Los Cabos (nicknamed Cabo) on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, has become one of the world’s top golf, fun and sun destinations. When the spectacular Quivira Golf Club opened in 2014, I was one of the fortunate journalists invited to meet its legendary designer, Jack Nicklaus, attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony and play the seaside marvel. I had a hunch that Quivira would be lauded.
Sure enough, during my last visit in May (What better place to celebrate one’s birthday?) Golf Digest announced that Quivira had just received a 2022 Golf Digest Editors’ Choice Award in the ‘Best Mexico & Central America’ category. This is the seventh consecutive year the club has been singled out for recognition by the sport’s most respected and widely read publication.
The magazine’s description of Quivira sums up the layout’s enduring appeal.
“At the tip of Baja (California) Sur is the newest of more than a dozen Jack Nicklaus layouts in Mexico, and perhaps his most compelling, with holes along and atop granite cliffs and sand dunes overlooking the Pacific,” the report stated. “Several lodging facilities nearby offer access,” notably Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Golf & Spa Resort, a deluxe all-inclusive, adults-only beachfront property favored by golfers.
Opened to acclaim in 2014, the Jack Nicklaus Signature course at Quivira is recognized as one of the most memorable and challenging resort venues in the hemisphere. Created as an exclusive amenity for guests of Pueblo Bonito Resorts and the centerpiece of the Quivira Los Cabos residential development, this bold risk-reward design, marked by vertical cliffs, massive dunes and rolling foothills, features panoramic views and dizzying drops from tee to fairway. In a sun-splashed destination renowned for its unique ocean-desert-mountain ecosystem, Quivira offers more oceanfront exposure than any other course in Los Cabos. An unforgettable test from any set of tees, this scintillating layout may be the most daring and eclectic course Jack Nicklaus has ever built. Since its debut, Quivira has become a ‘bucket list’ course for golf aficionados from around the world.”
There’s more. As per Quivira’s original 36-hole blueprint, Nicklaus will return to build a second course at the dazzling Land’s End site. It will be the Golden Bear’s eighth design effort in a destination he describes as “one of my all-time favorite places.” Ground breaking of the second Jack Nicklaus Signature course is expected to begin by the end of 2022.
Los Cabos Takes Care
When COVID-19 took the world by storm in 2019, the Cabos tourism gurus took a pro-active approach to the disease, resulting in the destination becoming the world’s first VERIFIED™ travel destination.
Los Cabos with Care – A Safer Way to Get Away is Los Cabos’ health and safety protocol system in place for fighting against the spread of infection. The seven-step system evaluates and strictly implements health and safety protocols across the airport, transportation, accommodations, restaurants and bars, tour activities, the beach and throughout the local community. The system is implemented in partnership with Intertek Cristal, the highest standard of health and safety protocols in the industry. Los Cabos is the first destination in Mexico to begin working with Intertek Cristal in implementing Protek Destination Assurance.
At the onset of COVID-19, all Pueblo Bonito Resorts closed for three months, but C.E.O. Alberto Coppel and the management decided that all 4000 employees would keep their jobs.
“We were able to keep up maintenance standards at our properties and when vaccines became available, we worked with the government on a campaign to encourage them,” says Pueblo Bonito Resorts Operations Manager, Armando Garcia. Ninety per cent of our employees have at least two vaccines. We also continued staff training and our Human Development Department made available psychologists, doctors and therapists to assist employees during the stress and hardships of the pandemic,” he adds.
“It was a brave decision, but we were rewarded when travel opened up again,” says Garcia. When tourists began to arrive, we were ready for them. We came back stronger.”
Congratulations to the folks at Pueblo Bonito Resorts for taking a proactive approach to Covid, garnering increased staff and guest loyalty and coming back stronger!