GOLF IN LOS CABOSIf golfing is on our agenda in Los Cabos, you won’t be disappointed with any of the courses available in this stretch of the Baja, beginning a few miles from Land’s End and concluding in San Jose del Cabo. Every hole on every course has something special to offer. The breathtaking backdrop provided by the Sea of Cortes will compete for your attention while putting on many of the 144 holes currently available throughout Los Cabos. The biggest changes to the Los Cabos golfing landscape over the last year involve two separate ventures. A pair of golf courses is currently under construction just north of San Jose del Cabo in the mega resort of Puerto Los Cabos. This 1,900 acre gated golf community will include a world-class marina complex and two 18-hole tracks, one designed by Jack Nicklaus and the other by George Norman.
The Chileno Bay Club project is another development that is in the works, although it won’t come into play until early 2007. That project, located four miles north of Cabo del Sol, will encompass an estimated 2.5 miles of coastline along the Sea of Cortés to include Chileno Bay. Two championship layouts are planned, one by Tom Fazio and the other by Jack Nicklaus. Until the highway is restructured and both courses are finished separately, initial play will encompass a hybrid Nicklaus/Fazio layout. There’s another new kid on the block worth mentioning. In East Cape, about an hour’s drive north of the Los Cabos International Airport, officials at the Hotel Palmas de Cortez have opened a nine-hole, executive par 3 course that’s sure to be a hit with newcomers to the sport or those wishing to work on their short game. Measuring a total of 1,200 yards, the Villas de Cortez Golf Course opened in late July on a former airstrip runway, explains Eddie Dalmau, office manager of the Van Wormer Company, which owns a string of hotels in Baja. The course cost about $1.8 million to build and uses the resort’s gray water for irrigation — after it’s treated, of course. Features of the course, whose holes range from 55 yards to 115 yards, include several sand traps and water hazards, two tee boxes, the whites for nine holes and the blues for playing 18. Green fees are the best in Los Cabos: $20 for nine holes. The following is a roundup of the courses that await you in Los Cabos.
The Raven Golf ClubSituated a few miles outside Cabo San Lucas, The Raven Golf Club sits on 745 acres of prime real estate and is the only course with a view of Land’s End. After being shaken — but not stirred by Hurricane Juliette in 2001, The Raven has rebounded and now averages 35,500 rounds of golf each year. With plenty of the course’s namesakes circling overhead, golfers will appreciate the array of flora and fauna, as well as the Raven’s exquisite beauty. The two top handicap holes are number five and number 16, respectively. Hole five is a 446-yard par 4 with a serious dogleg right and gentle uphill slope. The green has forward sand bunkers both left and right, along with a water hazard to the left and rear of the green. According to The Raven’s Director of Golf Eric Grindereng, hole 13, a par 5,539-yarder, is the course’s signature hole. However, it’s the final hole on the course where you will want to stop and savor the moment or maybe even snap a photo before approaching your second shot. It’s from this vantage point that you will appreciate the unique vista of Los Cabos that includes Land’s End and the Sea of Cortés. The 620-yard par 5, seventh hole is the longest in Mexico. In 2004, Golf Digest listed The Raven Golf Club in its “Places to Play” listing. One final note to first-time visitors: on the Tourist Corridor at Km. 3, look for the sign “Los Cabos Country Club.” Although the course officially changed the name in 2002, this is still the sign that will lead you to The Raven Golf Club. Cabo del Sol - The Ocean CourseNamed one of the top 100 courses in the world by Golf Magazine for 10 years running (1995-2004), Cabo del Sol - The Ocean Course is a masterpiece of perfection. The Jack Nicklaus signature design features 1.5 miles of oceanfront. With seven holes directly on the coastline, this gem of a setting is often referred to as the “Pebble Beach of Baja.” The fourth hole is the longest on the front nine, playing 568 yards from the tips, while holes six and seven are both par 3 at 190 and 207 yards, respectively. Local realtor Chris Snell calls Cabo del Sal - The Ocean Course his favorite track in Los Cabos. “This is simply a phenomenal golf course,” he says. This course hosted the PGA Senior Slam in 1995 and again in 1998. In January 2000, Golf Magazine ranked the 5th and signature 17th holes among “The 500 Best Holes in the World.” Jack Nicklaus calls this “the best piece of golf property in the world.”
