Top 10 Courses: Mexico

Heres our list of the top 10 courses in Mexico.

 

  1. DIAMANTE (DUNES), Cabo San Lucas

Since the day it opened in 2009, this Davis Love III/Paul Cowley design has been regarded universally as Mexico’s best. Set beside the Pacific on a stretch of towering dunes, it feels like an Irish links except for the balmy climate. “You’re constantly interacting with the ocean,” says Love, “playing toward it, alongside it, or away from it.”

mexico golf courses
Diamante (Dunes)

 

  1. CABO DEL SOL (COVE CLUB), Cabo San Lucas

Originally known as the Ocean Course, and recently revamped by designer Jack Nicklaus for new owners, it lost a couple of marquee holes but drama was added to others, notably the new 18th (formerly 16th), which now tumbles to the very brink of the Sea of Cortez. The core of the course remains as strong and visually stunning as ever.

  1. QUIVIRA, Cabo San Lucas

If you suffer from vertigo, be warned. Otherwise prepare for an exhilarating romp on cliffs above the sea. Set on the tip of the Baja Peninsula, this Nicklaus design is one you’ll remember forever—especially the thrill-packed par-three tee shots at the 6th and 13th.

  1. QUERENCIA, San Jose del Cabo

Often called Tom Fazio’s finest course outside the U.S., ultra-private Querencia is set on rugged terrain high in the hills above the Sea of Cortez. No ocean views here but there’s plenty to get your attention—rocky canyons, tropical plants, and cacti—plus 18 dramatically crafted holes.

  1. PUNTA MITA (BAHIA), Puerto Vallarta

One of two Nicklaus courses in an exclusive resort community, it winds through a variety of terrain with lush jungle ever-present, ponds and streams in play on half the holes, and five holes running along the edge of the Pacific.

  1. CHILENO BAY, Los Cabos

Every hole has a view of the Sea of Cortez on this Fazio resort layout on desert terrain beneath the Sauzal Mountains. The fairways are wide and the rough is light, but stray shots will find penal scrub and canyons on a journey that begins on flat land before climbing into hilly terrain.

  1. MAYAKOBA (EL CAMALEON), Playa del Carmen

Former site of the PGA Tour’s Mayakoba Classic, and host to the 2025 Riviera Maya Open on the LPGA, this Greg Norman layout plays through constantly changing ecosystems—tropical jungle, mangrove wetlands, and Caribbean seaside. Limestone-lined canals and natural underwater caves called “cenotes” add to the challenge.

  1. DIAMANTE (EL CARDONAL), Cabo San Lucas

Tiger Woods’s first solo design, its wide fairways and open-front greens established him as a believer in welcoming, playable courses. That said, cross bunkers, encroaching arroyos, and a constant breeze combine to tighten the test.

  1. TWIN DOLPHIN, Cabo San Lucas

Fred Couples teamed with Todd Eckenrode to create this semi-private course set in hilly Baja desert above the Sea of Cortez. Striking rock outcroppings and rugged arroyos line fairways, but in keeping with Freddie’s low-key vibe, two kickback stations serve fish tacos and margaritas.

  1. VISTA VALLARTA (NICKLAUS), Puerto Vallarta

Jack’s 2001 layout sits in the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains 15 minutes above Puerto Vallarta and lives up to its name by delivering stunning views of the town, marina, and Banderas Bay. Forced carries over rocks, water, and chasms combine with Nicklausian green contours for a full assignment.

 

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J Gill
14 days ago

The problem with Cabo are most of these courses are private or you have to stay at the hotel to play the course. A vacationer has a hard time playing them. I think TPC Danzante Bay should be on the list. A spectacular mountain to sea golf course in Loreto.

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