We’ve said it before. We’ll say it again. Los Cabos is one of the most remarkable golf destinations on Earth.
As of 2021, the local portfolio numbers 18 beautiful courses – from Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and their connective Tourist Corridor to the East Cape and beyond – almost all of them world-class, and all built within the last 35 years. Most boast powerhouse pedigrees, with designs from legendary names like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman. All showcase a spectacular blend of ocean, desert and mountain vistas.
Summer is traditionally golf season, and although such seasonal distinctions make little difference in always sunny Los Cabos, now is the time when many golfers turn their thoughts to destination golf trips.
So with that in mind, we’ll be previewing all of the local courses this summer, including the latest updates on specials and discounts.
Our first installment covered San Jose del Cabo. For our second, we’ll be looking at the stunning collection of courses in sister city Cabo San Lucas.
Golf in Cabo San Lucas
Five of the 18 golf courses in Los Cabos can be found in Cabo San Lucas, all of which are found on the Pacific Coast near the northern outskirts of the city…and nearly all of which are breathtakingly beautiful.
During the 1990s, when the golf boom in Los Cabos began, all the great courses were built along the 20-mile tourist corridor which connects Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Since Davis Love III’s Diamante Dunes course premiered in 2009, Cabo San Lucas has been ground zero for the region’s best new courses.
Note: These five courses are all part of resort and residential developments, with restricted tee time access for guests, owners and renters. To find out more about vacation rentals and how to play these courses, email us at info@loscabosvillas.com.
The Dunes Course at Diamante
In Los Cabos, only Nicklaus landmark Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol (now the Cove Club) has achieved the same sort of acclaim as Davis Love III’s Dunes Course at Diamante; and even that falls short when it comes to the opinion of the sport’s premier tastemakers. Voted top new international course in 2010, Golf Magazine declared the Dunes Course the 52nd best course in the world in 2013, the highest ranking ever achieved by a Los Cabos golf course at that point. It rose even higher on the same list in 2016, ascending to 36th. This lavish praise has elevated the 7,300-yard Dunes Course to “must-play” status for destination golfers, and the links style coastal layout does not disappoint.
El Cardonal at Diamante
“The site is incredible,” Tiger Woods said of his first ever completed golf course design, noting: “I set up the golf strategy to make golfers think and make choices. 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. I love this kind of golf.” So too have the many destination golfers to play El Cardonal since the course opened at Diamante in 2014. Envisioned by its creator as the kind of “Old California” layout he grew up playing as a kid, El Cardonal is long (7,363 yards) but fair, with plenty of gorgeous views.
The Oasis Short Course at Diamante
Tiger Woods returned to Los Cabos in 2016 to sculpt this modest but picturesque par-3 layout at Diamante. Only 12 holes in length, Oasis is a bit like an amuse bouche – a bite-sized hors d’ouevre – for Diamante visitors, who can hone their games before tackling the more difficult Dunes or El Cardonal courses. Although short in terms of length (1,124 yards), the course weaves through lush landscaping that includes an 8-acre lake and over 400 palm trees.
Quivira Golf Club
Jack Nicklaus triumphed again with this magnificent coastal layout at Quivira, a resort and residential development from Pueblo Bonito brand founder Ernesto Coppel Kelly. The 7,139-yard tour de force was voted the world’s best new international course in 2015 by Golf Magazine, and has since earned additional acclaim, including being named one of the W0rld’s 100 Best by Golf Digest. All 18 holes offer ocean views, and seven holes hug the coast, including the remarkable par-4 fifth, which is perched on the edge of sheer cliffside and offers opportunities to try to drive the green (or send your ball straight to Davey Jones’ locker). The 19th hole here also happens to be the best steakhouse in town.
Rancho San Lucas
The most recent addition to the Los Cabos golf landscape, the 7,210-yard Greg Norman designed Rancho San Lucas golf course premiered in February 2020 as the centerpiece of an 834-acre resort and residential development spearheaded by the Solmar Group, the only Los Cabos based resort brand, with seven local hotels and resorts. Norman’s second local layout is challenging but playable for golfers of all skill levels, with wide fairways and memorable touches like British Isles style bunkering. The most memorable feature, however, is the par-3 17th hole, which showcases an island green reminiscent of TPC Sawgrass, but with better views; including a surrounding lake as well as Pacific Ocean backdrops. As at nearby Quivira, ocean views are visible from all 18 holes.
For more information about upcoming events, activities and attractions, and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.
Photo credit: Quivira Golf Club
Upcoming Events Calendar
July
East Cape Dorado Shootout Fishing Tournament – Jul. 17
Los Cabos Open of Tennis – Jul. 19 – 24
Ladies Only Fishing Tournament at Palmas de Cortez – Jul. 22 – 26
August
Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore – Aug. 3 – 7
Wahoo Gold Cup Jackpot Fishing Tournament – Aug. 21
September
Mexico Independence Day – Sep. 16
October
Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 10 – 14
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 14 – 17
Bisbee’s Black and Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 19 – 23
November
Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Nov. 1 – 13
Day of the Dead – Nov. 1, 2
WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 3 – 6
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25
Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26
SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 15 – 20
Revolution Day – Nov. 20
December
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Dec. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
El Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe – Dec. 12
Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24
Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24
Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25
Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31
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