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Teed Up for Action:  A Preview of Upcoming Golf Tournaments in Los Cabos

December 8, 2020 by Leave a Comment

The Los Cabos events calendar has been noticeably lighter in 2020, which of course has little to do with the propensity of cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo to throw a great party, and everything to do with the safety concerns surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic.

Events which draw crowds of people together in close proximity have simply not been possible in the current health climate. Events that have a built in social distancing element, however, have been able to continue on to great success, with only minor tweaks for additional safety measures. In this latter category are all the great local golf and fishing tournaments.

Los Cabos is famous for both, of course. The local tourist industry was practically built on big-game sportfishing, and every tournament scheduled after June this year went off as planned with no issues whatsoever. Not only that, Bisbee’s trio of tournaments – which in include the East Cape and Los Cabos Offshore, as well as the famed Black & Blue – were all distinguished by either record fields, record prize purses, or both.

Golf is a less lucrative endeavor in Los Cabos, even relative to the regional pro-am tournaments. Rather, it’s more of a lifestyle pursuit, one which allows visitors to play on some of the best golf courses in the world (at last count, Los Cabos had four of the top 100 in a ranking of international courses), as well as enjoying all the other upscale appeals Los Cabos has to offer (from destination dining to luxury villas, vacation rentals and resorts).

With that in mind, there are three big golf tournaments scheduled during the early part of 2021. One is open only to collegians. The other two, meanwhile, are pro-ams, open to anyone with the wherewithal to enter.

Here’s a preview of what’s on tap in terms of upcoming golf tournaments in Los Cabos.

Twin Dolphin Pro-Am Golf Tournament – Jan. 9th to 12th, 2021

The Los Cabos Pro-Am, long a fixture on the regional golf calendar, has seen some changes this year…and they’re good! The tournament has been split up into two separate events, each on acclaimed local layouts. For the Twin Dolphin Pro-Am Golf Tournament, the setting is Twin Dolphin Club, which opened in 2018 with a design collaboration by Todd Eckenrode and legendary player and former Masters Champion Fred Couples. Teams at this year’s tournament will consist of 5 players – 4 amateurs and one pro – with participants competing in a best ball format over 36 holes for daily and overall prizes (for both teams and pros). Entry fees include luxurious accommodation packages for three nights at the recently opened Montage Los Cabos Resort, which overlooks gorgeous Bahia Santa Maria.

Cabo del Sol Pro-Am Golf Tournament – Jan. 10th to 14th, 2021

Jack Nicklaus’ masterpiece at Cabo del Sol (originally The Ocean Course, now the Cove Club) has been a fixture of the Los Cabos golf scene since the mid-1990s, and has been rated one of the world’s best courses on numerous occasions. Another major champion, Tom Weiskopf, designed the neighboring Cabo del Sol Desert Course. Together, these magnificent layouts form the backdrop of the Cabo del Sol Pro-Am Golf Tournament, with the first and third (final) rounds at the Cove Club, the middle round at the Desert Course. The top 6 teams and professionals will split daily and overall prizes. Team makeup is the same as at Twin Dolphin (4 amateurs, 1 pro).

Cabo Collegiate Golf Tournament – Feb. 28th to Mar. 2nd

Arizona State won the 2020 Cabo Collegiate by 8 strokes, besting Texas A&M on the spectacular Tom Fazio designed course at Querencia, one of the most exclusive private courses in Los Cabos. Oklahoma State won the previous three Cabo Collegiate Tournaments. Who’ll win this year? Too early to guess, but over 15 top teams from U.S. universities will compete in the three round event, including Cal and Stanford, Alabama and LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State, as well as former tournament champions Arizona State and Oklahoma State.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit   www.LosCabosVillas.com, www.LosCabosRealEstate.Pro, www.TheCaboRealEstate.com or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Cabo del Sol

Upcoming Events Calendar

December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Dec. 4, 11, 18, 25

Festival del Mole in Todos Santos – Dec. 5

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Jan. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Día de los Reyes Magos – Jan. 6

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28

Twin Dolphin ProAm Golf Tournament – Jan. 9 – 12

Cabo del Sol ProAm Golf Tournament – Jan. 10 – 14

February

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26

Cabo Collegiate Golf Tournament – Feb. 28 – Mar. 2

March

Cabo Collegiate Golf Tournament – Feb. – Mar. 2

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 4, 11, 18, 25

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Semana Santa – Mar. 28. – Apr. 3

 

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Cabo, Summer Style:  Things to Do in Los Cabos This August

August 4, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Although there is never really a bad time to visit Los Cabos, there are certainly optimal times in regards some of the region’s signature attractions.

The sun may shine year-round, in other words, but there are still “seasons” for some of the most popular activities and adventures. Whale watching is probably the most notably example of a purely seasonal activity, since these enormous creatures for the most part can only be seen from mid-December through mid-March. But conditions for other attractions, although objectively good on a year-round basis, undeniably reach their zenith during certain calendar months.

With that in mind, here are three more reasons you should want to visit cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo this August.

Peak Season for Snorkeling & Scuba Diving

Thanks to its year-round sunshine and warm water temperatures, snorkeling and diving conditions are always good in Los Cabos. That said, August and September are considered the best months, since those times traditionally offer the highest water temperatures and highest degree of visibility at local dive sites.

Have you always dreamed of exploring the underwater world off the half-mile Land’s End headland that marks the southernmost terminus of the Baja California peninsula? August is a great time to visit famed diving destinations like Pelican Rock and The Point, both of which are home to colorful seascapes teeming with life, from small fish to sea lions and much, much more.

The mecca for snorkelers and divers, however, is the marine sanctuary and national park that lies just offshore of the small East Cape community of Cabo Pulmo. Not only do these protected waters include one of North America’s oldest living coral reefs, but they also boast the highest concentrations of marine life found anywhere in the Sea of Cortez.

Peak Season for Marlin Fishing

The fish are always biting in Los Cabos, true, but which kind of fish exactly can vary from month to month and season to season.

The region’s most high-profile fishing targets for visiting anglers, for example, are billfish like blue and black marlin. These two species provide the namesake title for Bisbee’s annual Black & Blue Tournament, famed for its multi-million dollar payouts to winning teams (hence its nicknames: “The Super Bowl of Sport Fishing” and “The World’s Richest Fishing Tournament”).

