Golf in Los Cabos is world-class because its courses are laid across a rare mix of desert, mountain and two different seas, by designers including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III, Fred Couples, Robert Trent Jones II, Greg Norman and Tiger Woods. The catch is access: many of the best courses are private or reserved for members, owners and resort guests, so choose where you stay around where you want to play.
The timing could hardly be better. The PGA TOUR returns to Diamante from 2 to 8 November for the 20th edition of the World Wide Technology Championship, and two new courses open in November. Here is how the region fits together, who can play where and what is on the way.
The three golf regions
- The Pacific side, beyond Cabo San Lucas, is home to Diamante, Quivira and the new Oleada: dunes, cliffs and open-ocean views.
- The Tourist Corridor between the two towns has the largest concentration of courses, many with holes along the Sea of Cortez and desert arroyos between them.
- San José del Cabo and the East Cape offer Querencia, Palmilla and Puerto Los Cabos near town, and Costa Palmas further up the coast.
The Pacific side: Diamante and Quivira
Diamante holds two of the most celebrated courses in Mexico. The Dunes Course, designed by Davis Love III and opened in 2009, threads through a field of giant sand dunes with the Pacific in view from nearly every hole. Golf Digest named it the top course in Mexico, and it sits on the magazine’s world top 100.
El Cardonal, opened in 2014, was the first course Tiger Woods completed as a designer. Inspired by the old-style courses of Southern California he played as a boy, it is wide and strategic, with multiple routes to every green. Since 2023 it has hosted the World Wide Technology Championship, and this year’s event runs from 2 to 8 November, with pro-ams on El Cardonal and the Dunes on 4 November and the tournament proper from 5 to 8 November. Diamante is private, so ask about guest play when you book.
Further north, Quivira Golf Club is Jack Nicklaus’ clifftop course, opened in 2014, with every hole looking out to the ocean. The routing climbs from the beach through arroyos and dunes to holes high above the surf, and food and drink at the comfort stations are included. Play is reserved for Quivira owners and guests of Pueblo Bonito resorts in Los Cabos.
The Cabo 100 take: on the Pacific side, book the first tee time of the day. The light is softer, the wind is lighter and on the cliff holes you will often have the ocean to yourself.
What separates the top tier: the best Cabo courses are routed so the sea is part of the strategy, not just the backdrop. On the Dunes Course and at Quivira, the wind off the Pacific changes club selection from one hole to the next, so take local advice from the caddie or starter before you tee off.
The Corridor: where Cabo golf began
Los Cabos golf began at Cabo del Sol, where Nicklaus’ oceanfront course opened in 1994. Today it plays as the Cove Club, a Nicklaus Signature Design reserved for members and their guests, with four holes directly along the rocky edge of the Sea of Cortez.
Next door, the Cabo del Sol Golf Course, Tom Weiskopf’s former Desert Course, has been reshaped with six new mountainside holes by Fry/Straka. It is open to resort guests and visitors, which makes it one of the more accessible top courses and a natural first round.
- Chileno Bay Golf Club is Tom Fazio’s private course above Playa Chileno, with the sea in view from every hole. Guests of the neighbouring Auberge resort can request tee times through the concierge.
- Twin Dolphin, co-designed by Fred Couples, sits on a plateau high above the sea beside Montage Los Cabos, whose guests can book through the resort. Family tees shorten it to a 2,300-yard course for children and beginners.
San José del Cabo and the East Cape
Querencia, the private community between Palmilla and Costa Azul, is home to Campo Bajo, Tom Fazio’s first course outside the United States, opened in 2000. It is golf in the hills, with carries over deep ravines and long views to the Sea of Cortez, and it is for members only.
At Palmilla, the Nicklaus golf club is in the middle of a multi-year renovation: the Mountain and Ocean nines are scheduled to be finished by the end of 2027 and the Arroyo nine by the end of 2028, with the Ocean nine being reimagined as a par-3 course and a short course. A new 11-hole short course at Palmilla Reserve, El Once by Agustín Pizá, is opening in phases. Check what is in play before planning a round here.
Puerto Los Cabos, just beyond town, offers 27 holes by Nicklaus and Greg Norman, from shoreline holes to steep hillside golf. Confirm current access when booking. On the East Cape, about 45 minutes from the airport, Costa Palmas Golf Club is Robert Trent Jones II’s walkable, links-like course, finishing beside the marina, for members and guests of the Four Seasons and Amanvari.
New courses this season
Los Cabos golf is still growing. Querencia’s second Fazio course, Campo Alto, holds its members’ grand opening on 6 November, with play limited to residents and their guests. Oleada Golf Links, Ernie Els’s first course in Mexico, beside Rancho San Lucas on the Pacific side, has been in preview play since the summer and opens for limited public play in November before becoming a private club with guest access for nearby resorts.
Next comes Tiger Woods’ Legacy Course at Diamante, the heart of an invitation-only club capped at 250 families, with water in play on 13 holes. It is expected by spring 2027. We track all three on our Ones to Watch page; opening dates come from the developers and can change.
Planning a golf trip
- Match your hotel to your courses. Staying at Montage, Chileno Bay, Pueblo Bonito or Four Seasons Costa Palmas opens courses that are otherwise private.
- Avoid tournament week, or embrace it. From 2 to 8 November, the Pacific side revolves around the PGA TOUR. Come to watch, or play the Corridor that week instead.
- Book tee times early between November and April, and confirm access policies, which have changed at several clubs in recent years.
- Play early. Morning rounds avoid the strongest heat, especially outside winter.
- Look up. From mid-December into April, players often spot whales offshore between shots.
Golf is one of the main reasons people return to Los Cabos, and for many it is the reason they eventually buy here. See all ten courses that made the list, and who can play them, in our Golf category, or join the Insider List for news as the new courses open.
