GOLF GETAWAYS
By Joe Passov
COURTESY TWIN DOLPHINS
BAJA FRESH MEXICO’S LOS CABOS SIZZLES WITH NEWLY BUILT, ACCESSIBLE GOLF
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s 1992 dawned, Los Cabos, Mexico, was little more than a sleepy, if much beloved sportfishing destination. A single, governmentowned nine-hole course serviced the needs of local and visiting golfers. Fast-forward 28 years. Today, the region populated by the towns of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas is a bona fide golf mecca, closing in on 20 courses. Make no mistake, Los Cabos is a pricey golf mecca, but a mecca, nonetheless. Its reputation on both fronts has recently been enhanced by the addition of three new courses, plus several more with expanded access. Bring your sticks and your pesos — and prepare to be amazed.
Twin Dolphin Montage The brightest new star in the Cabo golf constellation is Twin Dolphin Golf Club. Conveniently situated midway between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, Twin Dolphin is named nostalgically for a revered beachfront hotel that existed on the site from 1977 to 2006. The year-old, 7,156-yard course honors its namesake beautifully. It’s fun, thoughtprovoking and is loaded with stellar views and classic design accents. 40 | AZ GOLF Insider | PREVIEW 2020
Accompanying the Twin Dolphin experience is a laid-back vibe, perhaps no surprise given that Freddie Couples is both the course co-designer and a part-time resident. Couples collaborated with architect Todd Eckenrode of Origins Golf Design to create a throwback tract that melds seamlessly to the natural rolling terrain. It’s a true hillside desert course, framed by cactus and other spiny trees and shrubs, studded with strategically placed bunkers, crisscrossed by desert washes and backdropped by
Desert drama and the Sea of Cortez merge in spectacular fashion at Twin Dolphin’s par-3 11th hole (above). Following your round, the spa/pool at Montage Los Cabos awaits (inset).
rock outcroppings and ocean panoramas. Yet, the course isn’t at all penal. Wide landing areas, helpful speed slots and sideboards, numerous bailouts and a lack of forced carries into the greens make this pure fun for everyone. As Couples put it, “Sure we could have made Twin Dolphin play tougher, but I wanted a course that I would enjoy, and so could my 15-handicap pals.” Consider the deed done. Couples’ input figured prominently in the design, notably at the par4 second hole, a 389-yarder that slithers downhill and to the right. He widened the original green, softened the surrounding green complex and shifted the configuration to embrace a magnificent Sea of Cortez vista. www.azgolf.org