Bisbee’s Black and Blue and Los Cabos Offshore Tournaments are held in October, but its East Cape Offshore takes place in August. As a matter of fact, it starts today. The reason being that peak fishing season for blue and black marlin extends from July through the end of October.

But you don’t have to enter a tournament to fish for an enormous marlin. All you have to do is charter a boat.

August is also one of the best times all year to bag a dorado. This fish is known by many names. On the East Coast of the U.S. it’s typically referred to as dolphinfish, on the West Coast as mahi. By any name it’s absolutely delicious, and virtually every restaurant in Los Cabos offers “you hook it, we cook it” specials when you bring in your own fresh catch of the day.

Surfing Season on the Sea of Cortez

The long-held wisdom in Los Cabos is that you surf the Sea of Cortez side during the summer months, the Pacific Ocean side during the winter months.

Certainly, the best time to visit famed Sea of Cortez side breaks like Zippers, Old Man’s and Monuments is during summer months like August. The former was for several years the site of the World Surf League sanctioned Los Cabos Open of Surf, but all three have been drawing destination wave riders for decades.

Zippers is not only a perennially popular surf spot, but the beach where it is found–Playa Costa Azul, in San Jose del Cabo–actually boasts two other notable surf breaks: La Roca (or The Rock) and The Middle. The latter is one of the best beginner-friendly breaks in the region (High Tide Los Cabos offers lessons here), while La Roca is best left to the experts. Old Man’s, AKA Playa Acapulquito, offers something in-between in terms of skill level, as well as the option of boutique accommodations at the nearby Cabo Surf Hotel.

Monuments, meanwhile, is famed locally for several reasons. It’s the only surf break in the region that features Land’s End views. It’s also the most notable “left hand” surf break in Los Cabos, and the beach from which it is accessed has recently been upgraded to Blue Flag status for services and sustainability by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

For more information about events, activities 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:  Blue Sky Cabo

Upcoming Events Calendar

August

Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Fishing Tournament – Aug. 4 – 8

East Cape Gold Cup Wahoo Jackpot Fishing Tournament – Aug. 22

September

Mexican Independence Day – Sep. 16

 October

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 11 – 15

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 15 – 18

Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 20 – 24

 November

Day of the Dead – Nov. 2

WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 4 – 7

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 11 – 15

Gastrovino Baja Food and Wine Festival – Nov. 13 – 15

53rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 16 – 21

Revolution Day – Nov. 20

 December

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena – Dec. 24

Navidad – Dec. 25

Nochevieja – Dec. 31

 

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Different Strokes:  The Best New Golf Courses in Los Cabos

July 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Although Los Cabos’ gorgeous year-round weather and striking combination of ocean, desert and mountains lends itself to outdoor activities of all kinds, fishing and golf are the sports most popular with the three million or so tourists that visit the region on annual basis.

It was big-game fishing for marlin and tuna that helped to put Cabo San Lucas on the map, and since the early 1990s, new championship level golf courses have been opening on a regular basis…often as part of luxury real estate developments or in concert with brand-name resorts, but always with spectacular coastal settings and the imprimatur of legendary players and designers.

Major champions Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Tom Weiskopf have all lent their names and design acumen to local layouts. Nicklaus has designed six, in fact, and spearheaded the golfing boom that has been going strong for the last 30 years.

Norman has designed two courses in Los Cabos, including the most recent at Rancho San Lucas on the Pacific Coast north of Cabo San Lucas. But that’s hardly the only destination attraction to lure golfers in recent years.

Here’s the scoop on four of the most recent, not to most notable, courses to open in Los Cabos since 2018.

Costa Palmas Golf Club

The Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed Costa Palmas Golf Club is the first course to open on the Los Cabos municipality’s beautiful and still largely undeveloped East Cape. Built in conjunction with a private resort community centered around the new Four Seasons Los Cabos Resort at Costa Palmas, the first-ever Baja foray for the distinguished luxury brand, the course opened to great acclaim in December 2019.

The new 7,221-yard loop is scenically set between the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range and the Sea of Cortez, with the first six holes threading through links-style dunes, the middle six offering panoramic mountain vistas, and the final six showing off the gorgeous coves and harbors of La Ribera, where the resort community and golf course is located. The new yacht club is also on picturesque display.

In addition to its 18 memorable holes, the new Costa Palmas Golf Club also boasts a host of luxury amenities, including a six-hole par-3 course for families, a 30,000 square foot practice putting green that’s illuminated at night, and a “19th hole” style café called Bouchi’s.

Costa Palmas is actually Robert Trent Jones II’s second design in Los Cabos. The first was Cabo Real, which opened in 1996 and helped put Los Cabos on the golfing map after television cameras broadcast whales breaching near a seaside green during a Senior Slam event.

Rancho San Lucas Golf Course

“Rancho San Lucas is the most spectacular piece of oceanfront property I’ve seen in a long time, so to have the opportunity to build a course on this site was truly once-in-a-lifetime,” said Greg Norman about his newly designed course, which opened in February 2020. “My goal was to keep it as natural as possible while showcasing the site’s arroyos, dunes and view corridors. We wanted to build a sustainable course that is playable from all perspectives, including the forward tees. We’re committed to making a global impact by creating courses that withstand the test of time, and I truly believe this golf course is one of the best we’ve ever built.”

The layout’s defining characteristic is its British Open style pot bunkers. These sharp-edged, steep-walled sandy pits were constructed from recycled artificial turf and are nearly identical to the natural sod-walled bunkers found on British links courses. Resistant to washouts, the club’s synthetic, low-maintenance bunkers are a first in Mexico. Norman used them sparingly.

The versatile, well-groomed layout has five sets of tees and offers exceptional pace and variety. The par 5s are brawny, the par 3s are varied. The par 4s, angled to all compass points, range from long and stout to short and fun.

Featuring a dramatic 300-foot elevation change, the well-strategized course has a handful of holes on the beach, notably the par-3 third, which parallels the sea and will give players fine views of breaching whales during the winter months.

With two on-course comfort stations, each providing Mexican specialties and ice-cold refreshments, players can enjoy an all-inclusive experience during the round.  A handsome ranchero-style clubhouse overlooks the fairways and sea. The practice facility features a basin-shaped driving range, an 18-hole putting course, and dedicated chipping, pitching and sand play areas.

