By James McAfee
"Build it and they will come." That's what the Kevin Costner character in the movie, "Field of Dreams" was told about building the baseball field in the middle of his cornfield. He did as asked and some of the greats of the game showed up along with his dad.
Well, it's also exactly what land developers have done in the Mexico territory of Baja, California. On what once was an arid wasteland favored by fishermen in search of trophy marlin, there are seven golf courses––plus more on the drawing board––and plenty of deluxe accommodations to whet the appetites of discerning golfers.
The metamorphosis started in the early 1990s when the developers realized that the scenic coastline coupled with 350+ days of sunshine represented a vein of gold just waiting to be mined. By moving a lot of dirt on the desert and mountainside, adding some man–make irrigation lakes and finding enough water by building their own desalinization plants, they created some interesting courses that combined ocean, desert and mountain characteristics. Add luxury accommodations and a new destination was created for golfers.
These developers––most of the original ones are no longer involved––spared no expense either when it came time to obtain architects. Jack Nicklaus' signature is currently on three of them––Pamilla, Cabo del Sol Ocean and El Dorado. Robert Trent Jones Jr. came in to finish up Cabo Real. Ten years later, Tom Weiskopf did the second course at Cabo del Sol, the Desert.
Nicklaus' first design was the Arroyo and Mountain nines on the other side of the ultra–modern highway between the sleepy Mexican town of San Jose and the party–hearty Cabo San Lucas where the marina is located. He routed holes around long waste bunkers, ponds and deep arroyos to create a target style of golf similar to Arizona. The difference? The views of the Sea of Cortez. Later, a third nine, the Ocean, was added with one hole playing down a canyon to the water's edge where the One&Only Palmilla Resort is located.
Given some land a lot closer to the water, Nicklaus' second design was the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol. It has three par 3s, including the back–to–back Nos. 6 and 7, right next to the sea and the par 3 No. 17 that plays over a sandy beach and rock outcropping. The tee on No. 8 and the new green on No. 16 are also next to the water. Just like No. 18 at Pebble Beach, the finishing hole borders the water, but Nicklaus did provide a 35–yard area left of that green for the golfers not wanting to risk hitting a ball onto the beach. One visiting golfer recently called it "pretty as any course I've ever seen" and it is deserving of its No. 1 ranking in Mexico. Put it at the top of your "must play" list.
The newer Desert Course provides more target–style golf, including shots over canyon–like arroyos, as it climbs the mountainside on the other side of the highway. Vistas of the sea are visible from every hole. The 18th is another great finishing hole, calling for an accurate approach shot over a lake.
Nicklaus did El Dorado also, but his original design is in the process of being changed by the Discovery Land Company with six holes down by the water being eliminated in favor of high–priced home sites. It has recently completed changes to become a private club.
Put Cabo Real on your schedule if you have the time. It plays uphill until you reach the No. 6 tee at 450 feet and then drops to the water's edge for the green on No. 14 and the par 3 No. 15. The par 3 No. 12 offers a tee shot from a cliff 150 feet above the green.
The Cabo San Lucas Country Club is a less expensive option for those staying in one of the Cabo San Lucas hotels like Tesero while the Mayan Palace Golf Course near San Jose is probably better suited for beginners.
The Club at Querencia, a Tom Fazio design, is for members and guests only. Reportedly, it has the quickest and trickiest greens in all of Mexico.
Good news for golfers is that the Jack Nicklaus-designed Club Campestre Golf Club is now open. While it still needs time to mature, it's a great test of target golf. The course is the first in the area to use Paspalum grass, which has a higher tolerence to salt water.
Puerto Los Cabos is scheduled to open a hybrid 18 holes later in 2008 that will feature nine holes of a Greg Norman design with nine holes of a Jack Nicklaus design that will be open to the public at first.
"It's a lot closer than Hawaii," says Cabo del Sol director of golf Gary Nutt when reminding Californians and others from the western U.S. why Los Cabos may be a better choice.
Palmilla Golf Club: www.palmillaresort.com
800–386–2226
OneandOnly Palmilla
Cabo del Sol: www.cabodelsol.com
800–386–2465
Cabo Real Golf Club: http://www.caboreal.com/golfcaboreal.htm
800–543–2044
Club Campestre: www.clubcampestresanjose.com
Pureto Los Cabos: www.puertoloscabos.com
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