Resort Treasures: Where to stay to play the best golf courses in Los Cabos, Mexico

Editor's Note: Updated Nov. 2021

Despite the obstacles of Hurricane Odile in 2014 and the ongoing pandemic, Los Cabos continues to grow into one of the most popular golf-and-beach destinations in North America.

Hurricane Odile turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Los Cabos, the mega-luxurious golf and fishing destination at the tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. The storm in September 2014 battered area hotels and resorts, causing extensive damage. In fact, the Westin Resort & Spa Los Cabos, one of my favorite resorts in Cabo, was closed for years before reopening a completely refreshed property.

Tourism suffered throughout 2015 as the region picked up the pieces. Since then, Cabo -- where the sea, ocean and desert collide in spectacular fashion -- has never shined brighter. Many top resorts used the opportunity to renovate and rebuild better than ever. Golfers now have an array of premier places to stay. Tourism set a record in 2019 and is on track to break records again in 2021. The destination averages more than 500 flights a week from 26 different cities, opening up this paradise to more sun-starved gringos than ever.

I'm always asked where to play golf in Cabo, but I think the more appropriate question is: Where should you stay? The highway corridor connecting Cabo San Lucas, the hub of the party closer to the airport, and San Jose del Cabo, the more laid-back Mexican fishing village on the Sea of Cortez further east, is more than 30 miles long. Cab rides are very expensive, so it's best to pick where you stay based on where you want to play. Ask if a hotel or course has a complimentary shuttle before you book tee times or rooms. The truth is that only half of Cabo's courses are open to the public no matter where you stay.


Related: Deegan's top dozen courses you can play in Mexico


I've stayed at, dined in or toured many of the best resorts/hotels Cabo has to offer golfers. Here's a look at each of them and the courses aligned with each property:

One&Only Palmilla

Where to play: The Palmilla Golf Club, a 27-hole course by Jack Nicklaus, is right across the street.
Comment: The 170-room resort underwent a $140 million recovery renovation after the hurricane, reopening in 2015 more luxurious than ever. A new spa, new restaurants and updated rooms are heavenly, but it will always be a relentlessly dedicated staff that sets the One&Only apart.

The historic chapel at the One&Only Palmilla is a popular wedding spot.

JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa

Where to play: The Puerto Los Cabos Golf Club, a Nicklaus/Greg Norman hybrid course that offers 27 holes and comfort stations where the food and drink are free.
Comment: The recent openings of the JW Marriott (November 2015) and the 500-room Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort have breathed life into the Puerto Los Cabos development closer to San Jose del Cabo. Secrets is an adults-only all-inclusive resort that opened in December 2013 and reopened again in December 2015 after the hurricane. Meanwhile, the JW Marriott, stocked with 299 ocean view rooms/suites and seven restaurants/bars, offers a "hotel within a hotel" concept. The Griffin Club is an ultra-luxurious 45-room boutique hotel within the resort. Griffin Club guests enjoy exclusive amenities such as a movie theater, private beach and pool, reserved Jasha Spa areas, the Mayma Lounge Bar with a fireplace, and a private business center with meeting rooms and an event space.

Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort Los Cabos

Where to play: The former Desert and Ocean courses at Cabo del Sol are located in the same development, although the rebranding of the Ocean Course into The Cove Club leaves only the Desert open for resort guests.
Comment: No longer a Sheraton, this luxury 270-room escape on 28 acres was modeled after a Colonial seaside village. Walking along the brick-paved paths through jungle landscaping to the hacienda villas, guests can discover hidden fountains, plazas and hot tubs and infinity pools. It was chosen one of the six host hotels of the 2012 G20 Summit of world leaders for its secure location and 1,200-person conference center, the largest in Cabo. The resort's two five-diamond restaurants, Pitahayas and the De Cortez Grill and Restaurant, remain two of my favorite all-time dining experiences.

The Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos, sits right next door to The Cove Club.

Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos All Inclusive Golf & Spa

Where to play: Although the Desert Course at Cabo del Sol and the private course called The Cove Club share the same development, the resort website only touts playing at Cabo San Lucas Country Club as an all-inclusive option.
Comment: An all-inclusive setup at this 249-room resorts ensures you'll never go hungry or thirsty. The restaurant specialties range from sushi, Mexican and Italian to Asian cuisine. The SOMMA WineSPA is the only spa in Mexico that uses the benefits of wine in its treatments.

Esperanza, An Auberge Resort

Where to play: The concierge can arrange golf at Palmilla, Cabo Real Golf Club, Cabo San Lucas Country Club and the Desert Course at Cabo del Sol (which is closest).
Comment: This intimate 57-room beachfront boutique hotel earned a fifth star from the Forbes Travel Guide in 2016 thanks to a magnificent hurricane-induced renovation. It reopened in June 2015 with completely transformed guest rooms, a revitalized Cocina del Mar restaurant and Lounge Bar, the introduction of a new Pesca Ceviche Bar, an enhanced pool and terrace with new cozy lounge spaces and cabanas, a refreshed spa and comfortable public spaces.

Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort

Where to play: Cabo Real by Robert Trent Jones Jr. is right across the street overlooking the hotel from higher ground.
Comment: All 375 rooms in this AAA Four Diamond Hilton have private balconies overlooking one of Cabo's rare swimmer-friendly beaches. It reopened after the hurricane in 2015, debuting three reimagined dining options (the Mio swim-up bar, Azul lobby bar and La Onda beach bar), 65 new club-level suites and the new 7,000-square-foot spa and salon. Both tennis courts are lighted. Better yet, both pools have swim-up bars.

