Four leading resorts in Los Cabos, the undisputed ‘Golf Capital of Latin America,’ have received a 2022 Editors’ Choice Award from Golf Digest in the ‘Best Golf Resorts in Mexico & Central America’ category.

“This is Year 7 of our annual Editors’ Choice Awards package, offering once again an assortment of products that can help golfers play better, smarter and healthier in 2022,” the magazine stated. “Additionally, we also recognize top destinations and travel-related services in hopes that golf trips will be something we can all enjoy again.

“Golfers dream big,” the awards report continued. ”We all want to play the greatest courses and stay in the most luxurious hotels and inns, and when our thoughts drift to where we might travel, we often settle on the legendary destinations.”

That includes Los Cabos, the dazzling Land’s End getaway at the tip of the Baja Peninsula that claimed four of the eight spots in its bracket, more than any other destination in Mexico & Central America.

Heading the winner’s list is Cabo Del Sol, the 36-hole facility credited with putting Los Cabos on the international golf map when its Ocean Course debuted in 1994. Renamed the Cove Club and reopened in 2019 with new holes, rebuilt bunkers, improved playing surfaces and a new landscape scheme, the layout occupies what course designer Jack Nicklaus once described as “the best golf property I’ve ever seen.” Holes stretch across a stunning desert landscape touched by the Sea of Cortes and framed by rugged mountains. Tall cardon cacti and tawny granite outcrops stake out the fairways and greens. Comfort stations on both nines offer Mexican specialties and ice-cold refreshments. The Cove Club is now a members-only facility.

Cabo Del Sol’s second venue is the Desert Course, a Tom Weiskopf design circa 2001 that scales craggy desert foothills crisscrossed by canyon-like arroyos, with an ocean view from every hole. Modified for real estate development, the current 12-hole course, in play through early November, offers an enticing blend of long and short holes as well as numerous risk-reward options. Broad fairways framed by granite rock outcrops and large sculpted bunkers characterize the design.

Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design has been retained to build several new holes in rugged terrain north of the existing layout, which will be known as Cabo Del Sol Golf Club when it reopens. It will function as ‘resort private,’ with course access available to guests of the on-site Hacienda del Mar and Grand Fiesta Americana hotels. Fry/Straka will remodel pre-existing holes to match the design style of their new creations. Final completion of the $15 million course makeover is expected by 2024.

Also receiving a 2022 Editors’ Choice Award is Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas. Centerpiece of an 834-acre resort and residential community set in a thick cactus forest that transitions to sand hills and the sea, the development’s hotel is walking distance from a Greg Norman Signature course opened in 2020. Known for his ‘least-disturbance’ design approach, Norman created a low-profile, links-style layout at Rancho San Lucas. Earthmoving was kept to a minimum: the site’s native contours were retained. Spanning three different ecosystems, the 7,210-yard layout rambles through huge windswept dunes, climbs through groves of giant cardon cacti creased by winding arroyos, and returns players to the dunes at the finish. The layout’s defining feature is its revetted pot bunkers. These 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.

In addition to a pair of on-course comfort stations, a handsome ranchero-style clubhouse overlooks the fairways and sea. Rancho San Lucas is a private club with access available to guests of Solmar Group hotels, including the on-site Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas Resort.

One&Only Palmilla earns its moniker as the “Grande Dame” of Los Cabos. Palmilla Golf Club, the first Jack Nicklaus Signature course in Latin America, is located five minutes from a legendary hideaway built in 1956 by the son of a former president of Mexico. The glamour and ambience of the original resort was carefully preserved at One&Only Palmilla, which reopened in 2004 following a $90 million expansion and refurbishment. This ultra-luxe property, continuously upgraded to retain its iconic status, is set on a rocky promontory that juts into the Sea of Cortes, its protected sandy coves fronting azure-blue waters calm enough for swimming.   The hotel is a perennial favorite of Hollywood A-listers.

Palmilla’s Mountain and Arroyo nines, chiseled into in a box-shaped canyon walled in by steep stony peaks, set the stage for top-shelf golf in Los Cabos when the core 18 opened in 1992. Routed around boulder-strewn arroyos and cactus-covered foothills, Palmilla was the first course in the hemisphere to partake of Cabo’s unique mountain, desert and ocean ecosystem. Tournament-tough from the tips, the layout’s wide fairways and open-entry greens accommodate players of lesser attainment. The club’s Ocean nine, featuring a 600-foot elevation change that carries players from the mountains to the sea, opened in 1999.

