{"id":873529,"date":"2026-10-07T04:18:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T04:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/873529\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T04:18:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T04:18:20","slug":"mexicos-wildest-golf-course-is-like-a-real-life-golden-tee-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/873529\/","title":{"rendered":"Mexico’s Wildest Golf Course is Like a Real-Life ‘Golden Tee’ Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Quivira<\/p>\n

via Quivira Golf Club \/ John Whittle, with permission<\/p>\n

Quivira Golf Club<\/p>\n

Quivira Golf Club is a breathtaking Jack Nicklaus design that will leave players of all skill levels downright speechless.<\/p>\n

\u201cJack Nicklaus must have been on acid when he designed this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t remember which of my playing partners said this as we walked off the 18th green at Quivira Golf Club<\/a>, but no description of any course I have played has stuck with me like this one. In fact, I have played several of Mexico\u2019s best and can remember bits and pieces about each, but this Cabo San Lucas experience has basically haunted me, not only for its immense, seemingly impossible challenges and downright insane views, but because it\u2019s just so wild and otherworldly.<\/p>\n

Thanks to those rounds on \u201cMexico\u2019s Best Golf Courses,\u201d I admit my expectations were far more in line with the country\u2019s beautiful, meticulous resort styles that sandwich the experience between luxurious properties and exceptional coastal views. That\u2019s partially because I was enjoying a tequila blending class at the Four Seasons Punta Mita, in between activities at the annual Punta Mita Gourmet and Golf event, when I got the call to swing by Cabo after the party was done. Having played Punta Mita\u2019s courses, as well as neighboring Higuera Golf Club (a personal favorite) and Mayakoba\u2019s El Camaleon, among others, I felt like I had appropriate expectations, but my friends already in Cabo assured me: \u201cYou ain\u2019t see nothing yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two days later, I was on a Volaris flight to Cabo (unknowingly getting my first case of Montezuma\u2019s Revenge from the ice in my treinta Starbucks cold brew), and as I uploaded my hilarious three-putt on Punta Mita\u2019s Tail of the Whale to Instagram, I wondered, \u201cHow could anything top that?\u201d After a bumpy landing and an immensely uncomfortable evening of cold sweats, I was ready to see what the buzz was all about.<\/p>\n

The Madre of All First Impressions
\n\"Quivira<\/p>\n

via Quivira Golf Club \/ John Whittle, with permission<\/p>\n

Quivira Golf Club<\/p>\n

If all you knew about Cabo San Lucas was learned from Sammy Hagar, you might think this was a destination for Endless Summer party animals. Now, I\u2019m not saying that\u2019s not the case, but if you\u2019re looking for a laidback, rewarding Mexican vacation experience with smaller crowds (at least in comparison to Mexico\u2019s biggest destinations), spectacular resorts, and amazing food, this Pacific setting will take care of your every need. It\u2019s as great for family getaways as it is for romantic retreats, but all I cared about was understanding the buzz around Quivira Golf Club.<\/p>\n

Heading to the range for a post-sunrise warmup, what stood out was the fact that the practice facility is right next to the beach, which isn\u2019t exactly common. (Hell, I\u2019m not sure I have played anywhere that offered incredible ocean views at the range, but I still have 6 million more courses to visit, so we\u2019ll see.) As soon as we were ready to make the comically long ride to the first tee box, it became obvious that this was not your regular \u201cresort course.\u201d Hell, Nicklaus knew this was going to be a resort course, but ownership wanted something different, so The Golden Bear had his work cut out for him.<\/p>\n

\"Quivira<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Brian Morgan \/ Quivira Golf Club<\/p>\n

Quivira Golf Club Hole 7<\/p>\n

\u201cThe owner of the property wanted the golf course up on the side of the mountain,\u201d explained Brian McCallen, world-famous golf writer, author of \u201cGreat Resort Courses of the World<\/a>\u201c, and expert on all things Cabo. \u201cJack says, \u2018Well, we can\u2019t do that.\u2019 [The owner] goes, \u2018Yeah, I want you to do that.\u2019 So, Jack got his guys out there and they laid out four or five holes in the valley. Then you drive up the side of this mountain, 270-feet above sea level, and they\u2019ve got the cliffside comfort station there, and in the winter months you can see breaching whales. And most people, the first time, they\u2019re like, \u2018Are you kidding me?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Just take a look at Hole 7 again\u2026\u00a0Are you kidding me?!<\/p>\n

\"Quivira<\/p>\n

via Quivira Golf Club \/ Brian Morgan, with permission<\/p>\n

Quivira Golf Club<\/p>\n

Opened in 2014, this 7,085-yard layout has been a mainstay on prominent golf rankings like \u201cWorld\u2019s Greatest 100 Courses\u201d and my far-less read \u201cGuide to the Best Palomas on Planet Earth.\u201d Despite its recognition and pristine reputation, the biggest complaint you\u2019ll likely hear about Quivira is that there\u2019s no flow, meaning the design and holes don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re taking you on a journey like you\u2019ll find on so many other courses. To that, I say, \u201cAh, shut up.\u201d That\u2019s what gives this place the Golden Tee feel that I recognized from the start, and even with longer rides between some of the holes, this is as much a celebration of Cabo\u2019s beauty as it is a skill test for even the most confident players.<\/p>\n

