Desert Course At Cabo Del Sol Closes For Major Renovation

Cabo Del Sol, the 1,800-acre resort community that commands one of the choicest seafront locations in Los Cabos, has partially shuttered its Desert Course for major remodeling and rebranding effort.

Six holes on the south side of the Transpeninsular Highway—Hole Nos. 1 and 14 through 18—have been closed and will be repurposed for real estate development and for new holes at the Cove Club, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at the private club located within the Cabo Del Sol community.

The Desert Course, a Tom Weiskopf-designed layout that opened in 2001, scales rugged desert terrain crisscrossed by canyon-like arroyos, with an ocean view from every hole. The current 12-hole course, in play through early November, offers an enticing blend of long and short holes as well as numerous risk-reward options. Broad fairways framed by granite rock outcrops, large, sculpted bunkers, and a dense cactus forest characterize the design. The greens, among the finest putting surfaces in Los Cabos, feature long slopes, subtle rolls, and multiple tiers.  A temporary driving range, clubhouse, and food & beverage truck will serve players until more permanent facilities, including a hacienda-style clubhouse, are opened in 2023.

Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design, based in Dublin, Ohio, has been retained to build several new holes in dramatic mountain foothills with significant elevation changes north of the existing layout. In addition, the duo will remodel pre-existing holes on the Desert Course to match the design style of their new creations. Final completion of the $15 million course makeover, to include an agronomic overhaul, is expected by 2024.

Fry/Straka’s knowledge and experience in environmental aspects of golf course design are impressive. Known for his artistry, Dana Fry, a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), has an extensive background in earthmoving, shaping, and environmental awareness. Jason Straka, an ASGCA member, holds a Masters degree in Agronomy and Environmental Golf Course Design Studies. Separately and together, Fry and Straka are devoted to sustainable golf architecture and have become established leaders in this field.

Related: Golf Course Superintendents Drive Environmental Accountability

To give the new venue its own identity, the course when it fully reopens in November will be known as the Cabo Del Sol Golf Club. It will function as ‘resort private,’ with course access limited to guests of the on-site Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos and Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos hotels. Guests of the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol as well as the Park Hyatt Los Cabos, both slated to debut in mid-2023, will also have playing privileges at the club. 

“We want the course to be one of the very best in Cabo,” said Erik Evans, Cabo Del Sol’s director of golf. Green fees on the 12-hole course are $165 plus tax. Evans noted that players can add a six-hole loop to the round if they wish to complete 18 holes. 

Tee times: 866 231-4677; or e-mail reservations request to reservations@cabodelsol.com. Website: https://www.cabodelsol.com/

About Los Cabos:

Situated at the tip of the 1,000-mile-long Baja Peninsula, Los Cabos is home to award-winning hotels, resorts, championship golf courses, rejuvenating spas, and world-class sport fishing. With a unique landscape of dramatic desert and dazzling beaches, Los Cabos is an exotic escape within easy reach of most U.S. and Canadian cities. For more information, images and videos from Los Cabos, visit www.visitloscabos.travel, follow us on Twitter @LOSCABOSTOURISM, and visit us on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.