![\"Diamante](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/IMG_6589-Edit-Copy.jpg\")
The Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)
It’s not uncommon to see elk wandering around in Estes Park, Colorado, this time of year.
\nIt is the fall mating season, after all. And elk are huge creatures that pretty much do what they want, even if it means taking a break on a golf course.
\nSome elk were seen at Lake Estes Golf Course in Estes Park, Colorado, this week. They mostly wandered around and grazed. They also rested for a bit and of course, used their bugling call to attract a mate. If you’ve heard the sound, there’s no mistaking it.
\nIt’s called the elk rut, and as the Colorado Springs Gazette reports, the season coincides with the arrival of the fall colors, “making it one of the busiest times of year at Rocky Mountain National Park.” People from all over the area will head to Estes Park this month to witness Mother Nature in action.
\nElk are frequently seen around downtown Estes Park as well as the golf courses and a walking trail that goes around town.
\nIn this age of selfies, though, wildlife officials recommend people stay at least 75 feet away from the elk.
\n", "content_text": "It’s not uncommon to see elk wandering around in Estes Park, Colorado, this time of year.\nIt is the fall mating season, after all. And elk are huge creatures that pretty much do what they want, even if it means taking a break on a golf course.\nSome elk were seen at Lake Estes Golf Course in Estes Park, Colorado, this week. They mostly wandered around and grazed. They also rested for a bit and of course, used their bugling call to attract a mate. If you’ve heard the sound, there’s no mistaking it.\nIt’s called the elk rut, and as the Colorado Springs Gazette reports, the season coincides with the arrival of the fall colors, “making it one of the busiest times of year at Rocky Mountain National Park.” People from all over the area will head to Estes Park this month to witness Mother Nature in action.\nElk are frequently seen around downtown Estes Park as well as the golf courses and a walking trail that goes around town.\nIn this age of selfies, though, wildlife officials recommend people stay at least 75 feet away from the elk.", "date_published": "2023-09-16T12:00:40-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-15T20:11:54-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/elk1.jpg", "tags": [ "Colorado golf", "elk", "golf wildlife", "Lake Estes Golf Course", "Golf", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "It's not uncommon to see elk wandering around in Estes Park, Colorado, this time of year. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?post_type=fishburn_gallery&p=778395963", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/gallery/photos-australian-based-mini-golf-concept-holey-moley-denver/", "title": "Photos: Australian-based mini-golf concept Holey Moley opens first U.S. location", "content_html": "Golf, in all its forms, continues to grow, and there’s a new player on the scene.
\nHoley Moley, a mini-golf experience from an Australian-based company is the latest to join the likes of Topgolf, Popstroke and more in the U.S.
\nHoley Moley’s first American outlet is in Denver, just blocks from Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies.
\nTo celebrate the grand opening, mini-golfers can get 2-for-1 deals for the rest of the month of September.
\nHoley Moley offers what it describes as “the craziest, most Insta-worthy putt-putt rounds in the U.S.” There are 27 holes featuring pop-culture themes and unique cocktail names such as Sugar Caddy, Pop Till You Drop, Partee Punch and Rub A Dub In The Tub.
\nThe food offerings include burgers, club melts, beet drop salad, Oaxaca French Fries, grilled elote corn ribs, braised birria pizza and Nashville hot chicken sliders.
\nHoley Moley has announced future locations that include San Francisco, Austin and Houston. Those locations are scheduled to come online early in 2024.
\nFunlab, the company behind the golf, also runs arcades and bowling alleys.
\nCheck out some photos of Holey Moley Denver.
\n \n", "content_text": "Golf, in all its forms, continues to grow, and there’s a new player on the scene.\nHoley Moley, a mini-golf experience from an Australian-based company is the latest to join the likes of Topgolf, Popstroke and more in the U.S.\nHoley Moley’s first American outlet is in Denver, just blocks from Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies.\nTo celebrate the grand opening, mini-golfers can get 2-for-1 deals for the rest of the month of September.\nHoley Moley offers what it describes as “the craziest, most Insta-worthy putt-putt rounds in the U.S.” There are 27 holes featuring pop-culture themes and unique cocktail names such as Sugar Caddy, Pop Till You Drop, Partee Punch and Rub A Dub In The Tub.\nThe food offerings include burgers, club melts, beet drop salad, Oaxaca French Fries, grilled elote corn ribs, braised birria pizza and Nashville hot chicken sliders.\nHoley Moley has announced future locations that include San Francisco, Austin and Houston. Those locations are scheduled to come online early in 2024.\nFunlab, the company behind the golf, also runs arcades and bowling alleys.\nCheck out some photos of Holey Moley Denver.", "date_published": "2023-09-15T11:00:00-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-15T09:54:13-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/Holey-Moley-Denver-Bar-Image-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Holey Moley", "mini golf", "putt putt golf", "Golf", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "Check out some photos of Holey Moley Denver. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?post_type=listicle&p=778395273", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/5-things-to-know-sonoma-wine-country-california-golf/", "title": "5 things to know about Sonoma, a Wine Country getaway with a side of golf", "content_html": "Of all of California\u2019s wine regions, Sonoma may be the easiest with which to fall in love.
\nAfter all, this is the epicurean capital of the United States, and the restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms rival anything Europe has to offer.
\nWith its Mediterranean-style climate, Sonoma County is the most diverse wine-growing region in the country as well as the largest producer of wine in Northern California with more than 40 grape varietals and 400 wineries.\u00a0
\nNapa Valley is 20 minutes away, Russian River Valley is a half hour away, Dry Creek and Alexander Creek about 40 minutes away, and San Francisco 45 minutes.
\nHere are four more things to know about Sonoma and a Wine Country getaway with a side of golf.
\nExclusive: Check out the new Golfweek Wine Club
\n", "content_text": "Of all of California\u2019s wine regions, Sonoma may be the easiest with which to fall in love.\nAfter all, this is the epicurean capital of the United States, and the restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms rival anything Europe has to offer.\nWith its Mediterranean-style climate, Sonoma County is the most diverse wine-growing region in the country as well as the largest producer of wine in Northern California with more than 40 grape varietals and 400 wineries.\u00a0\nNapa Valley is 20 minutes away, Russian River Valley is a half hour away, Dry Creek and Alexander Creek about 40 minutes away, and San Francisco 45 minutes.\nHere are four more things to know about Sonoma and a Wine Country getaway with a side of golf.\nExclusive: Check out the new Golfweek Wine Club", "date_published": "2023-09-15T07:00:58-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-16T04:28:03-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Adam Schupak", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/shoop007/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c770dcffbdb4a77bab2df2cc7e89690f?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Adam Schupak", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/shoop007/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c770dcffbdb4a77bab2df2cc7e89690f?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/866403166.jpg", "tags": [ "Fortinet Championship", "Silverado Resort", "Sonoma", "Wine Country", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "Of all of California\u2019s wine regions, Sonoma may be the easiest with which to fall in love. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?post_type=listicle&p=778393437", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/jimmy-buffett-golf-beach-tiger-woods/", "title": "Photos: There was one place Jimmy Buffett loved almost as much as the beach \u2014 the golf course", "content_html": "Jimmy Buffett died Friday from Merkel cell skin cancer, an affliction he had been battling for four years, according to a statement on his official website. He was 76.
\nAnd while he was best known for spending time on the beach, Buffett also had been bitten by the golf bug in a big way.
\nHe was known for dropping in golf course visits in the middle of his rigorous concert tours. For example, while playing a gig in Dublin, Buffett snuck in a round at Portmarnock Golf Club, and while headlining in Paris he posted pictures from St. Cloud Country Club.
\nAlso, the musician was on hand for a 2018 U.S. Senior Women\u2019s Open practice round, serving as a caddie for competitor Patricia Ehrhart. That tournament was contested at Chicago Golf Club yet he performed at Wrigley Field later that week.
\nAccording to a story from USA Today, the singer died “peacefully … surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.”
\n\nBuffett struggled with an undisclosed health issue starting in 2022, when he was hospitalized and forced to cancel several shows. In May and June 2023, he canceled more concerts after revealing he was \u201cback in the hospital to address some issues that needed immediate attention.\u201d
\nAlong with his 1977 breakthrough \u201cMargaritaville,\u201d the languid ode to relaxation with a buzzy bent that was submitted to the National Recording Registry in 2023, Buffett penned a bonanza of pop culture staples in the 1970s and 1980s.
\n\u201cCome Monday,\u201d \u201cCheeseburger in Paradise,\u201d \u201cChanges in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,\u201d \u201cA Pirate Looks at Forty\u201d and \u201cPencil Thin Mustache\u201d were alternately contemplative and silly. But all bore Buffett\u2019s signature sound that became known as \u201ctrop rock,\u201d or, as Buffett called it, \u201cGulf and Western,\u201d with acoustic guitar, steel drums and pedal steel guitar injected into their backbone.
\nBorn on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Buffett grew up in nearby Mobile, Alabama, where he developed a love of sailing from his grandfather.
Here’s a look at some of Buffett’s documented golf excursions, including a look at a post that proclaimed he had a hole-in-one.
\n", "content_text": "Jimmy Buffett died Friday from Merkel cell skin cancer, an affliction he had been battling for four years, according to a statement on his official website. He was 76.\nAnd while he was best known for spending time on the beach, Buffett also had been bitten by the golf bug in a big way.\nHe was known for dropping in golf course visits in the middle of his rigorous concert tours. For example, while playing a gig in Dublin, Buffett snuck in a round at Portmarnock Golf Club, and while headlining in Paris he posted pictures from St. Cloud Country Club.\nAlso, the musician was on hand for a 2018 U.S. Senior Women\u2019s Open practice round, serving as a caddie for competitor Patricia Ehrhart. That tournament was contested at Chicago Golf Club yet he performed at Wrigley Field later that week.\nAccording to a story from USA Today, the singer died “peacefully … surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.”\nBuffett struggled with an undisclosed health issue starting in 2022, when he was hospitalized and forced to cancel several shows. In May and June 2023, he canceled more concerts after revealing he was \u201cback in the hospital to address some issues that needed immediate attention.\u201d\nAlong with his 1977 breakthrough \u201cMargaritaville,\u201d the languid ode to relaxation with a buzzy bent that was submitted to the National Recording Registry in 2023, Buffett penned a bonanza of pop culture staples in the 1970s and 1980s.\n\u201cCome Monday,\u201d \u201cCheeseburger in Paradise,\u201d \u201cChanges in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,\u201d \u201cA Pirate Looks at Forty\u201d and \u201cPencil Thin Mustache\u201d were alternately contemplative and silly. But all bore Buffett\u2019s signature sound that became known as \u201ctrop rock,\u201d or, as Buffett called it, \u201cGulf and Western,\u201d with acoustic guitar, steel drums and pedal steel guitar injected into their backbone.\nBorn on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Buffett grew up in nearby Mobile, Alabama, where he developed a love of sailing from his grandfather.\nHere’s a look at some of Buffett’s documented golf excursions, including a look at a post that proclaimed he had a hole-in-one.", "date_published": "2023-09-04T18:00:41-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-04T17:36:54-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Tim Schmitt", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/timothymschmitt/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f99e682f8eab472ec4b7e31df8247bce?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Tim Schmitt", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/timothymschmitt/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f99e682f8eab472ec4b7e31df8247bce?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/CkwhWYNWUAA934b.jpg", "tags": [ "Jimmy Buffett", "Phil Mickelson", "Tiger Woods", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "While he was best known for spending time on the beach, Buffett also had been bitten by the golf bug in a big way. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778393065", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/09/03/golf-cabo-san-lucas-cove-club-diamante/", "title": "Enjoy golf on Cabo time at Cove Club, Diamante in Cabo San Lucas", "content_html": "[object Object]\nCABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico \u2014\u00a0Booming.
