Quivira Golf Club in Los Cabos, Mexico: Nicklaus raises the bar on the Baja
LOS CABOS, Mexico -- Jack Nicklaus -- already the king of golf in Los Cabos -- has raised the bar on the Baja with his new Quivira Golf Club. The 7,139-yard course, the sixth by Nicklaus in Mexico's best golf destination, takes golfers on a vision quest of unparalleled beauty, using the mountain-desert-ocean ecosystem that characterizes the region.
Quivira's first four holes ease players into the round before the lengthy cart ride up the rocky mountain reveals a pair of stunning par 3s, the sixth and 13th holes, that cling to granite cliffs on the Pacific. The difficult, 310-yard fifth hole, where Nicklaus demanded some last-minute changes during a Dec. 4 tour, will probably always be controversial since the mountainous terrain is so severe. These three holes provide the perfect perches to watch the migrating whales during winter months. Four other holes wander through towering sand dunes, the same ones used by Davis Love III and Tiger Woods at the highly regarded Diamante development next door.
Several semi-blind shots through the dunes -- off the tee at the uphill par-4 at no. 11 and the second shot on the twisting downhill par 5 at no. 12 -- might be disconcerting to first-timers. The round climaxes with three elevated tee shots on daunting par 4s through the more traditional desert landscape. The 18th green, thatch-roofed clubhouse and driving range all run along the beach.
Playing Quivira Golf Club delivers an all-inclusive experience. A $295 rack rate (with discounts depending on where you stay) includes food, such as freshly prepared sliders, tacos and quesadillas, and drinks served at three elaborate comfort stations on the course. Only guests of the four Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas in Los Cabos, and property owners in the Copala, Montecristo Estates Luxury Villas and Novaispania Residences have access to such a special experience. Quivira G.C. will blow you away, whether the breeze kicks up or not.