The final Editors’ Choice Award was claimed by Quivira Golf Club, a spectacular layout grafted onto a jaw-dropping site at the exact place where the Sea of Cortes meets the Pacific Ocean. Arguably the most daring and eclectic course Jack Nicklaus has ever built, Quivira, his sixth design in Los Cabos, is an engineering marvel that presents an unforgettable test from any set of tees.

Highlighted by risk-reward options and breathtaking drops from tee to fairway, Quivira offers more oceanfront exposure than any other course in Los Cabos. This breezy, multi-themed layout starts at sea level, climbs the face of a mountain, tiptoes along sheer granite cliffs, zigzags through massive sloping dunes, and ambles across rolling desert foothills. A Nicklaus favorite is the short par-4 fifth hole, its slanted fairway wedged between a shouldering dune on the right and a vertical cliff on the left 275 feet above the tossing sea. The target is a semi-blind, cliff-hanging green tucked well below the fairway.

An all-inclusive facility, Quivira serves Mexican fare and refreshments at four comfort stations, including the open-air Oasis set above the eighth green. The private club is accessible to guests of Pueblo Bonito Golf & Spa Resorts’ five properties. Golfers gravitate to the nearby Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Golf & Spa Resort, a deluxe adults-only beachfront property where the accommodations, spa and dining options are exceptional.

All Editors’ Choice Awards winners are currently featured: Here at Editors Choice

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Saludos from Co-Founders…

Chris Sands – Writer  and Michael Mattos

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Golf Magazine has released its latest edition of the ‘Top 100 Courses You Can Play,’ a compendium of “beautifully inclusive, thrillingly elite” public-access options sprinkled throughout North America.

“Our previous rankings of public-access courses have been confined to the United States,” the magazine reported in its May issue. “This time, we’ve also ventured into Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Expanding our reach means, for starters, you can find courses in prime condition at any time of year.”

That includes Los Cabos, the dazzling Land’s End destination at the tip of the Baja Peninsula known as the ‘Golf Capital of Latin America.’

The publication carefully defined the public-access category. “What exactly constitutes ‘public’ has become a sometimes tricky proposition,” the report stated. “There are semiprivate courses that allow limited ‘outside’ play certain days of the week. There are also courses that grant access via a stay at a certain hotel. Several facilities featured on this list are private clubs with a public component. For our purposes, we consider a course public if you can access it as a nonmember.”

GOLF Magazine concluded by issuing a call to action: “We’re all fired up to wipe the dust off our passport and once again experience different cultures and broaden our course architecture knowledge.”

Formerly known as the Ocean Course, the Cove Club at Cabo del Sol (No. 69), built by Jack Nicklaus in 1994, is the course credited with pinpointing Los Cabos on the international golf map. The seaside layout, rebranded and reopened as the Cove Cub in 2019 after a major facelift by Nicklaus, features a handful of new holes, restyled bunkers, improved playing surfaces and a new landscape scheme. The layout occupies what the course designer, who first visited Los Cabos in the 1960s to angle for trophy marlin, once described as “the best golf property I’ve ever seen.” Holes stretch across a splendid desert landscape touched by the Sea of Cortes and backdropped by rocky peaks. Specimen cardon cacti and tawny granite outcrops stake out the fairways and greens on a course often described as the “Pebble Beach of the Baja.” Comfort stations on both nines offer Mexican specialties and ice-cold refreshments. One caveat: the window to play the Cove Club is closing fast. The golf course will close for renovations later this month and will reopen as a private club in the fall.

Twin Dolphin (No. 71), centerpiece of a 1,400-acre master-planned community, is an otherwise-private club that offers exclusive access to guests of Montage Los Cabos, a deluxe beachfront hotel. Built on a broad sloping plateau bisected by three major arroyos, the 7,156-yard layout, perched 180 meters above sea level, features a sweeping ocean view from every hole. Built by Fred Couples (a Twin Dolphin member) and Todd Eckenrode of Origins Golf Design, the course features dramatic elevation changes, undulating greens, tumbling fairways and natural bunkering. Subtle mounding corrals errant shots on a broad-shouldered layout marked by wide corridors and few forced carries. To settle bets, Twin Dolphin has a par-3 “bye hole” that calls for a 95-yard pitch shot over an arroyo. For kids and beginners, the club’s Nino’s Tees present a sporty 2,300-yard, par-61 layout. Greens, tees and fairways, under the care of a Pine Valley alumnus, are honed to perfection. There’s also a caddie program, comprehensive practice facilities and a pair of ‘Red Door’ comfort stations serving fine fare and top libations.