\nThat might be the word used to describe your drive on the downhill \u2013 and downwind if you\u2019re lucky \u2013 par-5 16th hole at Cove Club that races from the tee box toward the Sea of Cortez.
\nBooming is also the best word to describe the sheer growth of the game of golf on the tip of the Baja California peninsula.
\nLos Cabos, \u201cthe two capes,\u201d is the area book-ended by the twin cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, neighboring towns situated at opposite ends of a 20-mile corridor. This Mexican golf mecca has only been a golf destination for about 30 years. But what\u2019s there now combined with what\u2019s coming guarantees this hotspot will remain a popular locale for years to come. Tourism was up double digits in 2022, a trend that continued the first part of 2023, and several new golf courses are either planned or under construction.
\nCabo had but one course in 1987 and there\u2019s 18 now. By 2030, there\u2019s likely to be as many as 25. Almost all are top-shelf venues catering to those looking at golf as a complement to an upscale resort lifestyle.
\nIt\u2019s almost a chicken-or-the-egg discussion: Are golfers flocking to Cabo because of the array of great courses? Or are great courses continuing to sprout up as people seek a home-away-from-home destination with a country club lifestyle replete with all the modern amenities?
\nThat\u2019s most likely a question you\u2019ll have to answer for yourself. When you plan your trip, though, you may want to leave your departure date open-ended. It\u2019s not uncommon for a six-day Cabo trip to become nine days, 12 days, even more. You\u2019ll see what we mean when you get there.
\nArrival into the Los Cabos International Airport in San Jose del Cabo on a recent trip for this Golfweek staffer was a breeze. The direct flight from Phoenix was a little more than two hours. At the taxi stand, where dozens of vacationers waited for their turn to get whisked away, music was blaring and bartenders were pouring.
\nYep, it was now Cabo time.
\nPhotos: Tiger Woods, Davis Love III golf courses at Diamante Cabo San Lucas
\nAfter finding a ride, a white Chevy Tahoe with dark-tinted windows, a tall, cold slender can of Pacifico beer became the refreshment of choice. The first stop: Diamante Cabo San Lucas.\u00a0
\nThe Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)
Our driver, Jose, made a good call taking the Los Cabos Toll Road, which cuts across the desert a few miles north of the corridor. The toll is fairly new and makes for a quicker route to the ever-growing Pacific Ocean side of the cape.
\nDowntown Cabo, in the middle of the corridor, is the heart of the action with restaurants, bars, shops and the pier. This nightlife hotspot is on the agenda but reaching home base for the first part of this trip is the task at hand, with the SUV making a beeline to Diamante. About 45 minutes later, the second-floor, double sliding-glass door was opened, bringing in the cool desert air and providing an amazing view to the west, the sun beginning to set over the horizon.\u00a0
\nThe ninth green of the Davis Love III-designed Dunes course was just to the right off the patio. Looking that direction, it\u2019s impossible not to notice the Lagoon, Diamante\u2019s 10-acre saltwater pool, its stunning blue water contrasted against the desert terrain. For those with family in tow, the Lagoon, complete with a kids water park, is a centerpiece to your stay.
\n![\"Diamante](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/DJI_0401-Edit-Copy.jpg\")
The Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)
Farther up the landscape is El Cardonal, the second of what will soon be three 18-hole championship courses. Better known as the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods, El Cardonal will get its proper introduction to the world in November when it joins the roster of PGA Tour stops as host of the World Wide Technology Championship.\u00a0
\nLike in so many other aspects of their golfing lives, Tiger is following in the footsteps of Jack Nicklaus, who has six courses in Cabo. The two legendary golfers are linked again here on the peninsula.
\nAs with many coastal Mexican locales, Los Cabos was once a sleepy fishing community. It\u2019s also long been a renowned scuba and whale-watching spot. Situated about 1,000 miles south of San Diego, the area is Instagram-famous for El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, better known as Land\u2019s End, the stunning natural arch that dips into the water, a must-have photo opp for all visitors to the area.
\nCabo is now just as well-known for its golf but it\u2019s a bit stunning to realize that just a generation ago, there was but one course on the peninsula. Constructed in 1987 and just a nine-holer, Vidanta Golf Los Cabos was built by the government and is still in operation. It would be another five years until the next one came online, but that course, called Palmilla, was Jack Nicklaus\u2019 introduction to the area and signaled the beginnings of a subtropical golf destination.
\n\u201cThere was nothing here,\u201d said Brian McCallen, who knows Cabo better than most. He handled golf public relations for the Los Cabos Tourism Board for eight years. Prior to that, he was the travel editor for Golf magazine for 16 years.
\n\u201cThere were five hotels, probably more donkeys than people.\u201d
\n![\"Cabo](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/LM-Cabo-del-sol-4320.jpg\")
The private Cove Club Golf Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Cabo Del Sol)
It was the second course Nicklaus built in Cabo that really got the ball rolling. Originally called the Ocean Course at Cabo Del Sol, Cove Club is now a private golf and beach club. It transitioned into a private residence club after operating as a public/resort facility for 25 years. Nicklaus once said it was \u201cthe best golf property I\u2019ve seen.\u201d
\n\u201cI don’t call him a Golden Bear. I call him the Golden Amigo,\u201d said McCallen. \u201cHe’s the dude, he’s the guy that really put this place on the map.\u201d
\nPhotos: Check out the golf courses at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas
\nThe Ocean course eventually earned its accolades, but there was a time when the idea of flying to Cabo for golf only raised some eyebrows.
\n\u201cHey, you guys, you gotta be down, you gotta come down to Mexico and see this Jack Nicklaus course,\u201d McCallen recalled telling his fellow golf course rating panelists at Golf magazine. \u201cThey said \u2018We\u2019re not going to Mexico to play golf. What are you talking about?\u2019\u201d So I said, \u2018Look, if you don’t think it’s the best course you\u2019ve seen, the margaritas are on me.\u2019\u201d
\nAfter convincing some golfers to make the trek, the course won them over. Nicklaus was right. The Ocean course was a huge hit.
\n\u201cIt was the game changer,\u201d McCallen said. \u201cThat was the course that established Los Cabos as a primo international golf destination.\u201d
\nTo be a primo destination, you need to have primo amenities and Cove Club offers exactly that. Cove Club, now a private golf course, was redesigned in 2023, with the original 17th and 18th holes removed to make room for the Cabo Del Sol Beach Club. The 17th was a par 3 that played up the coast, but as it turns out the land along that hole was more ideal as a sandy beach area. The 17th green is now a negative-edge pool and the Beach Club has a fantastic outdoor restaurant and bar. It just made too much sense to maximize the land.
\nThe new 18 is where the old 16 used to be, and it\u2019s a great way to finish your round. In fact, all three of the closing holes are what\u2019s going to make your round here memorable. You start that closing stretch at one of the highest points at Cove Club at the 16th tee box and make your way toward the ocean, each shot downhill, drawing you closer to the salty sea air.
\n![\"Cabo](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/DSC2589.jpg\")
The 18th hole at the private Cove Club Golf Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Cabo Del Sol)
Along the way, make sure you pull into the comfort stations for a quick break, a delicious bite, maybe even a shot of Casamigos or Codigo tequila.
\nCove Club Golf Course is tied for 12th on Golfweek’s Best 2023: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America list. One trip around this place will make you a believer.\u00a0
\nCabo Del Sol has a second 18-hole course, designed by Tom Weiskopf, called the Cabo Del Sol Course. Called the Desert Course when it opened in 2001, it ranks 42nd on the Golfweek list and it\u2019s no slouch.\u00a0
\nSitting higher up on the terrain, the golf is farther away from the ocean but there are views of the deep blue water on most of the holes. Currently under a months-long renovation by the team of Dana Fry and Jason Straka, the Desert course is a great complement to Jack\u2019s course down the hill.\u00a0
\nOn the western edge of Los Cabos, with the vast Pacific Ocean dominating the views in the distance, is Diamante, and once you\u2019re here, it\u2019s really difficult to leave. Fine dining, a sports bar, a great breakfast spot for coffee and smoothies. A workout center with basketball, tennis and pickleball. Hiking trails. Even a private yacht providing members sunset cruises two nights a week. And of course, golf, golf and more golf.
\nDiamante, which opened in 2009, features two 18-hole championship courses: the Dunes by Davis Love III and Tiger\u2019s El Cardonal. Tiger also did The Oasis, a 12-hole short course that loops around a lake. A 15-hole putting course is mere steps from the clubhouse. Each day the routing is reversed, providing a different challenge from just 24 hours prior. And coming soon: the Legacy, an ultra-private course and also a Tiger Woods design.
\nAs people around Diamante like to say: \u201cWe\u2019re in the Tiger Woods business.\u201d
\n![\"El](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/PXL_20230515_183430038.jpg\")
The pro shop at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Golfweek)
Woods\u2019 Legacy will take things next level and further entrench his influence at Diamante. Slated to open late in 2024, The Legacy will be the eventual home of the World Wide Technology Championship. It\u2019ll also perhaps be the most visually stunning golf course at Diamante, with Shadow Creek in Las Vegas likely to have heavy influence on the design.
\nWhile Davis Love III\u2019s Dunes course and Tiger\u2019s El Cardonal layout ebb and flow with the terrain, the Legacy is proving to be a major engineering feat.
\nIt\u2019s estimated that more than 2\u00bd million cubic yards of dirt will be moved to create The Legacy. That compares to roughly a couple hundred thousand for El Cardonal and the Dunes.
\nThere will be dozens of different species of plants and trees used in the landscaping, with several lakes, creeks and waterfalls meandering throughout. Like Shadow Creek, golfers will probably forget they\u2019re even in the desert.
\nMembership will be exclusive and will be capped at 250. Homesites on the Legacy are extremely limited, with just 14 lots. Diamante founder and CEO Ken Jowdy has one of them. Tiger has one picked out, too.