Cabo del Sol - The Desert CourseOpening its doors in late 2002, Cabo del Sol - The Desert Course was designed by Tom Weiskopf. This target-style golf experience with sloping fairways offers plenty of bunkers that will challenge the skill levels of all golfers. In addition to blending desert and ocean, canyon-like arroyos and a variety of colorful foliage makes for a visually appealing golf experience. Weiskopf deliberately designed The Desert Course with one thing in mind: Sea of Cortés views from every hole. With the overall course length varying from 5,300 to 7,100 yards, The Desert Course offers a little something for everyone. A 40,000-square-foot clubhouse fuses the perfect blend of colonial and traditional architecture with modern amenities to create a distinctive Mexican design. Weiskopf comments on Cabo del Sol - The Desert Course: “The natural beauty of the desert, mountain and ocean provides an ideal setting and some of the best terrain for golf anywhere in the world.” Cabo Real Golf ClubDesigned by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and opened in 1994, the magnificent Cabo Real Golf Club is a testament to Mother Nature’s handiwork. The three picturesque oceanfront holes will compete for your attention, especially when whales put on a breaching show just offshore, like they did during the 1996 PGA Senior Slam Tournament. Cabo Real also hosted the 1999 Senior Slam. In addition to the 7,000 yards of verdant landscape, several changes are in the works. According to Director of Golf Federico Vaughn, Cabo Real is in the process of upgrading all of its services. Locker rooms and showers will soon be added, and the clubhouse is being upgraded and expanded. The parking lot will be paved, with parts of it covered; the vehicle arrival area will be dramatically altered with the addition of a bridge. “We hope to offer the best quality in every aspect of our club,” says Vaughn. The marshal, which every golfer knows is the course official who gently keeps golfers on track and on time, is not called a marshal at the Cabo Real. Rather, a customer service rep will remind you to speed up play or will assist you in any way needed. This is one aspect of golfing in Los Cabos that visitors will appreciate. All of the courses have upped the ante regarding customer service. They go the extra kilometer to ensure you enjoy your round of golf; they want you to return over and over again — and with amazing scenery and great golf courses coupled with outstanding customer service, it would be hard not to. Another little-known fact is the amount of care and water that goes into keeping these courses in tip-top shape. During summer months, it takes an incredible 800,000 to one million gallons of water a day to properly irrigate a course in Los Cabos. During the winter months, it only takes a modest 300,000 gallons on average to irrigate a course. So where does the water come from? Vaughn explains that at the Cabo Real, they capture gray water from the hotels, treat it and then use it for irrigation. The Cabo Real Golf Club averages 20,000 rounds a year. It’s arguably the toughest front nine in Cabo San Lucas. El Dorado Golf & Beach ClubAs mentioned, the El Dorado Golf & Beach Club closed in early 2005, but is scheduled to re-open by 2006. It will, however, change its status to private. Although it will lose a little of its mystic and beauty with the absence of several oceanfront holes, the El Dorado will continue to challenge golfers with its unique fairways, dogleg, water and bunker challenges. The El Dorado Golf & Beach Club, as it is now called, will continue offering spectacular golf, as the course winds through desert landscape featuring colorful canyons and arroyos. In addition to having access to the Jack Nicklaus-designed private golf course, residents of the private club will have at their disposal a host of other amenities, including spa facilities, a fitness center, tennis courts, shopping boutiques, men’s and women’s lounge and locker areas, as well as numerous indoor and outdoor dining facilities — from casual poolside fare to exquisite five-star dining. The El Dorado opened in 1999 and quickly earned a four-and-a-half star rating (out of five) on Golf Digest’s “Places to Play” listing. It has attracted the likes of Tiger Woods, Bill Gates and Kevin Costner. Palmilla Golf ResortThe Palmilla Golf Resort has the distinction of being the only 27-hole golf course in Los