Rancho San Lucas is also notable for its single player scooters, one of many safety protocols instituted since the start of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Twin Dolphin Golf Club

Former Masters Champion Fred Couples collaborated with Todd Eckenrode of Origins Golf Design on the picturesque layout for Twin Dolphin Golf Club, a seaside loop overlooking Santa Maria Bay in the Los Cabos Tourist Corridor that premiered in December 2018.

The course is the centerpiece of a 1400-acre, master planned community, which is also called Twin Dolphin in a nod to the iconic early resort which once occupied some of the same real estate. The upscale community includes the 122-room luxury beachfront resort Montage Los Cabos, as well as the private residences of Maravilla Los Cabos.

Couples and Eckenrode’s design is a par-72; its 18 holes stretching a challenging 7,156 yards from the tips. Playability for handicappers of all levels is a major focus, however, with four optional sets of tees (including one for kids), and subtle mounding in spots to safely corral errant drives. Stunning views of the Sea of Cortez and interior Sierra de la Laguna mountain range on each and every hole also bring another level of enjoyment to the golfing experience.

“We wanted this to be a course that all players can enjoy,” Couples explained. “With its multiple sets of tees, it varies in length and features undulating greens, dramatic elevation changes, impeccable fairways and natural bunkering. It’s a great second shot golf course with several spectacular tee shots. The architecture makes great use of the natural topography and the ocean views make each hole incredibly memorable.”

Puerto Los Cabos Golf Course

For 10 years, the luxury Puerto Los Cabos development just outside San Jose del Cabo hosted the world’s only collaborative design between champions turned designers Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman. The plan all along was for the two nine-hole efforts to be expanded into their own 18-hole layouts. Norman has yet to design the second nine for his course–he’s been too busy with Rancho San Lucas–but Nicklaus did return to finish his original conception, with the now 18-hole course debuting in 2018.

So for now, anyway, golfers have access to 27 beautiful holes, including the most recent nine unveiled by Nicklaus.

The opening stretch, routed at sea level and swept by gentle breezes, is designed to get players off to a good start. The first hole, a links-style par 5 flanked by an arroyo and framed in the distance by dunes, plays directly to the Sea of Cortes. The par-4 second hole, 332 yards at full stretch, invites big hitters to carry a large central bunker to reach the slightly elevated green, with trouble in store for misplayed shots.

The new nine’s picturesque closing stretch—holes 6 through 9—ascends to higher ground and has been the talk of the club since they opened. Each presents a fair but formidable challenge. The par-4 sixth, while not long on the card, demands an exacting approach to a well-protected tabletop green. From an elevated tee, the dramatic par-4 seventh plays to a ramped-up fairway, the uphill target a wishbone-shaped green indented by a deep bunker. At 191 yards from the tips, the sturdy par-3 eighth hole, its green benched into a hillside and ringed by bunkers, plays much longer than the listed yardage due to the prevailing wind. The new par-5 ninth, which occupies the corridor of the former 10th hole but plays in the opposite direction, offers a wide fairway that tumbles downhill to a green defended on the right by a pond. Nicklaus also built a new 10th hole, this one a testing 541-yard par 5 that skirts a winding arroyo on the right and rises to a well-protected green.

The new clubhouse at Puerto Los Cabos, also opened in 2018, is a distinctive blend of traditional Spanish Mission revival architecture and contemporary styling.  It offers an excellent snack bar open for breakfast and lunch as well as shaded outdoor seating. Ingredients for dishes are sourced from Miraflores, a local organic farm.  Complimentary refreshments, including fresh fish tacos, are served to players at the Bear’s Den, an on-course palapa.

For more information about events, activities 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:  Costa Palmas Golf Club

Upcoming Events Calendar

July

East Cape Dorado Shootout Fishing Tournament – Jul. 18

August

Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Fishing Tournament – Aug. 4 – 8

East Cape Gold Cup Wahoo Jackpot Fishing Tournament – Aug. 22

September

Mexican Independence Day – Sep. 16

October

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 11 – 15

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 15 – 18

Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 20 – 24

November

Day of the Dead – Nov. 2

WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 4 – 7

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 11 – 15

Gastrovino Baja Food and Wine Festival – Nov. 13 – 15

53rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 16 – 21

Revolution Day – Nov. 20

December

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena – Dec. 24

Navidad – Dec. 25

Nochevieja – Dec. 31

 

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World-Class Golf Courses Reopen in Los Cabos

June 30, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Los Cabos is once again welcoming visitors to enjoy its abundant attractions, a list that includes not only the region’s gorgeous beaches and luxurious resorts and villas, but also an unmatched collection of world-class golf courses.

As of 2020, there are 18 golf courses open in Los Cabos, 17 of which are championship-level layouts from the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Tom Weiskopf.

Although closed to the public for nearly three months due to quarantine conditions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, many of these courses are now being reopened to the public with new safety protocols in place.

Perhaps the most exciting of the recent course reopenings is the Greg Norman designed layout at Rancho San Lucas. The course debuted in February on the Pacific coast of Cabo San Lucas, but was only open a short time before it was obliged to close again. So this incredible new course has still been played by remarkably few people. That should change soon thanks to Norman’s breathtaking design, which has already been lauded for its excellence by the editors of Golf Digest, who proclaimed it one of their Editor’s Choice award winners for 2020.

 About the Greg Norman Signature Course at Rancho San Lucas

Inspired by the native terrain and featuring splendid panoramic views, the Greg Norman Signature course at Rancho San Lucas is a versatile 7,210-yard, par-72 course laid out within earshot of crashing Pacific Ocean waves. Spanning three different ecosystems, the links-style course weaves through a thick cactus forest creased by winding arroyos before descending to enormous windswept dunes.

Featuring a dramatic 300-foot elevation change, the well-strategized course has five holes on the beach, notably the par-3 third, which parallels the sea and will give players fine views of breaching whales during the winter months. There’s also a signature island green at the testing par-3 17th hole.

Grassed from tee-to-green in Paspalum, a drought-tolerant, disease-resistant varietal, the course features a unique revetted bunkering design unlike anything else in the region. Specifically tailored to Cabo’s terrain and locale, Norman and his design team integrated indigenous landscapes and grass varietals that use the least amount of water and in doing so, succeeded in creating a sustainable golf experience that flows naturally with the dune and desert landscape. The club has applied for enrollment in Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.