\nWhere the Legacy course ultimately lands in the rankings is TBD, but it\u2019ll have some competition right there at Diamante.
\nThe Dunes course is No. 3 on the 2023 Golfweek’s Best courses 2023: Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America list; El Cardonal checks in at No. 26, up six spots from 2022.
\n![\"Diamante](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/IMG_9072-Editar.jpg\")
The Davis Love III-designed Dunes Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)
Simply called the \u201cTiger course\u201d by most at Diamante, it opened in 2014. Tiger was there to hit the ceremonial first tee shot and his ball ended up in a fairway bunker down the right side. His name graces numerous plaques commemorating famous shots he hit around the world and there\u2019s a plaque here, too, right there in the sand. Not his shining moment, perhaps, but a historical first nonetheless: the first shot Tiger hit on his first course.
\n\u201cI\u2019m very excited about the opening of El Cardonal,\u201d Woods said in December of 2014. \u201cThis is a culmination of a dream for me and my team. I\u2019ve always wanted to be involved in golf course design.\u201d
\nThe second course built at Diamante was the first one on the docket on this trip. The opening hole is inviting, a downhill race track with a wide fairway, allowing golfers to ease into their rounds. Nobody\u2019s tee shot found Tiger\u2019s bunker, and after putting out for par, we were off and running.
\nThe fourth hole, a par 4 that can play as long as 483 yards, features a steeply elevated green, adding to the challenge of finding the putting surface in two. You may consider two extra clubs for this approach shot.
\nThe first comfort station is located just beyond the fifth hole, but the pre-golf smoothies were doing their jobs so it was on to the sixth. The short par-3 ninth takes you right back to the clubhouse, and while it still wasn\u2019t quite time for lunch, it was indeed time for a snack: egg and bacon tacos.\u00a0
\nThe 10th hole plays uphill, setting the stage for many of the back-nine holes, as the course climbs the terrain. The layout is graced by countless cardons, which are similar to the saguaro cactus that dot the landscape across Arizona. Anyone who\u2019s played desert golf in the Grand Canyon state knows the saguaro. The cardon, however, is a bigger species. And no, El Cardonal is not a play on the Cardinal mascot of Stanford, where Tiger played his college golf. The name is paying homage to this majestic desert plant, native to the Baja peninsula.
\nThe key hole on the back nine is likely the 15th, with its severe right-to-left sloping green. The prevailing green is right to left as well so a sharp mid-iron will be required to find the proper part of the putting surface.
\nWhatever your score on that 15th hole, rest easy because the second of two comfort stations awaits. This one has a thatched-roof cabana and what you can\u2019t miss is a white donkey statue wearing a colorful Mexican blanket. It\u2019s a must-have photo opp for sure.
\n![\"Diamante](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/PXL_20230515_173531637.jpg\")
A comfort station near the 15th hole at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Golfweek)
The 16th is an interesting par 3 with a huge three-tiered green. The length is manageable, about 150 yards, but there is nowhere to miss left, right or deep. Steep slopes into gnarly desert scrub await on all sides, with the location of the pin and hint of wind likely to lead you to rethink your club selection.
\nComing soon to El Cardonal, on the back side of the 16th hole, is a bakery. You read that right. A bakery. Imagine the smell of fresh-baked bread as you near the finish of your round.
\nThe 17th tee box is near the main entrance to Diamante and you get big, sweeping views of the entire place with the Pacific off in the distance. If you\u2019re wondering about all the green grass on these courses here, technology and gravity team up to deliver water to the Platinum paspalum turf.\u00a0
\nDiamante\u2019s desalination plant \u2013 a requirement for the newer developments \u2013 first pulls the salt out of the ocean water. Pumps then bring that water to the highest elevation on the property at the 17th tee box, where a gravity-fed system feeds desalinated water across the land.
\nLike the first hole, No. 18 is a wide, downhill par 5, which could make for exciting bookend scoring holes for the PGA Tour pros.
\nWhen golfers come off the 18th hole, they\u2019ll soon be able to walk off Tiger\u2019s course and into Tiger\u2019s restaurant. The Woods Cabo will be the second in The Woods brand to come online, and it\u2019s highly anticipated. Slated for a September opening, The Woods Cabo will likely be a hot spot for the area, and you won\u2019t have to be a member of Diamante to enjoy it.
\nThe restaurant features a stunning four-sided marble bar that dominates the room. There are about 30 big screen TVs in the venue and large high-backed round booths offering privacy. Large windows along three walls offer views of the course and the ocean.\u00a0
\n![\"The](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/PXL_20230515_182630179-1.jpg\")
The Woods Cabo at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Golfweek)
Diamante hired Larbi Dahrouch as head chef, and he\u2019s joined by sushi chef Jesus Humberto Villalobos Aviles whose team will prepare sushi on a daily basis. A key feature of The Woods Cabo will be the large butcher counter, where members can hand-pick steaks to take home and grill for themselves.
\nThe landscape and climate of Los Cabos is unique. It\u2019s considered a tropical desert, where the desert meets the mountains and together they run downhill into the ocean. If you\u2019re playing golf, you can be poking around the desert scrub looking for a Pro V1 and then 20 minutes later have your toes dipping in the water.
\nOfficially, there are two bodies of water that meet at the marina in the town of Cabo San Lucas, about in the middle of the corridor, with the massive Pacific Ocean is to the west, stretching on to infinity. The Sea of Cortez, meanwhile, runs up the east side of the peninsula, all the way to Puerto Penasco, aka Rocky Point, another popular Mexican beach town that\u2019s an easy drive from various spots in the American southwest.
\nThe vast majority of U.S. citizens visiting Cabo are coming from the western states. Direct flights \u2013\u00a0 from Phoenix (two hours away), Los Angeles and San Diego (about the same), Dallas (about three hours) \u2013 make it easy. But more East Coast cities are coming online with directs, including Charlotte, New York, even Toronto. Heck, you can fly direct from Spain and soon London.
\nThere\u2019s already talk of a second Cabo airport, near the Pacific side of the Cape, another indication of this fast-growing area.
\nThere are 11 golf courses in Cabo on Golfweek’s Best courses 2023: Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America. Considering there are 18 courses in all of Cabo, that\u2019s a strong field to contend with.
\n![\"Diamante](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/IMG_9095-Editar.jpg\")
The Davis Love III-designed Dunes Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)
The best of the lot is the Dunes course at Diamante. Designed by Davis Love III and opened in 2009, it\u2019s the closest to the ocean, with its holes winding up and back down, over and through natural dunes, created after thousands of years of wind whipping through the area. The course deserves its accolades.
\nLike El Cardonal, the Dunes has two comfort stations, but these are strategically placed.
\nPlaying the Dunes on our second day of golf at Diamante had us paired with a couple of members who were keen on pointing out the tamales. Their recommendation: Get one red and one green and wash them down with a cold Pacifico.
\nThe flow of your round at Diamante is perfect, as you\u2019re not rushed playing your next shot nor are you quickly eating those delicious tamales. Remember you\u2019re on Cabo time.
\n![\"Diamante](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/PXL_20230516_170558964-e1693603179256.jpg\")
The tamales and beer at the Dunes Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Golfweek)
But don\u2019t take your focus off your game. Take the 12th hole at the Dunes, a par 3 that was playing 180 yards. Beware because danger is lurking. You will probably need one or maybe two clubs more than you think here because of the elevated green. Don\u2019t miss left or you\u2019ll be neck-deep in a bunker.
\nYour reward for reaching the green is more than the chance to use the flatstick; it\u2019s the views. From this lofty perch you can see the ocean waves crashing \u2013 and they often do crash, loudly \u2013 onto the beach to your left.
\nTwo holes later, as you\u2019re standing on the 14th tee, your swing commitment here is going to be key. The hole plays 380 yards from the tips, 358 yards from the more reasonable tee box. It\u2019s a blind tee shot with more room to the left than you might think. An odd obelisk in the fairway does give you a sense of direction but it still feels like a hit-and-hope kinda shot. More than likely, though, you\u2019ll find your ball in the fairway. One of the members pounded his drive here and thanks to a healthy wind at our backs, found that his tee shot came to rest on the green before settling for a two-putt birdie.
\nThe course is a fair test, but if it\u2019s windy it kicks things up a notch. The course was recently reworked and the original 18th hole is gone, but the current 18th hole will get your attention. Mostly straight away, your approach to the green needs to get up, up, up in the air because of a severely elevated putting surface. Get home in two here and you\u2019re going to feel good about how your round ended.
\nOf the two courses at Diamante, the Dunes gets about 55 percent of play, but El Cardonal is closing the gap. That\u2019ll likely continue but for now, there will be no rounds played at El Cardonal. The course closed July 15 for home-stretch preparation for the PGA Tour and all the necessary infrastructure that hosting requires.
\nThe World Wide Technology Championship, a staple on the PGA Tour\u2019s fall schedule since 2007, was previously held on a different Mexican coast, at El Camaleon Golf Club south of Cancun in Riviera Maya. But Mayakoba flipped to the LIV Golf League and created an opportunity for Diamante, and Tiger Woods, to fill the void.
\n![\"Diamante](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/DJI_0827-Copy.jpg\")
The Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)
Will Mazzeo was the tournament director at Mayakoba and has moved to Cabo to stay on in that role. His full team joined him in August in the walk-up to the tournament. Diamante generally closes for about a week in September anyway as the Cabo area gets 90 percent of its annual rainfall in that month, and that\u2019s a good time to get some \u201crehab\u201d work done. Some fresh paint here, a little clean up and fix up there. This extended closure of El Cardonal started July 15 with a scheduled reopen date of Monday, Oct. 30, just in time for the first of two pro-ams.\u00a0
\nThe golf course will be ready. The Woods Cabo will be rocking. The eyes of the golf world will be trained on the cape. We\u2019ll just have to wait on that 16th hole bakery.
\nCove Club director of instruction Carly Schneider frequently plays the two courses at Cabo Del Sol, often with students but many times with members. A former college golfer who was later a coach at Loyola University in her hometown of Chicago, Schneider grew up “on my grandfather’s golf course that he built.\u201d She was first drawn to Cabo, at least the idea of Cabo, through Instagram, specifically Christian Hafe, a golf photographer. She found a magnetism to this subtropical locale through his images. She says she knew she wanted to find a landing spot at a private club, and Cabo Del Sol sure fit the bill.
\n![\"Cabo](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/DSC2467.jpg\")
The private Cove Club Golf Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Cabo Del Sol)
\u201cThe weather is great 10 months out of the year,\u201d she said. \u201cEven in August and September [Cabo\u2019s rainy season], I enjoy those off-season months. The surf is so good, the water is so warm. It really goes through these beautiful, magical seasons. We\u2019ve got whales for three months and then the water warms and then everything turns green after the storms. Then in the winter we’ve got cool desert nights and 80-degree days.\u201d
\nCasual golf, even barefoot, is encouraged, especially when you find yourself playing the consecutive par 3s along the ocean.\u00a0
\nOn this May visit, it was high 80s, windy but warm and dry. Coming down the stretch at Cove Club, Schneider showed off some of her golf skills. The 16th hole, which starts off on a tee box offering stunning views of the course, is the final par 5 on the course. With a little luck, there\u2019s wind to your back on this hole and on this day, we had just that luck. Two strong shots later, Schneider found herself over the green but no worries there. She calmly holed out a wedge for eagle from a big swale behind the putting surface.
