20 DEC 2017: In November 2016 I was invited to attend the ribbon-cutting opening ceremonies at Danzante Bay Golf Club, near Loreto, Mexico on the Baja Peninsula. Golf course architect Rees Jones (son of Robert Trent Jones Sr.) unveiled eleven magnificent fairways with views of the Sea of Cortes. Rees Jones has designed more than 200 courses globally, including seven US Open and eight PGA championship tracks. But Danzante Bay is his first in Mexico-and what a dazzling debut!
Later that day, Jones and his crew escorted our group via golf cart brigade to the canyon floors where he would etch the final seven holes in the shadows of the Sierra de la Giganta mountain range. I looked at the harsh landscape and wondered who would even consider tackling this terrain. It looked like the set of an old-fashioned Western movie. I expected to see some cowboys and Indians having a shootout high up on the craggy rock pinnacles. But a golf course? Well, that’s why Mr. Rees Jones is the visionary architect and I am just the golf writer.
On December 8, 2017 Jones and Owen Perry, owner of the Danzante Bay Golf Club and adjoining Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa popped the corks and cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of the 18-hole masterpiece. I was one of the lucky swingers invited to join the fiesta.
“Most of the world’s most popular golf courses that have stood the test of time were built slowly,” Jones explained. “Golf holes aren’t really designed and built from a plan-you feel them in the land. This land is so good it tells us what to do. The holes fit the land naturally.”
Perry compared the creation of the course to a quote by Italian artist Michelangelo: “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”
“The course was here all along,” remarked Perry. “We just had to clear away the rubble, bushes and thorns.”
Danzante Bay’s multi-themed layout waltzes players through a variety of settings, including valleys, arroyos, dunes, lakes and foothills with 250 feet of elevation changes. Holes feature panoramic views of the sea, the mountains, and the surrounding Islands of Loreto, a World Heritage national marine park. In many ways, the course pays homage to how golf originated-at the place where the land meets the sea. Rarely though, do mountains, desert and sea collide in such a remarkably gorgeous setting.
Danzante is a certainly a drop-dead dramatic beauty queen, but both Jones and Perry were determined to make it fair, fun and playable for both high and low handicappers.
“We watched the growth of golf in Los Cabos and noticed the courses were becoming harder and harder to play. We are not going after the PGA pro,” said Perry. The design incorporates multiple sets of tees with forward tees that are fair but not lacking in interest or challenge for duffers like me. The green contours are also gentle, making them manageable in the ever-fluctuating winds off the Sea of Cortes.
French undersea explorer, Jacques Cousteau, called this federally protected marine park “the World’s aquarium.” The five Islands of Loreto create a sanctuary for more than 1,000 species of marine life.
During winters months players on the signature 17th par-three jaw dropper might spot blue whales. This hole perches on the rocky crest of a peninsula with drops down to the sea on three sides.
“As spectacular a one-shotter as exists on any course in the world,” is how Golf Course Architecture magazine described 17.
The Villa del Palmar Resort & Spa at the Islands of Loreto offers plenty more diversions. Snorkelling is spectacular. The fishing is world-class. You can take a hike, ride a horse or mountain bike or go on a whale-watching cruise. The resort offers daily shuttles to the sleepy town of Loreto known for its mission dating back to 1697 and a nice variety of eateries and boutiques. Rees Jones also created a nine-hole putting course, inspired by the Himalayas putting course in St. Andrews, Scotland.
Named one of Mexico’s best spas by SpaFinder, the immense 3900 square-foot Sabila Spa offers more ways to relax. The wet area features myriad bubbling Jacuzzis, steam room, sauna and special Epsom salts and aloe vera baths. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame spectacular mountain and canyon vistas.
Whereas Los Cabos, at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, attracts folks looking for glamour and robust nightlife, the Loreto area draws a crowd more interested in peace, quiet and nature. Normally you won’t find a whole lot of action in the bars after about 10:30, unless it happens to be the grand opening celebration of the completed 18 holes at Danzante Bay. After a gourmet dinner, guests were treated to a private concert by Don Felder, formerly lead guitarist of Eagles fame. Felder happens to be a buddy of Owen Perry. Former pro basketball player and coach of the Los Angels Lakers, Byron Scott is another friend of Perry and frequent guest at the resort. After the concert, Scott invited me to knock back some tequila shots with himself and his entourage of lovely ladies. How could I refuse?
Getting There Danzante Bay is located about 40 kilometres south of the town of Loreto. From Los Angeles Airport, it is less than a two-hour flight on Alaska Airlines. WestJet also flies direct from Calgary in the winter.