo carries with changes in elevation each time.

This is one of the best holes in golf.

Puerto Los Cabos Golf Club

Holes:  36, Par 72

Yards: 7,465

Designer: Greg Norman Signature Course, Jack Nicklaus Signature Course

Until these two courses are completed, the public is invited to play the first nine holes of each course of this world-class beach and desert golf course combination. Once the full 27 holes are completed, the Norman course will be private.

Puerto Los Cabos is being developed on more than four miles of beachfront and hill country.

The master plan includes a boat marina with 535 slips with a section set aside for local fishermen so they don’t have to move their boats and can benefit from the development; four hotels along the beach, none more than four stories high; a Mexican village-style shopping and entertainment center, waterfront restaurants and under construction up in the hills are old-style Mexican haciendas on ½ acre plots and gated sub-divisions.

The company is also helping to restore the estuary at San Jose del Cabo and land has been set aside for an ecological park. More than a million cactus seeds, native to the area, have been planted and in order to save as much of the native vegetation as possible, plants and trees that are in the way of roads and other construction were dug up and replanted in the park.

As for golf, players on these courses are raving about the differences between the two.

“They are as different as night and day,” is often heard. The courses are becoming famous for their undisciplined nature, which keeps golfers at their best game.

“The views are marvelous,” exclaimed and avid Los Cabos golfer, adding that “all the courses in Cabo offer something different but the links at Puerto Los Cabos are so overwhelming that it is worth playing just to experience its environment.”

Punta Sur Golf Course Los Cabos

Holes: 9, par 35

Yards: 2,900

Design: Mario Schjetnan/Joe Finger

The Punta Sur Golf Course is a 9-hole par 35 course with its own club house, pool, tennis court and restaurant. It was designed by M. Shedjnan and built by FONATUR, the National Foundation for Tourism in Mexico.

The stunning entrance to the course and the panoramic view of the Sea of Cortez and the headland that includes San Jose del Cabo, are the perfect welcome for visitors.

On the first hole you'll find a large lake at the bottom left of the green and a lateral sand trap at the back, challenging the game of all players.

The ninth is a good finishing hole with a wide sloping fairway with sand traps to the top, right and bottom of the green.

The Punta Sur Golf Course is also a wonderful community center for local residents and an added attraction for sports minded visitors, especially those looking for a really entertaining round in San Jose del Cabo, privacy and perfection

Taking golfing to an all encompassing and ultra elite status are the private golf communities of Los Cabos.

Offering the very best of locations, your choices include beachside properties and those nestled in the dramatic hills above San Jose bay.

Each private community is unique in its environment and spectacular property offerings.

El Dorado Golf & Beach Club (private course)

Holes: 18, par 72

Yards: 7,322

Design: Jack Nicklaus Signature

This spectacularly designed Jack Nicklaus Signature course has changed from a public to private course. Two of the six holes along the ocean are right on the beach.

A rugged course that goes from the beach through the mountains, it has about 90 bunkers, and the course is rather tricky.

Accuracy is the key not only to a successful game but also to having a ball left to finish the game. Six holes are close to the Sea of Cortez and the final 12 are desert holes. In addition, four lakes dot the fairways.

Querencia Golf Course (private course)

Holes: 18, par 72

Yards: 7,070

Design: Tom Fazio

This 18-hole golf course is the centerpiece of the Querencia development. 

Players are challenged to the extreme on the cliff-top, 320-acre masterpiece that offers a 12-acre practice facility with 11 target greens, putting green and also has a 9-hole short course plus a practice facility and a 26,000-square-foot clubhouse.

It sits on 840-acres on the other side of the highway from the Sea of Cortez. 

The course is sadistically challenging with elevation changes, rolling fairways and sculpted bunkers. While the course incorporates the rugged desert, palms and garden areas surround the 18 holes giving the illusion of suddenly coming upon an oasis in the desert.

Links to look forward to:

Quivira: The development of Quivira Los Cabos, a luxury master-planned residential resort community — with three miles of dramatic beachfront adjacent to Cabo San Lucas — began in summer 2008.

The 1,850 acres of secluded property will include two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, anticipated to rank among the best in North America, highlighted by more oceanfront holes than any other development on the Baja Peninsula.

Quivira also will be home to The Ritz-Carlton, with both oceanfront residences and a beachfront resort. Residents of Quivira will enjoy lush gardens, 20 miles of biking and hiking trails, sports parks, clubhouse, beach club, a quaint village, community center and more.

Marking its location at Land's End, Quivira also has within its boundaries the most historic landmark in the area: the old Cabo San Lucas Lighthouse built in 1906.

Chileno Bay: The Chileno Bay project encompasses 2.5 miles of coastline for the creation of two championship courses designed by Tom Fazio.

The resort-style community will feature a private marina and yacht club, at this historic Cabo San Lucas Hotel property, proving that the best of the corridor is yet to come.

LIFE AFTER GOLF

Yes, there is something more to life than golf, especially in Los Cabos and most activities are not too extreme.

Probably the most dangerous are ATV tours, especially if you’re a daring, inexperienced rider. It can be fun racing up and down tall sand dunes, but try to control your speed and when riding trails through cactus fields, remember that falls can be prickly.

A canter along the beach or on trails through the mountains atop a gentle steed is a pleasant way to start a morning.

Water sports are endless and include parasailing, jet skiing, sea kayaking in the playground of sea lions, dolphins and whales, plus surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving.

The Cabo San Lucas Bay has been declared an Underwater Park and Marine Sanctuary and especially interesting is the Submarine Canyon where you can see underwater sand-falls and massive schools of fish.

A sunset cruise around El Arco aboard a pirate ship actually built in 1885 is a nice way to wind down or, enjoy dinner on a luxury catamaran.

And don’t forget that whales cruise by between January and March from the Bering Sea. Boat tours are available for a close-up experience, sometimes even close enough to touch or to witness the birth of a grey whale.

It is estimated around 11,000 migrate to Los Cabos from Alaska from January through April.

So enjoy the sun and sand and all the rest that Los Cabos has to offer as you ready yourself for yet another fabulous golfing experience.