Luxury Golf in Cabo: The Best Courses and How to Play Them Well

Golf here is a desert-meets-ocean thing. You tee off with cactus on one side and the Pacific or the Sea of Cortez on the other, and the wind decides how your afternoon goes. We play these courses with visiting friends all season, and the same four names come up every time. Here is how we would spend a golf week in Los Cabos, what a round costs in peak season, and the small timing tricks that matter more than your handicap.

The bucket list trio

Three courses sit on every serious golfer's Cabo list: Quivira Golf Club, the Cabo del Sol Ocean Course, and the Diamante Dunes Course. They are Jack Nicklaus and Davis Love III designs, and they share the same recipe: dramatic ocean views, a real test of your game, and conditioning that holds up against anything in Mexico. Peak-season green fees across the three run from $195 to $475 per round.

Quivira Golf Club

Quivira is the course people fly in for. It is consistently ranked number one in Mexico, and once you have stood on a tee there with the ocean under you, the ranking makes sense. It is an oceanfront course, so the afternoon wind is part of the deal. Book the earliest tee time you can get and enjoy the calm.

Cabo del Sol Ocean Course

This is home to what gets called the most photographed hole in golf. If you only play one round on the trip and you want the photo, this is the one. Like Quivira, it sits right on the water, which means the same wind note applies: the later you play, the more the ocean has a say in your approach shots.

Diamante Dunes Course

Diamante Dunes completes the trio. Different feel from the two ocean courses, same rule: play it early, when the light is best and the wind is still asleep.

Palmilla Golf Course

Palmilla is the 27-hole option, a Jack Nicklaus signature design split into three nines: Ocean, Mountain and Arroyo. Our own review of it came back with three notes. The maintenance is impeccable. The Sea of Cortez views are breathtaking. And the play is challenging without being cruel, which makes it a good pick for a group with mixed handicaps. Book as far ahead as you can, especially in peak season. An early morning tee time here is the quiet one, and in winter you might catch a whale breaching from the coastal holes.

When to go and what it costs

• Peak season is November through April. Temperatures sit around 75 to 85°F, it is dry, and the courses are in their best condition. Expect premium pricing, roughly $300 to $475 a round at the top courses, and book tee times 4 to 6 weeks in advance.
• Summer, June through September, is the deal. Rates drop about 50 percent off peak, and morning conditions are excellent. Afternoon thunderstorms can develop, so again: play early.
• December through April is whale season. A coastal course in winter comes with a show. Combine your golf days with a morning on the water if you have the time.

Tee-time tricks from people who play here

• Book 7 to 8am in peak season. Cooler air, calmer wind, fewer people on the course, and the most dramatic light for photos. Most courses put out breakfast burritos and coffee for the early starters.
• Club up in the afternoon. The wind can add 2 to 3 clubs on approach shots at the oceanfront courses, Quivira and Cabo del Sol especially. Take the extra club and keep the ball low.
• Your own clubs or rentals? Plenty of visiting golfers rent on site so they do not have to deal with airline baggage. If you would rather fly with your own set, check the airline fee before you commit.
• Book everything early. Peak season tee times and the good dinner tables go at the same time. Do both at once.

Where to eat after the round

Golf days end early here, which leaves you a long, hungry afternoon. On the San José side we go to Flora Farms out at Las Ánimas Bajas: farm-to-table, $$$, a 4.7 from close to 3,400 reviews, closed Monday, with lunch 11am to 1:30pm and dinner from 5:30pm Tuesday through Saturday. For a sunset table on the Corridor, Sunset Monalisa at km 6 opens at 4pm, is $$$$, and carries a 4.5 across more than 2,100 reviews. In downtown Cabo San Lucas, Salvatore G's on Vicente Guerrero does Italian from 11am (4pm on Sunday), sits at $$$, and holds a 4.8 from about 2,000 reviews. Three good ways to spend the evening after a hard morning on the course.

Play early, club up in the wind, and eat well after. Our full list of where we eat is on our Cabo restaurants page.