Build it and golfers will go to Los Cabos

September 26, 8:32 AMGolf Travel and Rules ExaminerJames McAfee

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"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 Sur. On what once was an arid wasteland favored as a place to stay by fishermen in search of trophy marlin, there are 10 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 with views of both the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean 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 championship courses that combined ocean, desert and mountain characteristics. Add luxury accommodations and home sites 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 five of them––Pamilla Golf Resort, Cabo del Sol's Ocean, Eldorado Golf and Beach Club, Club Campestre San Jose and Puerto Los Cabos. Robert Trent Jones Jr. came in to finish up Cabo Real Golf Club. Tom Fazio created a masterpiece at the Club at Querencia and then 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 first 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 luxurious One&Only Palmilla Resort, voted the No. 1 golf resort in Latin America, is located.

Given some land a lot closer to the water, Nicklaus' second design was the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol He called the final three holes the best finishing stretch in all of golf. The par 4 No. 16 plays down to a green that was moved even closer to the ocean. The par 3 No. 17 plays from an elevated tee built atop a decomposed granite cliff over a sandy beach and rock outcropping. 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. It's deserving of its No. 1 ranking in Mexico; so 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. As usual for Weiskopf, there's a drivable par 4 on No. 7.

Nicklaus also did Eldorado, but six holes of his original design were eliminated in favor of high–priced home lots and six new holes were built higher up.. It's now an exclusive private club for members and their guests.

Definitely put Cabo Real on your schedule. It plays uphill until you reach the No. 6 tee at 450 feet and then drops to the water's edge for the greens on the par 4 No. 14 and the par 3 No. 15. The par 3 No. 12 offers a tee shot from a mesa 150 feet above the green with spectacular views of the ocean. The par 4 No. 9 features a large double green (50 by 125 yards) guarded by water that will also be used when a new 9 holes is added.

The Club at Querencia, featuring a spectacular 26,000 square-foot Tuscan-themed clubhouse that includes spas for both men and women, was the first private club. While the course can only be stretched to just 7,050 yards from the tips, the roller-coaster terrain with few even lies and the lighting fast (11 on the stimpmeter is the norm) and undulating greens make it a challenging test. However, touring pro Pat Perez found it to his liking from a shorter set of tees and posted a 10-under par 62, according to assistant pro Mario Navarro.

Club Campestre, nestled in the foothills of the Sierras opened two years ago and should definitely be on your schedule if you have not had a chance to play it. The fairways are wide, but spray the ball a little and you are in the desert. It's the greens where the course shows its teeth. It was the first course to use Paspalum grass, more tolerant to salt water, and the turf has matured very well to provide an idea playing surface. One of the most interesting holes is the double dogleg par 5 No. 7 where even the longer hitter may have to back off going for the peninsula green with their second shots.

The latest opening is Puerto Los Cabos, which features a unique hybrid with 9 holes from the Marina Course (holes carry names of marinas) by Nicklaus and the other 9 holes from the Mission Course (holes named after missions) by Greg Norman. Most golfers can readily tell the differences in design philosophies, according to the staff. Two golfers that I talked to actually preferred the Norman 9 since they felt Nicklaus created a couple of long carries that tended to be a little unfair. One neat thing for visiting golfers is that all drinks on the golf course are included in the green fees. The owner indicated it might be as much as three years before the other 9s are completed.

The Cabo San Lucas Country Club is a less expensive option for those staying in one of the Cabo San Lucas hotels while the Mayan Palace Golf Course near San Jose is probably better suited for beginners, but does now have a second set of tees for those wanting to play 18 holes. There's a 9-hole Indian Head Putting Course at the Playa Grande Hotel is Cabo San Lucas. An hour's drive north of the airport is a 9-hole par 3 at the Hotel Palamas de Cortez.

The economy has slowed down the continued growth of golf courses on the tip of Baja, but there is still a sense of untapped potential. On the drawing board are a pair of Fazio designs at Chileno Bay between Cabo Real and Cabo del Sol, Davis Love III and Phil Mickelson designs at Diamante, a pair of Nicklaus designs at Quivira Los Cabos, another Nicklaus creation at Cabo Pacificia, a David Duval re-design at Loreto Bay Golf Club and a second course at Querencia by architect Gil Hanse.

Los Cabos was spared a direct hit by Hurricane Jimena in late August 2009 and the golf courses didn't receive any major damage from the high winds and the rain.