With two on-course comfort stations, each providing Mexican specialties and ice-cold refreshments, players can enjoy an all-inclusive experience during the round. A handsome ranchero-style clubhouse overlooks the fairways and sea. The practice facility features a spacious driving range, an 18-hole putting course, and dedicated chipping, pitching and sand play areas.

 On-site & Destination Safety Measures

Golf has been recognized as a safe social distancing sport and this is further supported by Rancho San Lucas’ newly acquired fleet of Skooza golf scooters, a self-balancing, 100% electric, zero emission fat-tire scooter designed for single-rider mobility. Additional on-site health and safety protocols include:

  • Face masks and gloves will be worn by all employees while on property along with regular temperature checks administered
  • Full-time housekeepers will be assigned to regularly clean all public areas; hand sanitizer dispensers in all interaction areas
  • Tee times set 15 minutes apart
  • Sanitation of golf carts and equipment before and after each round, including clubs, bags, shoes, etc.
  • Complimentary tees, ball markers, pencils and scorecards will be placed in sealed plastic bag in each golf cart
  • Addition of inserts in the golf hole cups to allow easy and safe removal of the ball
  • Food and drinks at the comfort stations will be pre-ordered and delivered on trays

Reopening of Quivira Golf Club

Not far from Rancho San Lucas on the Pacific coast of Cabo San Lucas lies the Jack Nicklaus designed Quivira Golf Club, an 18-hole masterpiece marked by sheer granite cliffs, massive windswept dunes and rolling desert foothills, with exquisite ocean views and breathtaking drops from tee to fairway.

Like Rancho San Lucas, Quivira recently received a 2020 Golf Digest Editors’ Choice Award in the ‘Best Mexico & Central America’ category. This is the fifth consecutive year the club has been singled out for recognition by the sport’s most widely read and respected publication.

And like Rancho San Lucas, Quivira is once again open.

According to Antonio Reynante, director of golf at Quivira Golf Club, the golf course benefitted from the shutdown. “We didn’t slow down during the mandated closure. The maintenance crew aerified and verti-cut all the tees and fairways, and then top-dressed the entire golf course. They did a phenomenal job, and we are very pleased with the results. The course looks sensational, and playability has been enhanced.” Comfort stations, he added, are open, with all golf and service staff required to wear face masks while on property. The staff will also practice physical distancing with all golfers as well as other employees.

Golfers, for their part, will follow specific guidelines to ensure safety. Tee times are scheduled 15 minutes apart to encourage social spacing.

For more information about events, activities 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:  Rancho San Lucas

Upcoming Events Calendar

August

Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Fishing Tournament – Aug. 4 – 8

East Cape Gold Cup Wahoo Jackpot Fishing Tournament – Aug. 22

September

Mexican Independence Day – Sep. 16

 October

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 11 – 15

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 15 – 18

Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 20 – 24

 November

Day of the Dead – Nov. 2

WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 4 – 7

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 11 – 15

Gastrovino Baja Food and Wine Festival – Nov. 13 – 15

53rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 16 – 21

Revolution Day – Nov. 20

 December

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena – Dec. 24

Navidad – Dec. 25

Nochevieja – Dec. 31

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Los Cabos Golfing Glories Continue with a Spectacular New Course from Greg Norman

March 11, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Another golf course has opened in Los Cabos. That makes 18 currently operating courses in the area, 17 of which are championship level layouts from the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman.

Norman, the two-time major champion who was nicknamed the “Great White Shark” for his aggressive playing style, has designed the most recently unveiled course – Rancho San Lucas – centerpiece of an 834-acre resort and residential community set on a pristine stretch of beach on the Pacific Ocean 15 minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas.

Known for his ‘least-disturbance’ design approach, Norman has created a low-profile, links-style layout that features sweeping ocean views from every hole. Earthmoving was kept to a minimum: the site’s contours and topography, Norman said, were ideal for the routing of a world-class course.

Spanning three different ecosystems, the 7,210-yard, par-72 golf course rambles through huge windswept dunes at the start, climbs through a thick cactus forest creased by meandering arroyos in the middle of the round, and returns players to the beach and sea on the back nine.

Tailored to the site’s terrain, Norman and his design team integrated indigenous landscapes and grass varietals that use the least amount of water, creating an eco-friendly golf experience that flows naturally with the dune and desert landscape. The club has applied for enrollment in Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.

“Rancho San Lucas is the most spectacular piece of oceanfront property I’ve seen in a long time, so to have the opportunity to build a course on this site was truly once-in-a-lifetime,” Norman said. “My goal was to keep it as natural as possible while showcasing the site’s arroyos, dunes and view corridors. We wanted to build a sustainable course that is playable from all perspectives, including the forward tees. We’re committed to making a global impact by creating courses that withstand the test of time, and I truly believe this golf course is one of the best we’ve ever built.”

The layout’s defining characteristic is its re-vetted pot bunkers. These sharp-edged, steep-walled sandy pits were constructed from recycled artificial turf and are nearly identical to the natural sod-walled bunkers found on British links courses. Resistant to washouts, the club’s synthetic, low-maintenance bunkers are a first in Mexico. Norman used them sparingly.

Tees, greens and fairways at Rancho San Lucas are surfaced in papsalum, a salt- and drought-tolerant cultivar that uses a fraction of the insecticides and fertilizer required by normal grasses.

The versatile, well-groomed layout has five sets of tees and offers exceptional pace and variety. The par 5’s are brawny, the par 3’s are varied. The par 4’s, angled to all compass points, range from long and stout to short and fun.

Featuring a dramatic 300-foot elevation change, the well-strategized course has a handful of holes on the beach, notably the par-3 third, which parallels the sea and will give players fine views of breaching whales during the winter months. There’s also a signature island green at the par-3 17th hole. Corridors are wide and targets are generous: four of the putting surfaces exceed 12,000 square feet.

Mindful of the seasonal windy conditions, Norman devised a 12-hole ‘course within a course’ at Rancho San Lucas. This innovative 4,964-yard, par-49 layout consists of low-lying holes sheltered by the dunes and shielded from Pacific breezes. It promises a pleasant outing on a windy day in May.

