Discovery Land Company brings new life into Cabo San Lucas golf property

When Chileno Bay held a soft opening on Dec. 31, 2013, the Tom Fazio-designed golf course didn't hold the spotlight long in Los Cabos, the booming golf and fishing destination at the tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula.

Two other blockbuster openings in 2014 made bigger international waves. El Cardonal at Diamante was the long-awaited course architectural debut of Tiger Woods. A few weeks later, Quivira Golf Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus, captivated golfers at its grand opening with spectacular holes built on cliffs along the Pacific Ocean and over sand dunes in the desert.

Chileno Bay's new partnership with the Discovery Land Company has the 1,200-acre golf and real estate development back on track to compete with the best private golf developments in Cabo. Discovery Land Co., based in Scottsdale, Ariz., helped put Cabo on the map in 1999 by building an exclusive community at the private El Dorado Golf & Beach Club just 10 miles from Chileno Bay.

Steve Adelson, a partner with Discovery Land Co., which has developed/owned/managed high-end golf communities such as CordeValle in Silicon Valley, Estancia in Arizona and The Madison Club in La Quinta, Calif., says sales picked up once his company became rumored to be interested in Chileno Bay. According to chilenobayclub.com, its sales team has signed numerous contracts totaling more than $33 million since Christmas.

"We are excited," Adelson said. "It is one of the prettiest pieces of property in all of Mexico."

Adelson said Chileno Bay will hold a sales re-launch this fall once new amenities are built. A new beach club, along with spa and fitness facilities, will be constructed on two miles of coastline featuring one of Cabo's best swimmable beaches. Chileno Bay already boasts a small membership of just over 50, a clubhouse and a few homes. Plans eventually call for 425 residential units comprised of custom homes and developer-built single-family homes and villas.

Discovery's signature Outdoor Pursuits program will bring kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, SCUBA, sailing, fishing, boating, hiking and horseback riding to members. The master plan also calls for a unique park with an organic farm, a farm-to-table restaurant, a kids' club, comfort stations, sport courts, athletic fields and a sales center.

Scheduled work on the 7,260-yard course will enhance landscaping and the bunkers. Holes 2 and 15 bring Lake Chileno into play. The driving range faces the Sea of Cortez.

"The course is a spectacular golf course," Adelson said. "Tee to green, (anybody) would enjoy it. It is very playable, very dramatic. The landscaping and feature work still needs to be completed. It is not ready for prime time, but it will be."

An exclusive VieVage Hotel, scheduled to open this fall as part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, will offer a limited number of daily tee times for guests.

"The most important thing with our stewardship is the level of quality and commitment," Adelson said. "Based on our track record, people should be excited where Chileno Bay is going. Under our leadership, it will be an exciting and energetic place.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
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Discovery Land Company brings new life into Cabo San Lucas golf property