Arguably the finest Tom Fazio-designed course in Latin America, Chileno Bay (No. 86), first opened in 2013, has been completely revamped by Discovery Land Company. Formal bunkers brim with bright white sand, a stark contrast to the layout’s native tawny waste bunkers. Bougainvillea, oleander and other colorful ornamentals frame the emerald-green fairways. Manicured to perfection, the golf course, girdled by sandy arroyos and prominent natural pinnacles, offers a sea view from every hole. Displaying his trademark artistry, Fazio created graceful flowing landforms intended to simulate rolling ocean waves. Wide fairways and generously turfed surrounds create strategic options for good players and bail-out areas for duffers. Two on-course comfort stations serve Kobe beef sliders, homemade tamales, beer on draft and candy galore. Guests of Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, a beachfront hotel and residential villa complex managed by Auberge Resorts Collection, enjoy exclusive access to the golf club.

Alongside its Top 100 You Can Play feature, GOLF Magazine has a companion story, “Go Tropical,” designed for players who want to work on their tan and their Top 100 checklist. The “Road Trip: Cabo San Lucas” sidebar offers excellent diversions, from the “ultimate in field-to-table dining” (Flora’s Field Kitchen) to nightlife (“Sammy Hagar’s iconic Cabo Wabo”). There’s even a suggested detour to the Jack Nicklaus Signature course at Quivira, a breathtaking clifftop layout that “offers stunning ocean views.” Players need to stay at a Pueblo Bonito Resort, with Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, an adults-only, all-inclusive hotel five minutes from the golf club, the best option.

Saludos from Co-Founders…

Chris Sands and Michael Mattos

The post Three Los Cabos Courses Join GOLF Magazine’s ‘Top 100 Courses You Can Play’ List; Cove Club at Cabo del Sol, Twin Dolphin and Chileno Bay Among the Honorees appeared first on CaboViVO.

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

Safety remains a top priority for the region, known as one of the world’s top golf destinations. Los Cabos is one of the first locations to receive the coveted stamp of approval for safety protocols from the World Travel & Tourism Council. WTTC designed the special Safe Travels stamp for travelers to identify destinations and businesses around the world with heightened health and hygiene measures.

Travel Packages & Lessons

For golfers looking to fine tune their games over the summer, customized lessons and packages are available with head pro Mario Navarro and can be booked by emailing mario.navarro@ranchosanlucas.com. A special “Golf Getaway” travel package is being offered with rates starting at $356 per night at the luxurious Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa, which also includes a round of golf on the new Greg Norman Signature course and all food and beverages during play. For booking, visit www.solmar.com.

About the Greg Norman Signature Course

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 the thundering surf of the Pacific Ocean. Spanning three different ecosystems, the links-style course meanders 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 17^th 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.

About Rancho San Lucas

Rancho San Lucas is a private club with exclusive access available to homeowners and guests of Solmar Hotels & Resorts, including the new on-site luxury hotel, Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas. The low-density community is elevating the standard of coastal living in Los Cabos with The Villas at Rancho San Lucas and the Norman Estates, a pair of residential communities. Real estate pricing ranges from $650,000 to $7 million. For more information, visit: www.ranchosanlucas.com.

*Press Release

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Chris Sands – Writer  and Michael Mattos

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Centerpiece of an 834-acre resort and residential community fronting a pristine stretch of beach on the Pacific Ocean 15 minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas, the Greg Norman Signature golf course at Rancho San Lucas has opened for play.

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 revetted 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 paspalum, 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 17^th 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, including the new on-site Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas Hotel & Resort. https://www.ranchosanlucas.com/

Written by Brian McCallen, Golf Public Relations, Los Cabos Tourism Board.

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Want your business, activity or event featured and promoted by CaboViVO, please be sure to contact us here, thanks…

Saludos from Co-Founders…

Chris Sands and Michael Mattos

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