With two on-course comfort stations, each providing Mexican specialties and ice-cold refreshments, players can enjoy an all-inclusive experience during the round.  A handsome ranchero-style clubhouse overlooks the fairways and sea. The practice facility features a basin-shaped driving range, an 18-hole putting course, and dedicated chipping, pitching and sand play areas.

Rancho San Lucas is a private club with exclusive access available to guests of Solmar Group hotels and rental properties.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit https://www.loscabosvillas.com/, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Rancho San Lucas

Upcoming Events Calendar

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Mar. 8

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Festival Artesanal El Triunfo – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Mar. 26 – 29

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

May

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 4, 11, 18, 25

7th Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament – June 11 – 13

Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiesta de la Musica in San Jose del Cabo – June 20

24th Stars and Stripes Golf and Fishing Tournament – June 24 – 28

July

Pitahayas Harvest Fair in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced

East Cape Dorado Shootout – July 18

Los Cabos Open of Tennis – July 20 – 25

Ladies Only Fishing Tournament in Los Barriles – July 23 – 27

Mango Festival in Todos Santos – Dates Not Yet Announced

August

Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Fishing Tournament – Aug. 4 – 8

East Cape Gold Cup Wahoo Jackpot Fishing Tournament – Aug. 22

September

Mexican Independence Day – Sep. 16

 October

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 15 – 18

Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 20 – 24

 November

Day of the Dead – Nov. 2

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 11 – 15

53rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 16 – 21

Revolution Day – Nov. 20

 December

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena – Dec. 24

Navidad – Dec. 25

Nochevieja – Dec. 31

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Transformed! Iconic Los Cabos Golf Course Gets New Look, New Name

January 22, 2020 by Leave a Comment

When Golf Digest recently picked the best courses in each country, golf-rich Mexico merited 15 mentions. Ten of them, not surprisingly, were in Los Cabos; which has, over the course of the last 25 years, become a mecca for destination golfers.

The man most responsible for this golf boom on the southernmost rim of the Baja California peninsula is undoubtedly Jack Nicklaus, legendary winner of 18 major championships and designer of six championship level loops locally; including early 1990s masterpieces at Palmilla and Cabo del Sol that effectively put Los Cabos on the golfing map.

Nicklaus’ Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol has been ranked among the world’s 100 best courses for each of the last 15 years, and remains one of the most iconic local golfing experiences, albeit with a fresh new look and a fresh new name for 2020.

These changes were necessitated by a real estate development at Cabo del Sol, which will include a luxury residential community called the Cove Club, as well as both a Four Seasons Resort and Residences and a 162-room Park Hyatt property. Both branded resort properties are expected to open in 2022.

Although two ocean holes had to be rerouted at the newly minted Cove Club course, Nicklaus worked closely with the Cabo del Sol team to maintain the high golfing standards.

“We were given the challenge to redesign the golf course to meet their needs, but at the same time maintain the global status the Ocean Course has enjoyed for over 25 years,” Nicklaus said. “The developers needed to take a couple of holes off the ocean, and my responsibility was to preserve the quality of the golf course. I think we have done that in a very satisfactory way. We still have great ocean views, and we still have four holes on the ocean.”

These holes trace a rugged coastline marked by granite outcrops and golden beaches lapped by the Sea of Cortez. Nearly 80,000 plants, trees and shrubs, ranging from bougainvillea and coco palms to palo blanco and purple lantana, have been planted to beautify the layout.

Strategic nuances have been introduced and overall playability enhanced on the refurbished course. For example, the new Rooster Fish (kids) tees total 4,451 yards and invite family-friendly outings. In addition to full-service comfort stations on both nines, an Airstream trailer parked on the beach behind the fifth green offers Mexican specialties and ice-cold refreshments.

Among the new holes crafted by Nicklaus is the short par-3 7th, which was tucked into recreated dunes a stone’s throw from the beach. Faced into the prevailing breeze, this oceanfront hole offers two different angles of attack from a wishbone-like set of tees. The target is a raised green defended front and back by deep bunkers with rolled-down grass faces. As is true throughout the remodeled layout, these new-look bunkers are filled with bright white sand that provides a strong visual contrast to the emerald green turf and turquoise-blue sea.

To make way for a new entryway to the resort community, a new par-4 9th hole was built in a corridor adjacent to the previous ninth hole. The new creation, robust at 461 yards from the tips, mimics the original with its broad saddled fairway but has more dramatic flair in its fairway and greenside bunkering.

At the west end of the course is the Cove Club, a luxury residential community currently under development. With the old 17th hole converted to a beach club, Nicklaus designed a new ridge-to-ridge par-3 17th hole, which drops from a set of elevated tees to a well-defended green backdropped by the sea.

The previous 16th hole, a stirring downhill par-4 that plunges 100 feet down the side of a mountain, has been recast as the 18th hole. “We moved the green a little closer to the ocean and dropped it down to create a spectacular finishing hole,” Nicklaus stated. The peninsula-style green, guarded to the left by an unusual U-shaped bunker with a view portal to the sea, clings to a cliff and appears to float on the ocean. Stretching to 455 yards from the Cove tees, the revised 18th hole immediately takes its place among the finest finishing holes in Los Cabos.

The Cove Club will close for additional modifications at a future date and will reopen as a private club. The Tom Weiskopf-designed Desert Course at Cabo del Sol, also slated to undergo future design changes, will remain a public-access resort venue.

For more information about events, activities 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:  Cove Club

Upcoming Events Calendar

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

Whale Watching Season – January through April 15th

 February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

Los Cabos Half Marathon – Feb. 9

Biker Week Los Cabos – Feb. 13 – 17

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Feb. 14 – 15

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Mar. 8

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Mar. 26 – 29

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

May

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 4, 11, 18, 25

7th Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament – June 11 – 13

Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiesta de la Musica in San Jose del Cabo – Date Not Yet Announced

24th Stars and Stripes Golf and Fishing Tournament – June 24 – 28

 

 

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Los Cabos Adds Two New Golf Courses to its World-Class Collection

December 24, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Now there are 18.

The opening of two more championship-level golf courses by February 2020 brings the number of world-class loops in Los Cabos to a whopping 18, a total that includes multiple course designs from legendary champions like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman.

Outside of Scotland, the game’s ancestral home, destination golfers would be hard pressed to find a municipality anywhere on the planet that even comes close to Los Cabos in terms of both quantity and quality of playing options.