Cabo Real Golf Club overlooks the Hilton

Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas

Where to play: Quivira Golf Club by Nicklaus is on-site.
Comment: The only way to play Quivira -- maybe the world's most scenic course -- is to stay at one of the four nearby Pueblo Bonito resorts. The 154-room Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, an adults-only all-inclusive right on the beach, and the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, sitting higher up on the bluff overlooking the beach, are adjacent to the course. The Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort & Spa and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos, two all-suites resorts, are located along El Medano beach closer to downtown Cabo San Lucas. Pacifica is probably the pick of the litter.

Pueblo Bonito Pacifica is an adults-only resort right on the beach next to Quivira Golf Club.

Las Ventanas al Paraiso

Where to play: The concierge requires all reservations be prepaid by credit card and a contract to be completed online to confirm tee times at Puerto Los Cabos, Cabo del Sol's Desert Course, Palmilla or Cabo Real (which is closest).
Comment: This Five Diamond Rosewood resort ranks among Cabo's swankiest. With the hotel closed during a post-hurricane renovation, the entire workforce stayed on salary for further training. That's part of the reason why the service remains legendary. Golfers shouldn't hold a grudge that the resort's expansion in 2012 stole one of Cabo Real's seaside par 3s, forcing a redesign of the back nine to make space for 12 new villas with private pools unveiled in December 2013. All the other 83 suites feature butler service, spacious living areas, wood-burning fireplaces and exquisite décor. Private airport transportation in a Suburban or Mercedes G500 SUV is complimentary for guests.

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas

Where to play: Guests get 20 percent off at the three courses run by Questro Golf: Puerto Los Cabos, Cabo Real and Club Campestre San Jose (Nicklaus). The resort is also right across the street from the Cabo San Lucas Country Club, the best bargain play in town.
Comment: This all-inclusive resort -- the most luxurious hotel within the RIU brand -- sports a party vibe, fueled by the shot dispenser with four bottles of premium liquors ready to pour and a mini-fridge stocked with alcohol in every room. It is popular with golfers. Every day during my 2015 visit, I saw several dozen golf bags in the lobby, ready for transport. The food served at the resort's buffets is very good and its reservations-only steakhouse is even better. It's also only a three-mile walk/cab ride to downtown Cabo San Lucas.

The RIU Palace Cabo San Lucas as seen from the water.

Casa del Mar Golf Resort & Spa

Where to play: The nearest course is Cabo Real, but the resort also sells packages with the other Questro Golf properties: Club Campestre San Jose and Puerto Los Cabos.
Comment: The 54-room boutique hotel feels like an old-world hacienda, even though it was built in 1995 and renovated in 2015 after the hurricane. That Mexican heritage is furthered by the food in its restaurants and bars. Casa del Mar is owned by Grupo Questro, the same company that owns and manages the three Questro Golf courses. It is located adjacent to the Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa, another option that also has been upgraded after the hurricane.

The Chileno Bay Resort & Residences

Where to play: The resort is the only one offering limited tee times to the Chileno Bay Club, a private course designed by Tom Fazio in 2013.
Comment: This 60-room Auberge Resort is located on one of Cabo's largest swimmable beaches in a protected cove. The highlights of the immaculate rooms might be the outdoor spaces, including an outdoor shower and large terrace. The resort's three-tiered pool shows off an imaginative design.

Chileno Bay will be developed by the Discovery Land Company, based in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Resort at Pedregal

Where to play: The resort offers "exclusive" rates at Palmilla, Cabo Real, Puerto Los Cabos, Club Campestre San Jose and the Desert Course at Cabo del Sol.
Comment: The hurricane forced not only a reconstruction of this AAA Five Diamond property, but also a name and management change. The resort, which reopened in February 2015, is only accessible by a long tunnel at the tip of the peninsula. Emerging from the darkness, guests are greeted with a 24-acre Shangri-La of 66 rooms and suites and 21 villas, along with multiple restaurants and a spa. Its location is ideal to enjoy downtown Cabo San Lucas but isn't as convenient for many of Cabo's courses. The closest is the Cabo San Lucas Country Club.

Rancho San Lucas

Where to play: Rancho San Lucas is only accessible to members/property owners and resort guests.
Comment: This a 834-acre master-planned community featuring 1.2 miles of beachfront complemented by dramatic succulent forest, has come on strong with a Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas and The Residences at Rancho San Lucas resorts, plus a stunning Greg Norman course I believe is the best in Cabos.

Players can roll the ball downhill to the par-3 fifth green at Rancho San Lucas.

Diamante Cabo San Lucas

Where to play: The El Cardonal Course by Tiger Woods and the Dunes Course at Diamante by Davis Love III are only accessible to members/property owners and resort guests.
Where to stay: Diamante has grown exponentially in recent years, adding the 600-room Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos and the 200-room Nobu Hotel Los Cabos in 2018. Diamante's own condo-style accommodations are steps from the courses and the massive man-made lagoon for swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking and other water sports.

The sixth hole of the Dunes Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas plays like a long par 4, but it's a reachable par 5.

Montage Los Cabos

Where to play: The Twin Dolphin Golf Club, a project by Fred Couples with Todd Echenrode's Origins Golf Design in California, is available to residential owners within Maravilla Los Cabos and Montage Residences Los Cabos, as well as guests at the Montage Los Cabos.
Where to stay: The Montage is one of my favorite Cabo properties. It's set in a secluded cove with a swimming beach, a rarity in Cabo. Its boutique size makes for an intimate experience.

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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Resort Treasures: Where to stay to play the best golf courses in Los Cabos, Mexico