\nThe par-3 17th is a treat, with a large green on the other side of a deep arroyo. A short iron is all you need, but be mindful of the two-tiered green.
\nAnd then there\u2019s 18, the Cove Club\u2019s original 16th hole. Talk about your great closing holes, as this beaut is a stunning downhill par 4 that ends at the edge of the Sea of Cortez. When you reach the putting surface, and as you wait for your group to putt out, you marvel at the views of the ocean. This spot provides one last on-course photo opp before you meander off the green and head next door for snacks and perhaps some drinks.
\nAt the Beach Club, there\u2019s a tremendous outdoor bar and restaurant, with views of the waves crashing against craggy rocks. Head indoors and you can see the large kitchen staff at work, preparing the day\u2019s selections.
\nThere\u2019s also a private room with floor-to-ceiling windows all around for that next large gathering of family and friends.
\n![\"Cove](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/PXL_20230519_013602166.MP_.jpg\")
The tequila flight at Cove Club at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Golfweek)
The five-flight tequila tasting is a must-have experience, with each of the agave flavors paired with the perfect bite-sized snack. Sipping the extra anejo while noshing on the chocolate dessert is the ultimate finisher here.
\n\u201cWhen I first came down it felt, it really felt like a cowboy town,\u201d said Erik Evans, PGA director of golf at the Cove Club. \u201cIt was a very small town, everybody knew everybody. You go into a restaurant or a bar, everyone knew your name. We didn\u2019t have a lot of golf courses back then.\u201d
\nEvans first arrived in 2009, and one of his early stints was at Diamante. He knows the scene about as well as anyone. \u201cYou can buy good wine down here now, which wasn\u2019t the case here 10 years ago,\u201d he says, a subtle yet noticeable difference.
\nBefore 2010 there were a dozen courses in Cabo. There are 18 now and \u201cI see us by 2030 getting to 25, 26 golf courses,\u201d he said.
\nThe growth of golf matches the increase in popularity of the entire area. There was a surge in the number of visitors to close out the 2022 calendar year, according to the Los Cabos Tourism Board, which called double-digit growth in tourism \u201cunprecedented\u201d. That hasn\u2019t subsided, with similar numbers arriving so far in 2023.
\nNicklaus got the ball rolling and many of the other big-name designers have a stake in the ground. Tom Weiskopf built the Cabo Del Sol (originally called the Desert Course), which is now in the hands of the Fry/Straka Design Group. The entire course is being redone, with six holes of the new-look layout already completed.
\n![\"Cabo](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/DSC2358.jpg\")
The Cabo Del Sol Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Cabo Del Sol)
Greg Norman has two courses in Cabo with two more being designed. Fred Couples was involved with the Twin Dolphin Club. Tom Fazio has a project in the works. Ernie Els recently signed on to build Oleada, not far from Diamante near the Pacific.
\nBig brand names are indeed selling this big destination.
\nAll this high-end golf comes with high-end resorts and residences, which makes for all-inclusive experiences for those vacationing in the area. If private, high-end golf is what you desire, there\u2019s plenty of that. In fact, the area is becoming increasingly that, with multiple properties offering all-inclusive memberships with exclusive perks that\u2019ll make you extend your stay or perhaps find that next cheap flight for a quick last-minute visit.\u00a0
\nSo if it\u2019s fun in the sun with plenty of not-so-serious rounds of golf you seek, put Cabo on your to-do list.\u00a0
\n\u201cWe have created an experience around golf you really don\u2019t wanna leave,\u201d said Evans.
\n![\"Cabo](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/PXL_20230516_225339955.jpg\")
A taco station at the private Cove Club Golf Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Golfweek)Whenever you do stick your tee in the ground at Diamante or Cove Club or any of the other courses, remember to make the most of your time there.
\n\u201cSet the pencil aside and take it all in, enjoy the whole experience,\u201d McCallen said. \u201cDon’t worry so much about your score. Take a couple of deep breaths.
\n\u201cI would say it takes great land to create great golf and we have great land. There’s elevation change, there’s really beautiful desert vegetation.
\n\u201cI will definitely say that the people are very welcoming and very warm and they always have a warm welcome here. The people make the place.\u201d
\n\n\n\n", "content_text": "[object Object]\nCABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico \u2014\u00a0Booming.\nThat might be the word used to describe your drive on the downhill \u2013 and downwind if you\u2019re lucky \u2013 par-5 16th hole at Cove Club that races from the tee box toward the Sea of Cortez.\nBooming is also the best word to describe the sheer growth of the game of golf on the tip of the Baja California peninsula.\nLos Cabos, \u201cthe two capes,\u201d is the area book-ended by the twin cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, neighboring towns situated at opposite ends of a 20-mile corridor. This Mexican golf mecca has only been a golf destination for about 30 years. But what\u2019s there now combined with what\u2019s coming guarantees this hotspot will remain a popular locale for years to come. Tourism was up double digits in 2022, a trend that continued the first part of 2023, and several new golf courses are either planned or under construction.\nCabo had but one course in 1987 and there\u2019s 18 now. By 2030, there\u2019s likely to be as many as 25. Almost all are top-shelf venues catering to those looking at golf as a complement to an upscale resort lifestyle.\nIt\u2019s almost a chicken-or-the-egg discussion: Are golfers flocking to Cabo because of the array of great courses? Or are great courses continuing to sprout up as people seek a home-away-from-home destination with a country club lifestyle replete with all the modern amenities?\nThat\u2019s most likely a question you\u2019ll have to answer for yourself. When you plan your trip, though, you may want to leave your departure date open-ended. It\u2019s not uncommon for a six-day Cabo trip to become nine days, 12 days, even more. You\u2019ll see what we mean when you get there.\nEase of access\nArrival into the Los Cabos International Airport in San Jose del Cabo on a recent trip for this Golfweek staffer was a breeze. The direct flight from Phoenix was a little more than two hours. At the taxi stand, where dozens of vacationers waited for their turn to get whisked away, music was blaring and bartenders were pouring.\nYep, it was now Cabo time.\nPhotos: Tiger Woods, Davis Love III golf courses at Diamante Cabo San Lucas\nAfter finding a ride, a white Chevy Tahoe with dark-tinted windows, a tall, cold slender can of Pacifico beer became the refreshment of choice. The first stop: Diamante Cabo San Lucas.\u00a0\nThe Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)\nOur driver, Jose, made a good call taking the Los Cabos Toll Road, which cuts across the desert a few miles north of the corridor. The toll is fairly new and makes for a quicker route to the ever-growing Pacific Ocean side of the cape.\nDowntown Cabo, in the middle of the corridor, is the heart of the action with restaurants, bars, shops and the pier. This nightlife hotspot is on the agenda but reaching home base for the first part of this trip is the task at hand, with the SUV making a beeline to Diamante. About 45 minutes later, the second-floor, double sliding-glass door was opened, bringing in the cool desert air and providing an amazing view to the west, the sun beginning to set over the horizon.\u00a0\nThe ninth green of the Davis Love III-designed Dunes course was just to the right off the patio. Looking that direction, it\u2019s impossible not to notice the Lagoon, Diamante\u2019s 10-acre saltwater pool, its stunning blue water contrasted against the desert terrain. For those with family in tow, the Lagoon, complete with a kids water park, is a centerpiece to your stay.\nThe Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)\nFarther up the landscape is El Cardonal, the second of what will soon be three 18-hole championship courses. Better known as the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods, El Cardonal will get its proper introduction to the world in November when it joins the roster of PGA Tour stops as host of the World Wide Technology Championship.\u00a0\nLike in so many other aspects of their golfing lives, Tiger is following in the footsteps of Jack Nicklaus, who has six courses in Cabo. The two legendary golfers are linked again here on the peninsula.\nExploding on the scene\nAs with many coastal Mexican locales, Los Cabos was once a sleepy fishing community. It\u2019s also long been a renowned scuba and whale-watching spot. Situated about 1,000 miles south of San Diego, the area is Instagram-famous for El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, better known as Land\u2019s End, the stunning natural arch that dips into the water, a must-have photo opp for all visitors to the area.\nCabo is now just as well-known for its golf but it\u2019s a bit stunning to realize that just a generation ago, there was but one course on the peninsula. Constructed in 1987 and just a nine-holer, Vidanta Golf Los Cabos was built by the government and is still in operation. It would be another five years until the next one came online, but that course, called Palmilla, was Jack Nicklaus\u2019 introduction to the area and signaled the beginnings of a subtropical golf destination.\n\u201cThere was nothing here,\u201d said Brian McCallen, who knows Cabo better than most. He handled golf public relations for the Los Cabos Tourism Board for eight years. Prior to that, he was the travel editor for Golf magazine for 16 years.\n\u201cThere were five hotels, probably more donkeys than people.\u201d\nThe private Cove Club Golf Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Cabo Del Sol)\nIt was the second course Nicklaus built in Cabo that really got the ball rolling. Originally called the Ocean Course at Cabo Del Sol, Cove Club is now a private golf and beach club. It transitioned into a private residence club after operating as a public/resort facility for 25 years. Nicklaus once said it was \u201cthe best golf property I\u2019ve seen.\u201d\n\u201cI don’t call him a Golden Bear. I call him the Golden Amigo,\u201d said McCallen. \u201cHe’s the dude, he’s the guy that really put this place on the map.\u201d\nPhotos: Check out the golf courses at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas\nThe Ocean course eventually earned its accolades, but there was a time when the idea of flying to Cabo for golf only raised some eyebrows.\n\u201cHey, you guys, you gotta be down, you gotta come down to Mexico and see this Jack Nicklaus course,\u201d McCallen recalled telling his fellow golf course rating panelists at Golf magazine. \u201cThey said \u2018We\u2019re not going to Mexico to play golf. What are you talking about?\u2019\u201d So I said, \u2018Look, if you don’t think it’s the best course you\u2019ve seen, the margaritas are on me.\u2019\u201d\nAfter convincing some golfers to make the trek, the course won them over. Nicklaus was right. The Ocean course was a huge hit.\n\u201cIt was the game changer,\u201d McCallen said. \u201cThat was the course that established Los Cabos as a primo international golf destination.\u201d\nTo be a primo destination, you need to have primo amenities and Cove Club offers exactly that. Cove Club, now a private golf course, was redesigned in 2023, with the original 17th and 18th holes removed to make room for the Cabo Del Sol Beach Club. The 17th was a par 3 that played up the coast, but as it turns out the land along that hole was more ideal as a sandy beach area. The 17th green is now a negative-edge pool and the Beach Club has a fantastic outdoor restaurant and bar. It just made too much sense to maximize the land.\nThe new 18 is where the old 16 used to be, and it\u2019s a great way to finish your round. In fact, all three of the closing holes are what\u2019s going to make your round here memorable. You start that closing stretch at one of the highest points at Cove Club at the 16th tee box and make your way toward the ocean, each shot downhill, drawing you closer to the salty sea air.