Amazingly enough, even more courses are in the works. But that’s all in the future. Right now, the focus is on the present, and on the newest additions to the local links landscape.

The East Cape of the Los Cabos municipality had been the last unexplored frontier in terms of golf, but that changed last month with the opening of Costa Palmas Golf Club, which accompanies a new Four Seasons luxury resort and marina as part of an upscale 1000-acre community development at La Ribera.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the man who also crafted the Los Cabos area’s acclaimed Cabo Real course, Costa Palmas exhibits all the signs of an instant classic. Not only does the 7,221-yard layout offer both breathtaking scenery and challenges for players of all skill levels, the signature luxury amenities of Los Cabos golf are also much in evidence, from a six-hole to short course to a 30,000 square foot putting practice area with lights for night play, and of course an onsite restaurant for 19th hole style refreshments.

Jones himself calls Costa Palmas “a golf symphony composed of three movements and two transitions”; referring to the integration of desert dunes, elevation shifts and backdrops featuring the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range, and then attention-grabbing Sea of Cortez views as the course finishes near the yacht basin and marina.

Costa Palmas is open to community residents and Four Seasons resort guests exclusively, a policy similar to that at Rancho San Lucas, where Greg “the Great White Shark” Norman is putting the finishing touches on his own masterpiece.

If the East Cape is the final frontier, the Pacific Coast north of Cabo San Lucas is Broadway. This picturesque stretch of coast is home to Quivira, a residential and resort community that boasts a Jack Nicklaus designed course ranked among the 100 best in the world; Diamante, a residential and resort community that offers Davis Love III’s acclaimed Dunes Course–also ranked among the world’s 100 best–as well as two courses designed by Tiger Woods; and now Rancho San Lucas, a resort and residential community with a soon-to-be highly ranked course from Norman.

This isn’t Norman’s first trip to Los Cabos, by the way, as he earlier collaborated with Jack Nicklaus on the Puerto Los Cabos course outside San Jose del Cabo. But it’s hard to compare anything with his Rancho San Lucas course, which evens features a 17th hole island green that will remind some of TPC Sawgrass (although TPC doesn’t have a cactus planted in its bunker, and the views at RSL are in another league altogether).

Norman says his main goals for the course were fun and playability, but the links style layout–which plays 7210-yards from the tips–will certainly present challenges to even the best players, particularly when offshore breezes are gusting along the stretch of five ocean facing holes. Comfort food stations are the signature luxury amenity, but golfers will also appreciate the state-of-the-art golf shop and onsite restaurant.

As previously mentioned, tee times at Rancho San Lucas will only be available to guests at Grand Solmar’s Rancho San Lucas resort, as well as residents in the upscale community. The course officially opens in February 2020.

For more information about events, activities 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:  Rancho San Lucas

Upcoming Events Calendar

December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26

Sabor a Cabo Rural Tasting – Dec. 8

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Stars of the Night Party at Casa Dorada – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza with DJ Roger Sanchez – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Mango Rouge Party at Mango Deck – Dec. 31

January

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

 February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Feb. 14 – 15

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

20th Annual Baja Hog Rally – Feb. 20 – 24

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

May

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

 

 

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Teed Up: The Latest News and Updates on Golf in Los Cabos

November 21, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Los Cabos offers world-class conditions for just about every outdoor sport imaginable, whether on air, land or sea. But in terms of popularity among the area’s millions of annual vacationers, two stand head and shoulders above the rest: golf and fishing.

Fishing is the traditionally the biggest draw, but since the recent WON Tuna Jackpot was the last major fishing tournament until June 2020, this is the time of year when the attention shifts primarily to the local golf scene, with the focus on updates about new courses and the latest information on upcoming tournaments.

Luckily for destination duffers, there’s big news on both fronts.

Golf Comes to the East Cape

Los Cabos currently has 17 operating golf courses, four of which have been or still are ranked among the 100 best in the world. It’s a staggering portfolio for a resort destination on the southernmost rim of the Baja California peninsula, and the most remarkable aspect may be that it continues to grow at rapid rate.

The latest addition is Robert Trent Jones II designed Costa Palmas Golf Club, the first course to open on the Los Cabos municipality’s beautiful and still largely undeveloped East Cape. Built in conjunction with a private resort community centered around the new Four Seasons Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, the first-ever Baja foray for the distinguished luxury brand, Costa Palmas Golf Club is a “symphony is three parts” according to its creator, or should we say composer.

The 7,221-yard loop is scenically set between the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range and the Sea of Cortez, with the first six holes threading through links-style dunes, the middle six offering panoramic mountain vistas, and the final six showing off the gorgeous coves and harbors of La Ribera, where the resort community and golf course is located. The new yacht club is also on picturesque display.

In addition to its 18 memorable holes, the new Costa Palmas Golf Club also boasts a host of luxury amenities, including a six-hole par-3 course for families, a 30,000 square foot practice putting green that’s illuminated at night, and a “19th hole” style café called Bouchi’s.

Costa Palmas is actually Robert Trent Jones II’s second design in Los Cabos. The first was Cabo Real, which opened in 1996 and helped put Los Cabos on the golfing map after television cameras broadcast whales breaching near a seaside green during a Senior Slam event.

The Los Cabos Pro-Am Has a Brand New Look

There are three golf tournaments of note held in Los Cabos each year:  the Adidas Invitational (formerly known as the Jim Flick Invitational and the Taylor Made Invitational), the Los Cabos Pro-Am and the Cabo Collegiate. The latter is held at the very private Querencia Golf Club, a Tom Fazio design currently ranked among the world’s 100 best. The first two have traditionally been held at the Cabo del Sol Ocean Course, a Jack Nicklaus designed masterpiece that has been ranked among the world’s 100 best for over a decade and a half. All three take place in the Los Cabos Tourist Corridor, the 20-mile coastal stretch that connects cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

The Adidas Invitational was relocated to Puerto Vallarta in 2019 due to a six-month redesign of Nicklaus’ majestic Ocean Course, done with Nicklaus’ assistance to help accommodate a luxurious new residential community. In addition, a second Four Seasons resort and residences project will open at Cabo del Sol in 2022. But even the Four Seasons residents won’t have access to the Ocean Course, which after years of public access is going to become as private and exclusive as Querencia.

