into one of the planet’s greatest golf destinations. With 14 championship courses at the ready, and more on the way, Cabo and its Scottsdale-by-the-Sea setting just gets better and better. If you’re looking to hook a trophy
course, Cabo delivers. Start by landing Cabo del Sol’s Ocean course, the equivalent of reeling in a black marlin. This 1994 Jack Nicklaus creation has ranked in the world’s top 100 practically since inception. Promotional hyperbole may have influenced Nicklaus to trumpet its closing trio as “the three finest finishing holes in golf,” but after you’ve played them, it’s hard to argue with the Golden Bear. Skirting the Sea of Cortez, the 447-yard, par-4 16th
toward the water. From the clifftop tee at the 178-yard, par-3 17th
heads straight , the golfer is
confronted with an all-or-nothing shot over a wave-splashed cove and craggy rock outcroppings, with cactus-covered hills and the turquoise-blue Sea of Cortez forming a compelling backdrop. The 430-yard, par-4 18th
edges the
sea from tee to green. Woe to anyone who slices. And lest you think about skipping the front nine, the back-to-back seaside par-3s, the 184-yard 6th the 139-yard 7th
and , would be standouts
anywhere else. Here, they’re merely tasty appetizers for the feast to come. The companion to the Ocean,
the Tom Weiskopf-designed Desert course, dates to 2001. Understandably overshadowed by its elder sibling, this
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Among the newer entries in the Los Cabos area are Quivira (left) and Puerto Los Cabos near Cabo San Jose.
‘Jack, you’re the guy who ruined Cabo.’ I don’t think that’s quite fair, because this is now a fantastic place to play golf, but yes, it certainly has changed. I love Cabo for how it was and I love it for how it is.” Nicklaus began the transformation in
strategic, desert-target test plunges in and out of canyons framed by cacti and boulders. While it lacks the in-your-face seaside interaction enjoyed by the Ocean course, the memorable long views of the Sea of Cortez occur early and often. During their illustrious playing
careers, Weiskopf was seemingly always overshadowed by fellow Ohio State Buckeye Nicklaus, yet for influence in Cabo, nobody can compete with the Golden Bear. As a longtime sport fishing enthusiast, Nicklaus journeyed to Los Cabos as early as the 1960s, co-piloting his own small plane. He’s loved the region ever since, even as he laughs about his impact. “I used to go there with a bathing suit,
a pair of flip-flops, about $20 dollars and stay for a week. After we started building luxury golf developments, Cabo wasn’t so cheap anymore. My friends tell me,
1992 with Palmilla. Home to the region’s most legendary hotel, then and now, Palmilla is Cabo’s original championship course and it’s aging gracefully, thanks to Troon Golf’s stewardship. Palmilla rolls out the Arroyo and Mountain nines, now 25 years old, and the Ocean nine, which dates to 1999. There are plenty of risk/reward, split-fairway adventures on the older loops, but the best hole on the property is the 458-yard, par-4 3rd on Ocean that sweeps toward the sea. Don’t be surprised to encounter a celebrity or two at the adjacent One&Only Palmilla hotel or in the adjacent real estate, much of which boasts seven-figure price tags. Nicklaus was far from through
after Palmilla. He has carved out six championship layouts in Los Cabos. Without question, his most spectacular is Quivira. Eight years in the making, Quivira survived multiple stops and starts to prosper at last. Available to guests and owners at the Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and to limited outside play, Quivira is a must-play thanks to its
PREVIEW 2018 | AZ GOLF Insider | 41
COURTESY QUIVIRA
COURTESY PUERTO LOS CABOS
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