\nThe 18th hole at the private Cove Club Golf Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Cabo Del Sol)\nAlong the way, make sure you pull into the comfort stations for a quick break, a delicious bite, maybe even a shot of Casamigos or Codigo tequila.\nCove Club Golf Course is tied for 12th on Golfweek’s Best 2023: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America list. One trip around this place will make you a believer.\u00a0\nCabo Del Sol has a second 18-hole course, designed by Tom Weiskopf, called the Cabo Del Sol Course. Called the Desert Course when it opened in 2001, it ranks 42nd on the Golfweek list and it\u2019s no slouch.\u00a0\nSitting higher up on the terrain, the golf is farther away from the ocean but there are views of the deep blue water on most of the holes. Currently under a months-long renovation by the team of Dana Fry and Jason Straka, the Desert course is a great complement to Jack\u2019s course down the hill.\u00a0\nPacific views\nOn the western edge of Los Cabos, with the vast Pacific Ocean dominating the views in the distance, is Diamante, and once you\u2019re here, it\u2019s really difficult to leave. Fine dining, a sports bar, a great breakfast spot for coffee and smoothies. A workout center with basketball, tennis and pickleball. Hiking trails. Even a private yacht providing members sunset cruises two nights a week. And of course, golf, golf and more golf.\nDiamante, which opened in 2009, features two 18-hole championship courses: the Dunes by Davis Love III and Tiger\u2019s El Cardonal. Tiger also did The Oasis, a 12-hole short course that loops around a lake. A 15-hole putting course is mere steps from the clubhouse. Each day the routing is reversed, providing a different challenge from just 24 hours prior. And coming soon: the Legacy, an ultra-private course and also a Tiger Woods design.\nAs people around Diamante like to say: \u201cWe\u2019re in the Tiger Woods business.\u201d\nThe pro shop at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Golfweek)\nWoods\u2019 Legacy will take things next level and further entrench his influence at Diamante. Slated to open late in 2024, The Legacy will be the eventual home of the World Wide Technology Championship. It\u2019ll also perhaps be the most visually stunning golf course at Diamante, with Shadow Creek in Las Vegas likely to have heavy influence on the design.\nWhile Davis Love III\u2019s Dunes course and Tiger\u2019s El Cardonal layout ebb and flow with the terrain, the Legacy is proving to be a major engineering feat.\nIt\u2019s estimated that more than 2\u00bd million cubic yards of dirt will be moved to create The Legacy. That compares to roughly a couple hundred thousand for El Cardonal and the Dunes.\nThere will be dozens of different species of plants and trees used in the landscaping, with several lakes, creeks and waterfalls meandering throughout. Like Shadow Creek, golfers will probably forget they\u2019re even in the desert.\nMembership will be exclusive and will be capped at 250. Homesites on the Legacy are extremely limited, with just 14 lots. Diamante founder and CEO Ken Jowdy has one of them. Tiger has one picked out, too.\nWhere the Legacy course ultimately lands in the rankings is TBD, but it\u2019ll have some competition right there at Diamante.\nThe Dunes course is No. 3 on the 2023 Golfweek’s Best courses 2023: Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America list; El Cardonal checks in at No. 26, up six spots from 2022.\nThe Davis Love III-designed Dunes Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)\nSimply called the \u201cTiger course\u201d by most at Diamante, it opened in 2014. Tiger was there to hit the ceremonial first tee shot and his ball ended up in a fairway bunker down the right side. His name graces numerous plaques commemorating famous shots he hit around the world and there\u2019s a plaque here, too, right there in the sand. Not his shining moment, perhaps, but a historical first nonetheless: the first shot Tiger hit on his first course.\n\u201cI\u2019m very excited about the opening of El Cardonal,\u201d Woods said in December of 2014. \u201cThis is a culmination of a dream for me and my team. I\u2019ve always wanted to be involved in golf course design.\u201d\nThe second course built at Diamante was the first one on the docket on this trip. The opening hole is inviting, a downhill race track with a wide fairway, allowing golfers to ease into their rounds. Nobody\u2019s tee shot found Tiger\u2019s bunker, and after putting out for par, we were off and running.\nThe fourth hole, a par 4 that can play as long as 483 yards, features a steeply elevated green, adding to the challenge of finding the putting surface in two. You may consider two extra clubs for this approach shot.\nThe first comfort station is located just beyond the fifth hole, but the pre-golf smoothies were doing their jobs so it was on to the sixth. The short par-3 ninth takes you right back to the clubhouse, and while it still wasn\u2019t quite time for lunch, it was indeed time for a snack: egg and bacon tacos.\u00a0\nThe 10th hole plays uphill, setting the stage for many of the back-nine holes, as the course climbs the terrain. The layout is graced by countless cardons, which are similar to the saguaro cactus that dot the landscape across Arizona. Anyone who\u2019s played desert golf in the Grand Canyon state knows the saguaro. The cardon, however, is a bigger species. And no, El Cardonal is not a play on the Cardinal mascot of Stanford, where Tiger played his college golf. The name is paying homage to this majestic desert plant, native to the Baja peninsula.\nThe key hole on the back nine is likely the 15th, with its severe right-to-left sloping green. The prevailing green is right to left as well so a sharp mid-iron will be required to find the proper part of the putting surface.\nWhatever your score on that 15th hole, rest easy because the second of two comfort stations awaits. This one has a thatched-roof cabana and what you can\u2019t miss is a white donkey statue wearing a colorful Mexican blanket. It\u2019s a must-have photo opp for sure.\nA comfort station near the 15th hole at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Golfweek)\nThe 16th is an interesting par 3 with a huge three-tiered green. The length is manageable, about 150 yards, but there is nowhere to miss left, right or deep. Steep slopes into gnarly desert scrub await on all sides, with the location of the pin and hint of wind likely to lead you to rethink your club selection.\nComing soon to El Cardonal, on the back side of the 16th hole, is a bakery. You read that right. A bakery. Imagine the smell of fresh-baked bread as you near the finish of your round.\nThe 17th tee box is near the main entrance to Diamante and you get big, sweeping views of the entire place with the Pacific off in the distance. If you\u2019re wondering about all the green grass on these courses here, technology and gravity team up to deliver water to the Platinum paspalum turf.\u00a0\nDiamante\u2019s desalination plant \u2013 a requirement for the newer developments \u2013 first pulls the salt out of the ocean water. Pumps then bring that water to the highest elevation on the property at the 17th tee box, where a gravity-fed system feeds desalinated water across the land.\nLike the first hole, No. 18 is a wide, downhill par 5, which could make for exciting bookend scoring holes for the PGA Tour pros.\nWhen golfers come off the 18th hole, they\u2019ll soon be able to walk off Tiger\u2019s course and into Tiger\u2019s restaurant. The Woods Cabo will be the second in The Woods brand to come online, and it\u2019s highly anticipated. Slated for a September opening, The Woods Cabo will likely be a hot spot for the area, and you won\u2019t have to be a member of Diamante to enjoy it.\nThe restaurant features a stunning four-sided marble bar that dominates the room. There are about 30 big screen TVs in the venue and large high-backed round booths offering privacy. Large windows along three walls offer views of the course and the ocean.\u00a0\nThe Woods Cabo at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Golfweek)\nDiamante hired Larbi Dahrouch as head chef, and he\u2019s joined by sushi chef Jesus Humberto Villalobos Aviles whose team will prepare sushi on a daily basis. A key feature of The Woods Cabo will be the large butcher counter, where members can hand-pick steaks to take home and grill for themselves.\nWhere the desert, mountains, ocean meet\nThe landscape and climate of Los Cabos is unique. It\u2019s considered a tropical desert, where the desert meets the mountains and together they run downhill into the ocean. If you\u2019re playing golf, you can be poking around the desert scrub looking for a Pro V1 and then 20 minutes later have your toes dipping in the water.\nOfficially, there are two bodies of water that meet at the marina in the town of Cabo San Lucas, about in the middle of the corridor, with the massive Pacific Ocean is to the west, stretching on to infinity. The Sea of Cortez, meanwhile, runs up the east side of the peninsula, all the way to Puerto Penasco, aka Rocky Point, another popular Mexican beach town that\u2019s an easy drive from various spots in the American southwest.\nThe vast majority of U.S. citizens visiting Cabo are coming from the western states. Direct flights \u2013\u00a0 from Phoenix (two hours away), Los Angeles and San Diego (about the same), Dallas (about three hours) \u2013 make it easy. But more East Coast cities are coming online with directs, including Charlotte, New York, even Toronto. Heck, you can fly direct from Spain and soon London.\nThere\u2019s already talk of a second Cabo airport, near the Pacific side of the Cape, another indication of this fast-growing area.\nLove leads the way with Dunes\nThere are 11 golf courses in Cabo on Golfweek’s Best courses 2023: Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America. Considering there are 18 courses in all of Cabo, that\u2019s a strong field to contend with.\nThe Davis Love III-designed Dunes Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)\nThe best of the lot is the Dunes course at Diamante. Designed by Davis Love III and opened in 2009, it\u2019s the closest to the ocean, with its holes winding up and back down, over and through natural dunes, created after thousands of years of wind whipping through the area. The course deserves its accolades.\nLike El Cardonal, the Dunes has two comfort stations, but these are strategically placed.\nPlaying the Dunes on our second day of golf at Diamante had us paired with a couple of members who were keen on pointing out the tamales. Their recommendation: Get one red and one green and wash them down with a cold Pacifico.\nThe flow of your round at Diamante is perfect, as you\u2019re not rushed playing your next shot nor are you quickly eating those delicious tamales. Remember you\u2019re on Cabo time.\nThe tamales and beer at the Dunes Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Golfweek)\nBut don\u2019t take your focus off your game. Take the 12th hole at the Dunes, a par 3 that was playing 180 yards. Beware because danger is lurking. You will probably need one or maybe two clubs more than you think here because of the elevated green. Don\u2019t miss left or you\u2019ll be neck-deep in a bunker.\nYour reward for reaching the green is more than the chance to use the flatstick; it\u2019s the views. From this lofty perch you can see the ocean waves crashing \u2013 and they often do crash, loudly \u2013 onto the beach to your left.\nTwo holes later, as you\u2019re standing on the 14th tee, your swing commitment here is going to be key. The hole plays 380 yards from the tips, 358 yards from the more reasonable tee box. It\u2019s a blind tee shot with more room to the left than you might think. An odd obelisk in the fairway does give you a sense of direction but it still feels like a hit-and-hope kinda shot. More than likely, though, you\u2019ll find your ball in the fairway. One of the members pounded his drive here and thanks to a healthy wind at our backs, found that his tee shot came to rest on the green before settling for a two-putt birdie.\nThe course is a fair test, but if it\u2019s windy it kicks things up a notch. The course was recently reworked and the original 18th hole is gone, but the current 18th hole will get your attention. Mostly straight away, your approach to the green needs to get up, up, up in the air because of a severely elevated putting surface. Get home in two here and you\u2019re going to feel good about how your round ended.