Cabos. The unique blending of desert and sea features the Arroyo Nine, the Mountain Nine and the Ocean Nine. Many of the holes have a view of the sparkling Sea of Cortés. Opened in 1992, this was Jack Nicklaus’ first signature course design project in Latin America. This 27-hole course is perched on deep canyon arroyos and sits among century-old cardon cacti. The daily trade winds enhance the atmosphere, while the course challenges even the most experienced players. Gentle slopes, wide fairways and large greens greet players from the back tees. Diverse in length and enhanced by several water and sand hazards, the mountain holes are as beautiful as they are challenging. A Mexican decor clubhouse, onsite pro shop and friendly staff complement this charming golf course. Condé Nast Traveler ranked this the No. 1 Latin American resort. The Palmilla Golf Club hosted the 1997 PGA Senior Slam, with Hale Irwin defeating Jack Nicklaus. Querencia Golf ClubThe first private course in Los Cabos, Querencia Golf Club opened in 2000. The Tom Fazio-designed course also features a nine-hole short course, a state-of-the-art practice facility and a 26,000-square-foot clubhouse with a sweeping view of the Sea of Cortés. When first viewing the Querencia site, Fazio said, “When we first went to the site, we knew it was a premier spot for a distinctive golf course. The landscape is extremely dramatic with numerous opportunities to play a variety of sensational holes. It reminds a person of a desert setting, but with bold topography and fantastic long-range ocean views. This environment is truly unique for golf.” The 840-acre resort offers immaculate fairways and impeccable greens, coupled with surrounding landscape that includes cacti, flowering bushes, tropical plants and lush palms. This stunning complex offers only 350 golf memberships worldwide. Non-homeowner golf memberships are available, subject to homeowner priority and other membership criteria. Golf Magazine ranked Querencia Golf Club as one of the Top 10 golf courses in Latin America, while Billionaire Magazine tabbed it the No. 1 golf course in all of Mexico. Mayan Country Club Los CabosThe former San José Municipal Golf Course has a new name and a new look. The Mayan Country Club Los Cabos just sounds like a great golf course — and it is. Now part of Mayan Resorts, the Mayan Country Club Los Cabos officially opened in November 2004. This nine-hole, par 35 course measures 3,153 yards and is semi-flat. But don’t be fooled; there are some challenging holes. For example, on the 540-yard, par 5 hole three, you tee off over a lake and then are treated to a wide-open fairway that has a serious dogleg left. And finally, the green is guarded by four sand traps. Likewise, the number five hole, a 518-yard, par 5, has a green that lies above the fairway, making all approach shots risky and complicated. The course’s signature hole and No. 1 handicap is the 431-yard par 4 No. 7 that has a sharp dogleg left. Golfers need to be aware when driving a cart at the Mayan Country Club Los Cabos because the course crosses over public streets in three places. Prior to a round, golfers can warm up on the driving range and practice green. There’s also a lavish pro shop offering the best brands and a variety of essential golf products. One really nice touch to this public course is the addition of Thadashi, a restaurant that offers a remarkable fusion cuisine combining exotic Asian cooking and traditional Mexican dishes. This family-friendly course offers tee times on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Mayan Country Club Los Cabos affords spectacular views of the Sea of Cortés and East Cape. Putt-Putt/Miniature GolfIf you just want to putt around, here is a list of establishments that offer putting greens or miniature golf. Cabo San Lucas
The Corridor and San José del Cabo
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The other major move is El Dorado Golf Course changing its status from public to private. The course closed in early 2005 and is scheduled to re-open before 2006. The renovation included the removal of several dramatic oceanfront holes, which will eventually be sold as home sites at a whopping $8 million per site. The Jack Nicklaus-designed course that originally opened in 1999 will certainly have a new look when it’s unveiled. However, the scenic and challenging El Dorado will still be one of the top golf courses in Mexico.
