GOLFING LOS CABOS

Diamante Dunes course, which is ranked 52nd in the Top 100 World List. This course’s rolling desert  layout  features spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, with the Sierra de la Laguna mountains and the El Faro lighthouse visible in the distance. Diamante Dunes has recently been joined by the neighbouring Tiger Woods-designed course El Cardonal. While neither course is open to the public, rounds can be arranged for those with an interest in ownership opportunities at the much-anticipated Pacific Ocean-side development. Diamante’s El Cardonal golf course showcased the grand opening ceremony with none other than the world’s most famous championship golfer who designed the course himself, Tiger Woods.  ‘‘I set up the golf strategy to make golfers think and make choices,» said the affable Woods at the grandiose event attended by thousands of invited guests and local Cabo San Lucas dignitaries. »Regardless of your handicap, there are going to be different ways to play every hole. Angles of approach are going to be very important and will dictate the type of shots you should consider. You must be willing to weigh risks and make smart choices. Proper strategy will provide the best opportunity to score. The biggest compliment I can receive after you play my course is that you want to play it again.» According to Woods, El Cardonal, «Will remind golfers of the old-style California courses that I grew up playing.» It is Woods vision that the course will challenge good players while remaining enjoyable for players of every skill level. Quivira Golf Club is a Jack Nicklaus designed course that was built atop the Pacific cliffs on 1,850 acres of a planned gated community by resort developer, and avid golfer, Ernesto Coppel. The course features huge Sea of Cortez sandy dunes, and rolling desert landscape foothills. ‘‘We tried to create some excitement on the mountain and in the dunes» said the »Golden Bear» Nicklaus at the course’s grand opening. »I believe we’ve created a golf course that plays as spectacular as it looks.» The crashing waves below, and rising holes above, are proof that the challenging course is definitely one of the newest marvels in the fabulous list of golf courses that make Los Cabos. The club house is open to the public. Just outside of Cabo San Lucas is the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol, which is considered a true masterwork by designer Jack Nicklaus. Over the history of its existence, the Cabo del Sol course has been on several occasions ranked one of the Top 100 courses in the world by Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. Jack Nicklaus himself once declared his Cabo del Sol course to be «the best golf property I’ve ever seen.» The Cabo del Sol course is considered first-class in every detail, with dramatic desert vistas, mountain terrain, and ocean views. The course plays long, at 7,075 yards, and is resplendent with plenty of elevation changes and greens that have challenged both high and low handicappers. Neighbouring the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol, you can find the intriguing Desert Course designed by Tom Weiskopf. The course offers layout plays from five sets of tees, which range from 5,300 to 7,100 yards in length. The course provides a unique challenge for players of every skill level, as Weiskopf’s design tests golfers through terrain that snakes its way through canyons, washes, and arroyos. There is water in play that exists in the forms of waterfalls and a few lakes. There are also plenty of uneven stances caused by the frequent changes in elevation. In between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, you’ll find Cabo Real, the only course in the Los Cabos area to have hosted two PGA Senior Grand Slam Events. It features a gorgeous start of lush fairways, swaying palm trees, towering cactus plants and the typically alluring views of the Sea of Cortez. The Robert Trent Jones II design plays 7,037 yards from the black tees and is highly regarded as a tough loop for both high and low handicap golfers. The front nine is the first brutal test of golf skills, thanks to some par fives that are stretched out over the desert wilderness. The back nine eases off the difficulty, and the course actually gets a bit easier in comparison to its challenging start. Farther down the tourist corridor are the two private courses, El Dorado and Querencia. Mr. Nicklaus personally spent many hours walking the rugged coastline, quiet desert foothills and shaded canyons of El Dorado, envisioning a course that blends the natural landscape. The result is a golf course that links the drama of the coast to the desert, in a new translation of golf’s great architectural traditions. El Dorado is a stunning and memorable golf course imbued with a friendly casual ambiance. Querencia, Tom Fazio´s first project in Mexico, is a private course ranked as the number one golf course in the country by Golfweek magazine. Its 18 holes carve deep arroyos and rest atop arid plateaus with stunning views of the Sea of Cortez. Harmonious transitions from hole-to-hole, subtle breaks, contoured fairways, and uniquely shaped bunkers are what characterise this daunting yet enchanting course. The Los Cabos golf staple Palmilla is considered the crown jewel of courses designed by Jack Nicklaus. The landscape and Sea of Cortez views at Palmilla are truly magnificent. There are 27 holes in all, which stretch over three nine-hole courses: The Ocean Course, the Mountain Course, and the Arroyo Course. The Ocean Course is the most visually breathtaking of the three. There are five sets of tee boxes at the courses, catering to low and high handicappers alike. Punta Sur Golf Course, which opened in 1987, is a body of green landscaping which holds the special distinction as the oldest golf course in Cabo. Punta Sur is still a local favourite whose 3,153-yard 9-hole layout is very appealing to both beginner and budget-conscious players. There is only one major water hazard and the course is mostly flat, with narrow fairways, moderate bunkers, and views that afford visitors glimpses towards the Sea of Cortez and Sierra de la Laguna mountains. Purchased by the Mayan Resorts Group in 2004, Punta Sur is currently open to Grand Mayan hotel guests, as well as the general public. Golf gear and rentals are available at the pro shop.  Club Campestre, which opened in 2007, is yet another course designed by Jack «The Golden Bear» Nicklaus. Campestre is a 6,966-yard layout that is nestled within the desert foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna’s natural beauty. Like other Nicklaus-designed courses, Club Campestre has fairways that are considered quite unforgiving, as well as dramatic elevation changes, and what some have properly referred to as «diabolical greens.» The coastal grass provides for consistently good lies, while the putts at Campestre have proven to be most difficult. In the quiet town of La Playita, just east of San José del Cabo, is Puerto Los Cabos, a course that features a nine-hole layout designed by Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus. The first nine holes, the Mission Course, was the brain-child of two-time Majors champion Greg «The Great White Shark» Norman. The back nine, the Ocean Course, was orchestrated by Nicklaus. The two contrasting courses are expected to eventually reach an expansion that will create separate 18-hole styles that could prove to be equally challenging. The highlight of Norman’s Mission Course is the breathtaking view from the 6th hole tee box. The Ocean Course back nine contains the longest par of all of the golf courses in town, a 498-yard 16th hole. Every April, Los Fundadores Beach Club hosts their Puerto Los Cabos Golf Club «Chupacabra Open» night golf tournament. The first annual tournament was limited to the first 18 teams (36 participants) who signed up on a first-come, first-serve basis. *    ]]>