\nHome stretch for the PGA Tour\nOf the two courses at Diamante, the Dunes gets about 55 percent of play, but El Cardonal is closing the gap. That\u2019ll likely continue but for now, there will be no rounds played at El Cardonal. The course closed July 15 for home-stretch preparation for the PGA Tour and all the necessary infrastructure that hosting requires.\nThe World Wide Technology Championship, a staple on the PGA Tour\u2019s fall schedule since 2007, was previously held on a different Mexican coast, at El Camaleon Golf Club south of Cancun in Riviera Maya. But Mayakoba flipped to the LIV Golf League and created an opportunity for Diamante, and Tiger Woods, to fill the void.\nThe Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Diamante)\nWill Mazzeo was the tournament director at Mayakoba and has moved to Cabo to stay on in that role. His full team joined him in August in the walk-up to the tournament. Diamante generally closes for about a week in September anyway as the Cabo area gets 90 percent of its annual rainfall in that month, and that\u2019s a good time to get some \u201crehab\u201d work done. Some fresh paint here, a little clean up and fix up there. This extended closure of El Cardonal started July 15 with a scheduled reopen date of Monday, Oct. 30, just in time for the first of two pro-ams.\u00a0\nThe golf course will be ready. The Woods Cabo will be rocking. The eyes of the golf world will be trained on the cape. We\u2019ll just have to wait on that 16th hole bakery.\nClosing in style\nCove Club director of instruction Carly Schneider frequently plays the two courses at Cabo Del Sol, often with students but many times with members. A former college golfer who was later a coach at Loyola University in her hometown of Chicago, Schneider grew up “on my grandfather’s golf course that he built.\u201d She was first drawn to Cabo, at least the idea of Cabo, through Instagram, specifically Christian Hafe, a golf photographer. She found a magnetism to this subtropical locale through his images. She says she knew she wanted to find a landing spot at a private club, and Cabo Del Sol sure fit the bill.\nThe private Cove Club Golf Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Cabo Del Sol)\n\u201cThe weather is great 10 months out of the year,\u201d she said. \u201cEven in August and September [Cabo\u2019s rainy season], I enjoy those off-season months. The surf is so good, the water is so warm. It really goes through these beautiful, magical seasons. We\u2019ve got whales for three months and then the water warms and then everything turns green after the storms. Then in the winter we’ve got cool desert nights and 80-degree days.\u201d\nCasual golf, even barefoot, is encouraged, especially when you find yourself playing the consecutive par 3s along the ocean.\u00a0\nOn this May visit, it was high 80s, windy but warm and dry. Coming down the stretch at Cove Club, Schneider showed off some of her golf skills. The 16th hole, which starts off on a tee box offering stunning views of the course, is the final par 5 on the course. With a little luck, there\u2019s wind to your back on this hole and on this day, we had just that luck. Two strong shots later, Schneider found herself over the green but no worries there. She calmly holed out a wedge for eagle from a big swale behind the putting surface.\nThe par-3 17th is a treat, with a large green on the other side of a deep arroyo. A short iron is all you need, but be mindful of the two-tiered green.\nAnd then there\u2019s 18, the Cove Club\u2019s original 16th hole. Talk about your great closing holes, as this beaut is a stunning downhill par 4 that ends at the edge of the Sea of Cortez. When you reach the putting surface, and as you wait for your group to putt out, you marvel at the views of the ocean. This spot provides one last on-course photo opp before you meander off the green and head next door for snacks and perhaps some drinks.\nAt the Beach Club, there\u2019s a tremendous outdoor bar and restaurant, with views of the waves crashing against craggy rocks. Head indoors and you can see the large kitchen staff at work, preparing the day\u2019s selections.\nThere\u2019s also a private room with floor-to-ceiling windows all around for that next large gathering of family and friends.\nThe tequila flight at Cove Club at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Golfweek)\nThe five-flight tequila tasting is a must-have experience, with each of the agave flavors paired with the perfect bite-sized snack. Sipping the extra anejo while noshing on the chocolate dessert is the ultimate finisher here.\nIt\u2019s only going to get bigger, better\n\u201cWhen I first came down it felt, it really felt like a cowboy town,\u201d said Erik Evans, PGA director of golf at the Cove Club. \u201cIt was a very small town, everybody knew everybody. You go into a restaurant or a bar, everyone knew your name. We didn\u2019t have a lot of golf courses back then.\u201d\n Evans first arrived in 2009, and one of his early stints was at Diamante. He knows the scene about as well as anyone. \u201cYou can buy good wine down here now, which wasn\u2019t the case here 10 years ago,\u201d he says, a subtle yet noticeable difference.\nBefore 2010 there were a dozen courses in Cabo. There are 18 now and \u201cI see us by 2030 getting to 25, 26 golf courses,\u201d he said.\nThe growth of golf matches the increase in popularity of the entire area. There was a surge in the number of visitors to close out the 2022 calendar year, according to the Los Cabos Tourism Board, which called double-digit growth in tourism \u201cunprecedented\u201d. That hasn\u2019t subsided, with similar numbers arriving so far in 2023.\nNicklaus got the ball rolling and many of the other big-name designers have a stake in the ground. Tom Weiskopf built the Cabo Del Sol (originally called the Desert Course), which is now in the hands of the Fry/Straka Design Group. The entire course is being redone, with six holes of the new-look layout already completed.\nThe Cabo Del Sol Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Cabo Del Sol)\nGreg Norman has two courses in Cabo with two more being designed. Fred Couples was involved with the Twin Dolphin Club. Tom Fazio has a project in the works. Ernie Els recently signed on to build Oleada, not far from Diamante near the Pacific.\nBig brand names are indeed selling this big destination.\nAll this high-end golf comes with high-end resorts and residences, which makes for all-inclusive experiences for those vacationing in the area. If private, high-end golf is what you desire, there\u2019s plenty of that. In fact, the area is becoming increasingly that, with multiple properties offering all-inclusive memberships with exclusive perks that\u2019ll make you extend your stay or perhaps find that next cheap flight for a quick last-minute visit.\u00a0\nSo if it\u2019s fun in the sun with plenty of not-so-serious rounds of golf you seek, put Cabo on your to-do list.\u00a0\n\u201cWe have created an experience around golf you really don\u2019t wanna leave,\u201d said Evans.\n\nA taco station at the private Cove Club Golf Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo: Golfweek)Whenever you do stick your tee in the ground at Diamante or Cove Club or any of the other courses, remember to make the most of your time there.\n\u201cSet the pencil aside and take it all in, enjoy the whole experience,\u201d McCallen said. \u201cDon’t worry so much about your score. Take a couple of deep breaths.\n\u201cI would say it takes great land to create great golf and we have great land. There’s elevation change, there’s really beautiful desert vegetation.\n\u201cI will definitely say that the people are very welcoming and very warm and they always have a warm welcome here. The people make the place.\u201d\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMore\t\t\tMexico\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\tPhotos: Ernie Els to design new course, Oleada, at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico\n\n\t\t\t\n\tPGA Tour's World Wide Technology Championship finds new venue south of the border\n\n\t\t\t\n\tGolf travel: A taste of Mexico at Punta Mita", "date_published": "2023-09-03T15:34:59-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-06T15:45:27-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/DSC2908.jpg", "tags": [ "Cabo Del Sol", "Cabo Del Sol Course", "Cove Club Golf Course", "Davis Love III", "Diamante Cabo San Lucas", "Dunes Course", "El Cardonal", "Mexico golf", "Tiger Woods", "Courses", "Courses", "Golf", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods share something in common with the great golf in Cabo San Lucas. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?post_type=fishburn_gallery&p=778392804", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/gallery/photos-golf-cabo-del-sol-cove-club-cabo-san-lucas-mexico/", "title": "Photos: Check out the golf courses at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas", "content_html": "CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico \u2014 Jack Nicklaus, designer and builder of golf courses around the world, once declared it “the best golf property I’ve seen.”
\nHe was referring to his golf course, originally called the Ocean Course at Cabo Del Sol, now dubbed Cove Club \u2013 the centerpiece to this seaside community on the tip of the Baja California Peninsula.
\nCove Club, now fully private, underwent a recent design change which rerouted a few holes and features a spectacular finish at edge of the Sea of Cortez. The club also opened some magnificent beachfront area for the entire membership to enjoy at the Cove Club.
\nA second 18-hole course, originally called the Desert Course and designed by Tom Weiskopf, runs higher up the hillside and offers views of the blue waters from just about every hole. That course is now called Cabo Del Sol Course and is undergoing a renovation by the team of Dana Fry and Jason Straka.
\nCheck out some photos of the courses at Cabo Del Sol.
\n \n", "content_text": "CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico \u2014 Jack Nicklaus, designer and builder of golf courses around the world, once declared it “the best golf property I’ve seen.”\nHe was referring to his golf course, originally called the Ocean Course at Cabo Del Sol, now dubbed Cove Club \u2013 the centerpiece to this seaside community on the tip of the Baja California Peninsula.\nCove Club, now fully private, underwent a recent design change which rerouted a few holes and features a spectacular finish at edge of the Sea of Cortez. The club also opened some magnificent beachfront area for the entire membership to enjoy at the Cove Club.\nA second 18-hole course, originally called the Desert Course and designed by Tom Weiskopf, runs higher up the hillside and offers views of the blue waters from just about every hole. That course is now called Cabo Del Sol Course and is undergoing a renovation by the team of Dana Fry and Jason Straka.\nCheck out some photos of the courses at Cabo Del Sol.", "date_published": "2023-09-03T15:29:41-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-03T15:42:54-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/LM-Cabo-del-sol-4320.jpg", "tags": [ "Cabo Del Sol", "Cabo Del Sol Course", "Cabo San Lucas", "Cove Club Golf Course", "Dana Fry", "Fry/Straka", "Jack Nicklaus", "Jason Straka", "Mexico golf", "Tom Weiskopf", "Courses", "Courses", "Golf", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "Come for the golf, stay for the comfort stations in Mexico. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?post_type=fishburn_gallery&p=778392724", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/gallery/photos-tiger-woods-davis-love-iii-golf-courses-diamante-cabo-san-lucas-mexico-el-cardonal-dunes/", "title": "Photos: Tiger Woods, Davis Love III golf courses at Diamante Cabo San Lucas", "content_html": "CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico \u2014 Venture about 20 minutes west of the hubbub of the pier and downtown Cabo towards the Pacific Ocean and you’ll find the bustling Diamante Cabo San Lucas, hunkered down near the coast of the Pacific Ocean on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
\nThe area at Diamante is vast and host to four offerings to scratch your golf itch. One of those is a 15-hole putting course that changes its routing daily. Another is the 12-hole Oasis short course. The main draws, however, are the Dunes course designed by Davis Love III and ranked third on Golfweek’s Best: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America, and El Cardonal, the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods, which ranks 26th on that list.