For those who still want to enjoy the inimitable seaside grandeur of the Ocean Course we recommend entrance into the Los Cabos Pro-Am. The long-time local tournament will take place as expected January 12th to 16th, 2020 at the new look Ocean Course, as well as at the neighboring Tom Weiskopf designed Cabo del Sol Desert Course.

In other golf news, the new Greg Norman designed Rancho San Lucas course on the Pacific Coast of Cabo San Lucas is expected to open for play by the end of 2019.

For more information about events, activities 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:  Costa Palmas Golf Club/Evan Schiller Photography                                                                              

Upcoming Events Calendar

November

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Nov. 1 – 2

Pelagic Rock Star Tuna Tournament – Nov. 1 – 3

Ironman Los Cabos 70.3 Half-Triathlon – Nov. 3

Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Nov. 3 – 16

21st WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 6 – 9

Luxe Life Los Cabos Jazz Experience – Nov. 7 – 11

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 13 – 17

52nd Annual Baja 1000 – Nov. 19 – 24

Sabor a Cabo International Food & Wine Festival – Nov. 30

 December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26

Sabor a Cabo Rural Tasting – Dec. 8

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

 February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Dates Not Yet Announced

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

20th Annual Baja Hog Rally – Feb. 20 – 24

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

 

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Fred Couples Designed Twin Dolphin Golf Course Opens in Los Cabos

December 8, 2018 by 1 Comment

A new golf course is always cause for celebration in golf mad Los Cabos. The tropical paradise at the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula has birthed over a dozen world-class layouts since the early 1990s, including three courses currently ranked among the 100 best on the planet.

Hole #3/4

 It’s not just the high-quality courses that distinguish Los Cabos as a golfing destination, however,but the star power behind them. Major champions like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Greg Norman and Tom Weiskopf have all designed courses in or around cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee recently collaborated with Todd Eckenrode of Origins Golf Design on the picturesque layout for Twin Dolphin Golf Club, a new seaside loop overlooking Santa Maria Bay in the Los Cabos Tourist Corridor.

 The newly opened course is the centerpiece of a 1400-acre, master planned community, which is also called Twin Dolphin in a nod to the iconic early resort which once occupied some of the same real estate. The upscale community includes the122-room luxury beachfront resort Montage Los Cabos, as well as the private residences of Maravilla Los Cabos. 

 Couples and Eckenrode’s masterpiece is a par-72; its 18 holes stretching a challenging7,156 yards from the tips. Play ability for handicappers of all levels is a major focus, however, with four optional sets of tees (including one for kids),and subtle mounding in spots to safely corral errant drives. Stunning views of the Sea of Cortez and interior Sierra de la Laguna mountain range on each and every hole also bring another level of enjoyment to the golfing experience.

 “We wanted this to be a course that all players can enjoy,” Couples explained. “With its multiple sets of tees, it varies in length and features undulating greens,dramatic elevation changes, impeccable fairways and natural bunkering. It’s a great second shot golf course with several spectacular tee shots. The architecture makes great use of the natural topography and the ocean views make each hole incredibly memorable.” 

“Without question, this is the most incredible site we have ever had the pleasure of working on,” agreed co-designer Todd Eckenrode. “The land has a sense of place all its own, as if it was discovered rather than built. The course is set among the dramatic rugged arroyos of the native terrain, with broad ocean views and classic architectural styling. An environmentally-sensitive clearing plan was established from the outset, leaving mature desert flora and rock formations intact.  Fred’s excellent vision and passion for the project contributed immensely to the design.”

 Planned and planted for more than a decade before its official opening, the course occupies some of the most beautiful land in Los Cabos, and features some of the area’s most majestic ocean views. Set 180 feet above sea level, and nestled between rugged desert and mountains and a gorgeous horseshoe-shaped cove that opens into a protected marine sanctuary, Twin Dolphin is as much a nature preserve a sit is a golf course…a fact not lost on superintendent Russell Hewitt.

 “Environmental stewardship is very important to us, especially with the National Marine Preserve status of Santa Maria Bay and its Blue Flag beach certification,” he noted.

Couples is equally enthusiastic, perhaps more so given he is not only the course architect, but also a resident and member of the community. As such, he enjoys the same course-adjacent views as other owners, from horizon-stretching ocean vistas to the three major arroyos that give the layout much of its character.

“The routing showcases constant variety, particularly in how it utilizes the arroyos that predominate throughout,” Eckenrode added. “Golfers will play along, across and even through these signature arroyos, which lend a memorable identity to the course.”

The course is memorable, but one will have to be a member of the community or a guest a ton site resort Montage Los Cabos to find out, as Twin Dolphin Golf Club is very definitely private. It joins other notable local courses in that regard,including Querencia, El Dorado, Chileno Bay, Quivira and Diamante.

For more information about events, activities 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.

  • Chris Sands is co-founder of CaboVivo, co-writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, Editor at Baja.Ca, and a contributor to Forbes, USA Today and Cabo Living, as well as other websites and publications. 

Photo credit: Twin Dolphin Golf Club


Upcoming Event Calendar

December

Sabor a Cabo Food & Wine Festival – Dec. 1

Dressed to the K-9s Charity Gala – Dec. 1

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27

Virgin of Guadalupe Feast Day – Dec. 12

Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Día de los Inocentes – Dec. 28

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January 2019

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Día de los Tres Reyes Magos – Jan. 6

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 10 – 20

Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 14 – 18

La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 16 – 20

February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 2 – 9

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 9 – 10

Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day) – Feb. 14

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend

March

Cabo Collegiate at Querencia – March 3 – 5

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – March 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 6, 13, 20, 27

Baja Shakespeare Festival – March 8 – 10, 13 – 16

End of Whale Watching Season – March 15

East Cape Arts Festival – March 17

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Yet to Be Determined

7th Annual Cheese & Wine Festival at Sheraton Grand Los Cabos – Dates Yet to Be Determined

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – April 4, 11, 18, 25

NORRA Mexican 1000 – April 26 – May 3

Paws n’ Claws Golf Tournament – Dates Yet to Be Determined

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Yet to Be Determined

May

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival in Todos Santos – May 17 – 19

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 6, 13, 20, 27

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30 Days of Land’s End Happenings – November Events in Los Cabos

October 30, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Few months in Los Cabos are more exciting than November, thanks to a huge variety of highly anticipated events, from holidays and cultural celebrations to destination lifestyle experiences and lucrative sporting competitions.