Get Your Cameras Ready
\n\"Quivira<\/p>\n

via Quivira Golf Club \/ Brian Morgan<\/p>\n

The key to a round of golf here is to be realistic and not play \u201chero ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having made the trip from Punta Mita to Cabo, I was still thinking about the former\u2019s seaside holes and especially the signature Tail of the Whale, which is a must-play Par 3 boasting an island green that you\u2019ll only be able to take on if the water is behaving itself. It\u2019s certainly one of the cooler holes you\u2019ll play anywhere in the world, so when I heard about Quivira wild design, this was my easiest comparison. Turns out, there really is no comparing this course to any other. As McCallen puts it: \u201cQuivira has a spellbinding duty all its own, but it is first and foremost a challenging golf course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Quivira<\/p>\n

via Ashley Burns<\/p>\n

Hole 14. Between the wind and slope of the green, this hole will make you wish you had a built-in backspin button.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m picking a favorite hole at Quivira, I could have set up shop for the day at the Par 3 14th and lost ball after ball trying to clear the intimidating canyon while also marveling at the views. Better golfers have probably hit near-perfect daggers on the wide green, but barely-average dorks like me will find equal parts joy and frustration trying to keep a ball from rolling left to right, all the way down to its salty demise. On my first swing, I was certain I\u2019d hit it so well, only to never see that ball again. I\u2019d be furious if I wasn\u2019t laughing the whole time.<\/p>\n

But the hole that most golfers will likely appreciate for boosting our numbers is the previous track, the Par 5 13th, which runs 635 yards and dares everyone to pull out the boom stick and let \u2018er f*cking rip. If only it were that easy, though. Sure, the downward slope will allow your tee shot to run for days, but accuracy also plays a huge role here. If you miss the fairway, getting to the green is going to be a daunting experience, and even if you hit it square on the nuts, I still watched several very good golfers curse themselves with words that\u2019d make old-timey sailors blush after they sacrificed strategy for long-drive bragging rights. (Bonus coolness: This hole runs above the beach where the invasion scene for Troy was filmed.)<\/p>\n

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Quivira
\n\"Quivira<\/p>\n

via Quivira Golf Club from Troy Channing Benjamin, with permission<\/p>\n

Try not to be too distracted by the stunning views \u2013 especially when you\u2019re staring at a blockbuster movie\u2019s filming location.<\/p>\n

Over the years, the most consistent tip I have received has been: \u201cKnow which tee box you should be playing from.\u201d At no course that I have played has that mattered more than Quivira. Even if you fancy yourself a Bill Brasky-type legend whose friends constantly rave about your big drives, you should consider dialing it back a notch or two here and giving up the tips for a more enjoyable and manageable round. However, if you choose to take the bull by its horn, know that Nicklaus was still looking out for us by making his wild design subtly manageable.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe built a lot of kicker slopes and containment mounds that tend to gather the ball to safety or even feed the ball to the hole,\u201d McCallen said. \u201cEverybody just kind of freaks out or says, you know, \u2018I\u2019m gonna call my mommy\u2019 or \u2018I need another dozen balls.\u2019 So, we get a lot of, you know, sphincter-pinching moments, but if you move up a set of tees, you can manage the golf course. If you don\u2019t go for the hero shot, if you play pretty safe, conservative golf, you can do okay there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not to contradict my old friend\u2019s point, but you should still probably plan to bring an extra box of balls. At the very least, you\u2019ll be hellbent on hitting four or five at the aforementioned 14th hole \u2014 although I do not endorse you doing that (wink wink, nudge nudge). And, if all else fails, just enjoy the hell out of the palomas and margs at the comfort stations. I am not lying when I say they are the best I have had on any golf course I have visited on this planet.<\/p>\n

When You\u2019re Not on the Course
\n\"Quivira<\/p>\n

via Ashley Burns<\/p>\n

Quivira Golf Club<\/p>\n

Before you book your tee times, obviously, you\u2019ll need to choose a place to stay. Cabo has a lot of cool spots in town, on the beach, and up on those iconic cliffs, but the most obvious place to have your clubs shipped to is Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spa. After all, Quivira was developed as an exclusive amenity for this sprawling modern property, so convenience and familiarity are nice perks here.<\/p>\n

However, this is not simply a case of \u201cThis is where the course is, so this is where you should stay.\u201d What blew my mind about Pueblo Bonito when I explored during my downtime is how diverse its accommodations are, and namely how there\u2019s truly something for everyone. That\u2019s such an eye-rolling cliche for a travel writer, but it\u2019s true. Pacifica Golf and Spa Resort is ideal for the game- and wellness-focused visitors, while The Towers at Pacifica add an element of romance for couples and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos will keep the entire family entertained way beyond the golf.<\/p>\n

Many people I know who frequently visit Cabo rave about a wide range of rental options, and scoring a large home or villa is a boon to any bro or ladies\u2019 outing, as you can all sleep under one roof and keep your expenses down by cooking and grilling your meals. There might not be a better rental option anywhere in this destination, though, than the Montecristo Estates Luxury Villas, considering these stylish multi-bedroom residences are not only set away from the busier resort amenities (for those of us who hate sharing) but they\u2019re also so damned cool that they\u2019ll take up as much space in your Instagram feed as the course itself.<\/p>\n

Not that you\u2019ll want to spend much time away from the views of Quivira Golf Club, that is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"via Quivira Golf Club \/ John Whittle, with permission Quivira Golf Club Quivira Golf Club is a breathtaking…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":873530,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[427,21846,99],"class_list":["post-873529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-golf","tag-golf-courses","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=873529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/873530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=873529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=873529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=873529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}