\nComing soon: the Legacy, set to be an ultra-private experience for the membership.
\nGolf fans will get good, long looks at El Cardonal in November 2023 when it hosts the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship.
\nTake a look at some of the best photos of the golf at Diamante Cabo San Lucas.
\n \n", "content_text": "CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico \u2014 Venture about 20 minutes west of the hubbub of the pier and downtown Cabo towards the Pacific Ocean and you’ll find the bustling Diamante Cabo San Lucas, hunkered down near the coast of the Pacific Ocean on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.\nThe area at Diamante is vast and host to four offerings to scratch your golf itch. One of those is a 15-hole putting course that changes its routing daily. Another is the 12-hole Oasis short course. The main draws, however, are the Dunes course designed by Davis Love III and ranked third on Golfweek’s Best: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America, and El Cardonal, the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods, which ranks 26th on that list.\nComing soon: the Legacy, set to be an ultra-private experience for the membership.\nGolf fans will get good, long looks at El Cardonal in November 2023 when it hosts the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship.\nTake a look at some of the best photos of the golf at Diamante Cabo San Lucas.", "date_published": "2023-09-03T15:28:54-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-03T15:28:54-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/DJI_0401-Edit-Copy.jpg", "tags": [ "Davis Love III", "Diamante Cabo San Lucas", "Diamante putting course", "Dunes", "El Cardonal", "Mexico golf", "Oasis Short Course", "putting courses", "Tiger Woods", "Courses", "Courses", "Golf", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "Diamante Cabo San Lucas features courses by Tiger Woods and Davis Love III. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778391347", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/08/24/southern-california-desert-golf-courses-storm-hilary/", "title": "Some southern California desert golf courses weathered Hilary better than others", "content_html": "\n
PALM DESERT, Calif. \u2014 No time is a good time for a tropical storm to dump a year\u2019s worth of rain on the Coachella Valley in just 48 hours. But August might be the least-disruptive time for such a weather disaster to hit desert golf courses. Still, golf course operators face plenty of work in the coming weeks to recover from the rare tropical storm.
\n\u201cIf we have a foursome on the tee sheet right now, it\u2019s a busy day for us,\u201d Brett Draper said Tuesday. He is general manager and COO of Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage. \u201cThis is a quiet time of year, a time of year where we do a lot of our construction work not only on the golf course but throughout the club. So the impact to us, it\u2019s as close to zero as possible with regard to play.\u201d
\nWhile most of the snowbird membership at Thunderbird did not see the damage from flooding and debris at their private course in Rancho Mirage, it is evident to anyone driving past the course. Thunderbird is one of dozens of desert courses impacted by flooding in various desert washes or runoff from the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains because of Tropical Storm Hilary.
\nFrom layouts with a few downed trees to courses with mud and water damage that will take months to repair, Hilary\u2019s impact on desert courses was felt throughout the entire Coachella Valley. But at Thunderbird and other private clubs, it could have been worse.
\n\u201cI think we had like six golfers,\u201d said Chris Gilley, head pro at La Quinta Country Club which was open for play Tuesday. \u201cSo of all the months to do it, this is less effective of the membership. And to be honest, there is no cool-season grass left right now, so the Bermuda grass can probably handle (the weather) better than what we get in the winter.\u201d
\n![\"\"](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/USATSI_21259259.jpg\")
Floodwater from Tropical Storm Hilary rushes across Country Club Drive in Rancho Mirage, California. (Photo: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun)
The Whitewater Wash, turned into a roaring river of water, mud, tree limbs and palm fronds by Hilary, cuts through four holes at Thunderbird, the fourth, ninth, 10th and 18th. The course also saw mud and debris flow on the course from a spillway at the third hole just off Highway 111.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a part of having a golf course in the wash,\u201d Draper said. \u201cWe will get it cleaned up as quickly as we can and we hope to have everything ready by the end of September, the first of October so we can start the overseed process with the eventual opening of the second Saturday in November.\u201d
\nDraper said he is not concerned that a soggy golf course will delay overseeding, the transition from summertime Bermuda grass to a cool-weather grass like rye. Overseeding is generally done when a golf course is relatively dry.
\n\u201cThis is the desert. It\u2019s all Bermuda and blow sand. So things dry up pretty quick,\u201d Draper said. \u201cThe wash right now, we still have a little bit of a trickle in it, so it\u2019s starting to dry out. We will start moving some of that material that came on the property.\u201d
\nCleaning up after the tropical storms is the biggest problem for many courses.
\n\u201cWe probably get hit harder than other golf courses,\u201d said Randy Duncan, general manager of SilverRock Resort, the 18-hole golf course at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains in La Quinta. \u201cWe do get a lot of the watershed that comes off the mountain and gets up into our bunkers and our cart paths.\u201d
\nDuncan said SilverRock was fortunate to be closed for yearly course maintenance when Hilary hit, but a scheduled opening for this Sunday has been moved to Sept. 1. Duncan said such maintenance is scheduled for August because July and August see little play on the public-access course.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got quite a bit of cleanup here to do. Just labor intensive work, clearing up bunkers, cleaning off cart paths,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cWe lost close to 30 trees out here, some of them are blocking cart paths. Rain doesn\u2019t do well here in the valley.\u201d
\nDuncan added that some cart paths were washed out entirely by the flood waters and some of the maintenance work done in the last few weeks was wiped out.
\n\u201cWe just went through and had all the bunker perfectly dialed in,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cNow we have to go back and re-do them all.\u201d
\nJust a few miles from SilverRock is La Quinta Country Club, which is separated from the base of the mountains by two courses at La Quinta Resort. While the resort\u2019s Mountain and Dunes course still had extensive standing water Wednesday, La Quinta Country Club escaped much damage.
\n\u201cThe biggest damage from a superintendent\u2019s standpoint was a beautiful eucalyptus that was planted five years ago in a nice place in the left rough on No. 1 that was beautiful and doing great,\u201d Gilley said. \u201cIt uprooted. It\u2019s not like it was heavy, it was just one that got taken out by the wind.\u201d
\nGilley said a project to renovate the course\u2019s greens on the front nine before The American Express PGA Tour event in January has not been impacted by the tropical storm. Forty trees recently planted on the course all withstood the wind. One older large palm tree did come down next to the 17th tee, he said.
\nNot every golf course in the desert was hammered by Hilary. The Lights at Indio Golf Course actually suffered more structural damage from a monsoonal thunderstorm last Friday night than it did from the tropical storm Sunday, head professional Dave Ruvolo said. The thunderstorm tore the roof off a patio area Friday, but the golf course was ready for play Monday just after the tropical storm.
\n\u201cWe opened up in the morning just to check it out, but we had standing water on the greens,\u201d Ruvolo said. \u201cBut my course drains really, really well. First of all, we are away from the mountains. Second of all, the course just really dries like crazy. It\u2019s just beautiful. It\u2019s awesome.\u201d
\nAt Sunrise Country Club, which borders Thunderbird to the east but does not have a wash cutting through it, damage was far less that at the neighboring course.
\n\u201cWe had a little bit of washout from the edge of our roads, but really nothing bad,\u201d General Manager Hale Kelly said. \u201cWe actually fared pretty well. We had a couple of washouts along the wash, our perimeter wall there. Just a little bit of roof damage from some falling palm trees. Other than that, nothing.\u201d
\nLike other private clubs, Kelly said his club only gets about 20 to 30 rounds a day in the hot summer months.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s like everywhere in the valley. It\u2019s done by 9 o\u2019clock as far as the tee sheet is concerned,\u201d Kelly said.
