Golf Course Architecture - Issue 60, April 2020

The second green and par-three third hole, which plays directly towards the Sea of Cortes T he area of Baja California in Mexico known as Los Cabos has been a popular tourist destination for sunseeking Americans for many years. Initially developed with sport fishing in mind, the region quickly became a regular venue for young spring break travellers. Golf has been a part of the development mix in the region for over 25 years, and in the last five years or so, since the opening of the Diamante development, it has taken a big step upmarket. Costa Palmas is another part of that step, but it also represents the first spread of golf development into the eastern area of Los Cabos, on the Sea of Cortes rather than the Pacific. Los Angeles based developer Irongate is behind the 1,000 acre property, which is about an hour’s drive from Los Cabos International Airport. The first hotel, a Four Seasons property, has already opened along with the golf course, while the second, Mexico’s first Aman resort, is currently under construction, as is a substantial marina and a housing component. Given these development goals, it is easy to see that Costa Palmas will be an extremely high-end destination, alongside the likes of Diamante and the new Twin Dolphin development. Those two in particular have seen Cabo’s golf offering, which was already of high quality – Cabo del Sol is regarded as one of the Nicklaus firm’s very best courses – take a significant stride. Can Costa Palmas be a part of the same conversation? Firstly, we should say that it is a beautiful spot. Sandy, like most of the region, and with miles and miles of Photo: Evan Schiller 63