The eleventh month of 2018 boasts no less than three major holidays, including Day of the Dead (one of the most visually striking and spiritually profound of all Mexican remembrances), Revolution Day (which honors the victories won by rebel leaders like Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata), and of course Thanksgiving, which has been imported from the U.S. for the benefit of turkey and cranberry sauce starved visitors.

The red carpet glamour of the Los Cabos International Film Festival makes it one of the cape cities’ signature cultural celebrations, although the return of the seasonal Thursday night Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo promises more lasting interest, since it runs through the end of June 2019.

Sporting aficionados, meanwhile, can choose between cash-rich fishing tournaments like the WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot, high-stakes golf at the Adidas Golf Invitational, endurance contests like the Ironman 70.3 half-triathlon, and off-road racing in the iconic Baja 1000.

There is something, in other words, to appeal to every traveler’s taste.

Dia de Muertos  (Oct. 31 – Nov. 2)

Mexico observes many holidays, but none quite so visually distinctive and emotionally resonant as El Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). This holiday to honor deceased family and friends dates back to the time of the Aztecs – who dedicated a festival to Mictecacihuatl, queen of the underworld, each August – but now takes place contemporaneously with the Catholic observance of Allhallowtide. Traditionally, it is thought that the souls of children return on Nov. 1, and the souls of adults on Nov. 2. Families will often build ofrendas (altars) in their homes, welcoming back the spirits of the departed with some of their favorite food and drinks, as well as special holiday themed items like cempasuchil flowers (Aztec marigolds), calaveras de azucar (candy skulls), and a sweet bread called pan de muerto.

San Jose del Cabo Art Walk  (Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29)

The historic Distrito del Arte in San Jose del Cabo takes center stage each Thursday evening during high tourist season – November through June – when residents and visitors alike are invited to stroll its cobblestone streets and peruse the many eclectic fine arts galleries. Art Walk hours are 5 to 9 p.m, when the neighborhood comes alive with wine, cheese and guided tours, as well as colorful street artists and strolling mariachis. A chance to check out San Jose’s recent downtown makeover is another reason to make the Thursday night pilgrimage.

20th Annual WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Tournament  (Nov. 7 – 10)

The Western Outdoor News has a long history with Los Cabos, dating back to the 1950s, when Baja columnist Ray Cannon’s rave fishing reviews helped put the area on the destination travel map. The WON Tuna Jackpot is one of the larger fishing tournaments in Cabo San Lucas, a fixture of the autumn sporting calendar that follows hard on the heels of the Los Cabos Billfish and Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore and Black & Blue Tournaments. Last year’s event, the 19th edition, saw 147 teams competed across 11 events for over $677,000 in prize money. Even bigger things are expected this year.

Los Cabos International Film Festival  (Nov. 7 – 11)

The Los Cabos International Film Festival returns for its 7th edition on Nov. 7, with an inaugural red carpet gala and screening at the Pabellon Cultural de la Republica in Cabo San Lucas. The celebrity and paparazzi studded galas receive much of the attention, but the heart of the festival consists of curated screenings at Cinemex Theaters at Puerto Paraíso, and behind the scenes conferences and programs designed to promote mutually beneficial collaborations between the North American film industries. Thus, the LCIFF’s long-running tagline: “Come See What the Neighbors Are Doing.” Winners of prizes for significant achievements in cinema receive the coveted Ballena de Los Cabos, the whale-shaped award created by jeweler Daniel Espinosa that was first unveiled in 2016.

Dia de la Revolucion  (Nov. 20)

Revolution Day is a national holiday in Mexico that remembers the revolution from 1910 t0 1920, a civil war that began as a revolt against over three decades of dictatorial rule from President and caudillo supremo Porfirio Diaz, and continued as rebel factions fought to control the country’s future direction. It began when Francisco Madero published his Plan de San Luis, urging the people to rise up in arms on November 20, 1910, and continued under revolutionary leaders like Emiliano Zapata and Francisco “Pancho” Villa. Revolution Day is one of five Fiestas Patrias (Patriotic Holidays) celebrated annually, and is commemorated with a three-day weekend and parades across Mexico, including cavalcades in cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

Dia de Accion de Gracias  (Nov. 22)

 No, Mexico does not honor a time in the distant past when pilgrims sat down to share a feast with the indigenous peoples. But in Los Cabos – home to many American and Canadian residents, both of whom celebrate their own versions of Thanksgiving – the holiday is observed, if mainly at special dinners or functions for residents or travelers from Mexico’s two North American neighbors. Canada’s version takes place Oct. 8, 2018; and is a time for parties and special menus at Canadian owned bars like Hooliganz in Cabo San Lucas. The U.S. version, called Dia de Accion de Gracias in Spanish, is much more acknowledged locally, and dinners featuring turkey and traditional fixings will be offered at restaurants around Los Cabos on Thursday, Nov. 22.

For more information about events, activities 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.

 Chris Sands is co-founder of CaboVivo, co-writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, Editor at Baja.Ca, and a contributor to Forbes, USA Today and Cabo Living, as well as other websites and publications. 

Photo credit:  WON Tuna Jackpot

Upcoming Event Calendar

November

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Life Luxe Jazz Experience at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica – Nov. 1 – 4

Cruising for the Critters (Humane Society Fundraiser) – Nov. 3

IRONMAN 70.3 Latin American Tri Club Championship – Nov. 4

Adidas Golf Invitational at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 6 – 11

WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 7 – 10

Los Cabos International Film Festival – Nov. 7 – 11

SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18

Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20

Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) – Nov. 22

 December

Sabor a Cabo Food & Wine Festival – Dec. 1

Dressed to the K-9s Charity Gala – Dec. 1

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27

Virgin of Guadalupe Feast Day – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Día de los Inocentes – Dec. 28

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January 2019

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Día de los Tres Reyes Magos – Jan. 6

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 10 – 20

Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 14 – 18

La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 16 – 20

February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 2 – 9

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 9 – 10

Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day) – Feb. 14

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5

March

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 6, 13, 20, 27

Cabo Collegiate at Querencia – March 3 – 5

 

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