Mexico Courses: Golf Digest

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Golf Courses: golfdigest.com

Cabo del Sol

Surf's up

The 190-yard sixth hole at Cabo del Sol's Ocean Course is about as close as you can get to the Sea of Cortes without falling in. Set on a granite ledge overlooking the water, the left front of its green is a mere 80 feet from the waves.

Now the club's management wants to make it even closer. It has carved out an area behind the putting surface for a new green.

Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the Ocean Course opened in 1994. It's the No. 1 Mexican course in Golf Digest's Planet Golf ranking and No. 28 in our ranking of the 100 Best Courses Outside the U.S. The club's Tom Weiskopf-designed Desert Course is ranked No. 5 in Mexico. Green fees are $350 and $220, respectively.

The club (cabodelsol.com) is 10 minutes by taxi from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico's unofficial sport-fishing capital. The airport is a 30-minute drive in the other direction, near San Jose del Cabo.

• View more photos of Cabo del Sol's Ocean Course and Desert Course
• Places To Play Directory: Read more about this course

Members Only

Most of Mexico's best golf courses are open to the public, though a few are private. (See "Mexico's top-10 courses" below)

What's the secret to getting to play them? Much like in the U.S., these clubs generally will let you play with an introduction from a member or even a request from the pro at your club back home. Two exceptions are the newer Querencia and El Dorado clubs in Los Cabos, both of which are very high-end (initiation fees of $125,000 or more) and do not allow unaccompanied guests.

MEXICO's
Top-10 courses

1. Cabo del Sol G.C. (Ocean), Los Cabos
2. El Dorado G.C., Los Cabos *
3. Guadalajara C.C., Guadalajara *
4. Vista Vallarta Club de G. (Nicklaus), Puerto Vallarta
5. Cabo del Sol G.C. (Desert), Los Cabos
6. Four Seasons G.C. Punta Mita
7. Querencia C.C., Los Cabos *
8. Vista Vallarta Club de G. (Weiskopf), Puerto Vallarta
9. G.C. Tres Vidas, Acapulco *
10. Club de G. Mexico, Mexico City *
* Private club.

Source: Golf Digest's Planet Golf Ranking, May 2007