\nLike Draper, Duncan said there isn\u2019t much for a golf course in a wash or at the base of the mountains to do when a big rain storm hits the desert.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful to watch the watershed come down the mountain,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful until it gets to the golf course.\u201d
\n", "content_text": "PALM DESERT, Calif. \u2014 No time is a good time for a tropical storm to dump a year\u2019s worth of rain on the Coachella Valley in just 48 hours. But August might be the least-disruptive time for such a weather disaster to hit desert golf courses. Still, golf course operators face plenty of work in the coming weeks to recover from the rare tropical storm.\n\u201cIf we have a foursome on the tee sheet right now, it\u2019s a busy day for us,\u201d Brett Draper said Tuesday. He is general manager and COO of Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage. \u201cThis is a quiet time of year, a time of year where we do a lot of our construction work not only on the golf course but throughout the club. So the impact to us, it\u2019s as close to zero as possible with regard to play.\u201d\nWhile most of the snowbird membership at Thunderbird did not see the damage from flooding and debris at their private course in Rancho Mirage, it is evident to anyone driving past the course. Thunderbird is one of dozens of desert courses impacted by flooding in various desert washes or runoff from the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains because of Tropical Storm Hilary.\nFrom layouts with a few downed trees to courses with mud and water damage that will take months to repair, Hilary\u2019s impact on desert courses was felt throughout the entire Coachella Valley. But at Thunderbird and other private clubs, it could have been worse.\n\u201cI think we had like six golfers,\u201d said Chris Gilley, head pro at La Quinta Country Club which was open for play Tuesday. \u201cSo of all the months to do it, this is less effective of the membership. And to be honest, there is no cool-season grass left right now, so the Bermuda grass can probably handle (the weather) better than what we get in the winter.\u201d\nFloodwater from Tropical Storm Hilary rushes across Country Club Drive in Rancho Mirage, California. (Photo: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun)\nThe Whitewater Wash, turned into a roaring river of water, mud, tree limbs and palm fronds by Hilary, cuts through four holes at Thunderbird, the fourth, ninth, 10th and 18th. The course also saw mud and debris flow on the course from a spillway at the third hole just off Highway 111.\n\u201cIt\u2019s a part of having a golf course in the wash,\u201d Draper said. \u201cWe will get it cleaned up as quickly as we can and we hope to have everything ready by the end of September, the first of October so we can start the overseed process with the eventual opening of the second Saturday in November.\u201d\nDraper said he is not concerned that a soggy golf course will delay overseeding, the transition from summertime Bermuda grass to a cool-weather grass like rye. Overseeding is generally done when a golf course is relatively dry.\n\u201cThis is the desert. It\u2019s all Bermuda and blow sand. So things dry up pretty quick,\u201d Draper said. \u201cThe wash right now, we still have a little bit of a trickle in it, so it\u2019s starting to dry out. We will start moving some of that material that came on the property.\u201d\nCleaning up after the tropical storms is the biggest problem for many courses.\n\u201cWe probably get hit harder than other golf courses,\u201d said Randy Duncan, general manager of SilverRock Resort, the 18-hole golf course at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains in La Quinta. \u201cWe do get a lot of the watershed that comes off the mountain and gets up into our bunkers and our cart paths.\u201d\nDuncan said SilverRock was fortunate to be closed for yearly course maintenance when Hilary hit, but a scheduled opening for this Sunday has been moved to Sept. 1. Duncan said such maintenance is scheduled for August because July and August see little play on the public-access course.\nCleanup work begins\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got quite a bit of cleanup here to do. Just labor intensive work, clearing up bunkers, cleaning off cart paths,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cWe lost close to 30 trees out here, some of them are blocking cart paths. Rain doesn\u2019t do well here in the valley.\u201d\nDuncan added that some cart paths were washed out entirely by the flood waters and some of the maintenance work done in the last few weeks was wiped out.\n\u201cWe just went through and had all the bunker perfectly dialed in,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cNow we have to go back and re-do them all.\u201d\nJust a few miles from SilverRock is La Quinta Country Club, which is separated from the base of the mountains by two courses at La Quinta Resort. While the resort\u2019s Mountain and Dunes course still had extensive standing water Wednesday, La Quinta Country Club escaped much damage.\n\u201cThe biggest damage from a superintendent\u2019s standpoint was a beautiful eucalyptus that was planted five years ago in a nice place in the left rough on No. 1 that was beautiful and doing great,\u201d Gilley said. \u201cIt uprooted. It\u2019s not like it was heavy, it was just one that got taken out by the wind.\u201d\nGilley said a project to renovate the course\u2019s greens on the front nine before The American Express PGA Tour event in January has not been impacted by the tropical storm. Forty trees recently planted on the course all withstood the wind. One older large palm tree did come down next to the 17th tee, he said.\nNot every golf course in the desert was hammered by Hilary. The Lights at Indio Golf Course actually suffered more structural damage from a monsoonal thunderstorm last Friday night than it did from the tropical storm Sunday, head professional Dave Ruvolo said. The thunderstorm tore the roof off a patio area Friday, but the golf course was ready for play Monday just after the tropical storm.\n\u201cWe opened up in the morning just to check it out, but we had standing water on the greens,\u201d Ruvolo said. \u201cBut my course drains really, really well. First of all, we are away from the mountains. Second of all, the course just really dries like crazy. It\u2019s just beautiful. It\u2019s awesome.\u201d\nAt Sunrise Country Club, which borders Thunderbird to the east but does not have a wash cutting through it, damage was far less that at the neighboring course.\n\u201cWe had a little bit of washout from the edge of our roads, but really nothing bad,\u201d General Manager Hale Kelly said. \u201cWe actually fared pretty well. We had a couple of washouts along the wash, our perimeter wall there. Just a little bit of roof damage from some falling palm trees. Other than that, nothing.\u201d\nLike other private clubs, Kelly said his club only gets about 20 to 30 rounds a day in the hot summer months.\n\u201cIt\u2019s like everywhere in the valley. It\u2019s done by 9 o\u2019clock as far as the tee sheet is concerned,\u201d Kelly said.\nLike Draper, Duncan said there isn\u2019t much for a golf course in a wash or at the base of the mountains to do when a big rain storm hits the desert.\n\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful to watch the watershed come down the mountain,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful until it gets to the golf course.\u201d", "date_published": "2023-08-24T13:03:30-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-08-24T14:29:50-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/water.jpg", "tags": [ "California golf", "Thunderbird Country Club", "Golf", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "Tropical storm Hilary dumped a year's worth of rain on the Coachella Valley in just 48 hours. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778389390", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/08/18/golfer-named-blade-two-aces-four-holes-same-round/", "title": "Golfer named Blade makes two aces in four holes, celebrates with dive into lake", "content_html": "\nMaking a hole-in-one is pretty cool.
\nGetting two of them in the same round is crazy.
\nHaving them come in a span of four holes is totally wild.
\nThat’s just what happened to Blade Kurilich. Yep, Blade, that’s his real name. His club of choice for his pair of aces was a 9-iron.
\n“That club will be getting framed once I get a new set,” he joked after his round.
\nKurilich was playing Sterling Grove Golf & Country Club in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, Arizona, earlier this week with his regular crew.\u00a0His first hole-in-one came on the third hole, where he did his best Michael Block PGA Championship impression.
\n“I hit just a stock 9-iron and actually dunked it straight in the hole on the fly,” he said. “I didn’t know it at the time but heard the pin rattle from the tee box. When I got up there I saw where the ball actually took a chunk out of the cup before I saw the ball in the hole.”
\nFour holes later, Kurilich was on the seventh tee box, again holding his 9-iron. The hole measured 172 yards but it was downwind.
\n\n\n\n\n
“I couldn’t see that one in either over the ridge. So for both hole-in-ones I had to check the cup to be certain,” he said.
\nThe National Hole-in-One Registry reports that the odds of an average golfer making an ace are 12,000-to-1. Kurilich says he’s a +2.4 so the odds for a golfer like him is 5,000-to-1. But this two ace thing is the real longshot, as the odds of a player making two holes-in-one in the same round are 67 million to 1.
\nA former baseball player who only started playing about five years ago, Kurilich had never had a hole-in-one before he got these two.
\n![\"Blade](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/71321720134-9F874860-7122-4977-9941-E657D50E4966-rotated-e1692389412888.jpg\")
The scorecard for Blade Kurilich, who had two holes-in-one in a four-hole stretch at Sterling Grove Golf Club in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo: Blade Kurilich)
“After my second hole-in-one I had promised my buddy driving up to the green that if that one was in too, I’d dive in the lake,” he said. “Well I had to keep up on that promise and dove right in. My game went completely in the tank after that second one.”
\nKurilich worked in finance in Denver but moved to Scottsdale recently with his fiancee to chase his dream of professional golf.
\n\n\n\n", "content_text": "Making a hole-in-one is pretty cool.\nGetting two of them in the same round is crazy.\nHaving them come in a span of four holes is totally wild.\nThat’s just what happened to Blade Kurilich. Yep, Blade, that’s his real name. His club of choice for his pair of aces was a 9-iron.\n“That club will be getting framed once I get a new set,” he joked after his round.\nKurilich was playing Sterling Grove Golf & Country Club in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, Arizona, earlier this week with his regular crew.\u00a0His first hole-in-one came on the third hole, where he did his best Michael Block PGA Championship impression.\n“I hit just a stock 9-iron and actually dunked it straight in the hole on the fly,” he said. “I didn’t know it at the time but heard the pin rattle from the tee box. When I got up there I saw where the ball actually took a chunk out of the cup before I saw the ball in the hole.”\nFour holes later, Kurilich was on the seventh tee box, again holding his 9-iron. The hole measured 172 yards but it was downwind.\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nView this post on Instagram\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA post shared by Blade Kurilich (@bladek05)\n\n\n\n“I couldn’t see that one in either over the ridge. So for both hole-in-ones I had to check the cup to be certain,” he said.\nThe National Hole-in-One Registry reports that the odds of an average golfer making an ace are 12,000-to-1. Kurilich says he’s a +2.4 so the odds for a golfer like him is 5,000-to-1. But this two ace thing is the real longshot, as the odds of a player making two holes-in-one in the same round are 67 million to 1.\nA former baseball player who only started playing about five years ago, Kurilich had never had a hole-in-one before he got these two.\nThe scorecard for Blade Kurilich, who had two holes-in-one in a four-hole stretch at Sterling Grove Golf Club in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo: Blade Kurilich)\n“After my second hole-in-one I had promised my buddy driving up to the green that if that one was in too, I’d dive in the lake,” he said. “Well I had to keep up on that promise and dove right in. My game went completely in the tank after that second one.”\nKurilich worked in finance in Denver but moved to Scottsdale recently with his fiancee to chase his dream of professional golf.\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMore\t\t\thole-in-one\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\tDwyane Wade makes hole-in-one at Pebble Beach on iconic 7th hole\n\n\t\t\t\n\tEurope's Emily Kristine Pedersen plays slope to make wild hole-in-one at 2023 Solheim Cup\n\n\t\t\t\n\tWatch: Amateur aces par-4 17th at TPC Scottsdale, has to pay very expensive tab (probably)\n\n\t\t\t\n\tDavis Shore makes a hole-in-one on a par 4 at PGA Tour Canada tournament", "date_published": "2023-08-18T17:00:19-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-08-18T17:17:51-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Todd Kelly", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/kellyt2019/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6d34543c2c8b62ab550f4bd55c0440ea?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/IMG-6860-e1692388268270.jpg", "tags": [ "ace", "aces", "Arizona golf", "Blade Kurilich", "hole-in-one", "Holes-in-one", "Sterling Grove", "Golf", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "This former baseball player only started playing golf about five years ago. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778389355", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/08/18/tree-house-tewksbury-first-brewery-owned-golf-course-massachusetts/", "title": "A Massachusetts brewery became the state's first to take over a golf course", "content_html": "\nThirty minutes outside of Boston sits a pair of golf courses \u2013 one ball, one disc \u2013 owned and operated by a brewery, the first of its kind in Massachusetts. As they say, craft beer and golf are paired beautifully here.
\nLet the good times flow.
\nTree House, a Charlton, Massachusetts-based brewer, acquired the 25-year-old Tewksbury Country Club about a year ago and started offering tee times earlier this summer.
\nThe course is just nine holes but the beer theme is strong on this property. And if disc golf is your thing, you may want to give Spencer Austin Oakholm Brewing Company’s 18-hole disc course a stroll. You can pay $10 for a round or $15 for the day.
\nSpencer Austin\u00a0designed the course, with work starting after the brewery opened in 2019.
\n“We figured it would take us six or eight months to throw in a course,”\u201d he told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. “Three and a half years later we finally finished it.”
\nThe Tree House clubhouse has more than 40 beers on tap but you don’t have to wait till your round is over to find some cold suds.
\n![\"Tree](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/USATSI_21205135.jpg\")
A sign on the golf course at Tree House Brewing Co.’s Tree House Tewksbury in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. (Photo: Matthew Tota/Worcester Telegram)
After the fourth hole, there’s a sign that guides golfers to a beer trailer.
\nTee times on the golf course are only available on weekdays for now and they only want you to play nine holes. The course operators at the Tree House indicated they want to get a full season managing a golf course under their belts before opening up the tee sheet.
\n![\"Tree](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/08/USATSI_21205152.jpg\")
The clubhouse at Tree House Brewing Co.’s Tree House Tewksbury golf course in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. (Photo: Matthew Tota/Worcester Telegram)