Building Out Baja

Colorado AvidGolfer

These resorts and developments make a splash along the Sea of Cortez's arid coast.

Costa Baja

Covering 550 acres of rugged terrain along the Sea of Cortez just five minutes north of La Paz, Costa Baja combines golf, lodging, dining, tons of amenities, marina and multiple real estate options for one of the region’s most extensive developments.       

Golf: Imprinted into the mountains that rise dramatically from the shoreline, Costa Baja is the latest addition to Gary Player’s 300-plus golf course portfolio. The 7,081-yard course managed by Troon Golf laces through inhospitable craggy hills and cliffs, which factor into every hole just beyond its fairway’s generous borders. Relief comes in the form of soft, salt-resilient Paspalum grass and greens that Player designed to be challenging but fair. Green fees are $160.

Lodging: Costa Baja Resort and Spa includes two restaurants, two pools, beach club and spa. Its 115 rooms feature 42-inch flat-screen televisions and dark mahogany wood finishes. Room rates start at $149.

Real Estate: Costa Baja offers 134 residences starting at $500k.

Contact: costabajaresort.com for golf and lodging or costabaja.com for real estate and community information.

 

Bahia de los Sueños

Located 45 minutes southeast of La Paz, Bahia de los Sueños, with an absolutely stunning location and near-perfect golf course, has all the makings of a world-class golf community. Long-term plans call for a luxury hotel, spa, gourmet restaurants, retail center, golf and beach club and fishing club. Translated as “Bay of Dreams,” few places offer such a sense of peace and isolation–for now.

Golf: Leave it to the guy renowned for crafting the world’s best dunes and links courses to build a course like Bahia de los Suenos. Tom Doak’s 7,010-yard Baja masterpiece blends supple, rolling fairways, roughhewn bunkers and greens that reflect the landscape’s undulations into a stunning landscape of arroyo canyons and white sands backed by views of the Sea of Cortez.

Lodging: Stay and play packages are available through GranSueño, an adjacent luxury boutique hotel that offers distinctive suites and villas, full-service bar, restaurant and pools.

Real Estate: Most available lots range between $200k-$500k with several going for $700k and one large beachfront lot selling for $3.2 million.

Contact: bahiasuenos.com or 866-202-0789

 

Paraiso Del Mar

Situated on a peninsula across the Bay of La Paz from the city’s marina, Paraiso Del Mar is La Paz’s first large scale development and includes an Arthur Hills-designed golf course and multiple real estate options spread over 1,700-acres. Recently commenced phase two projects include a state-of-the-art phone/TV/internet system and completion of 102 beachfront condominiums.

Golf: “Once native vegetation was cleared, the land revealed great undulations,” says architect Arthur Hills. “Believe it or not, this landscape is very similar to St. Andrews in the way the land rolls and rumbles.” The 7,100-yard course incorporates tons of natural contours and a very of the wildest and most difficult greens you’ve ever played.

Lodging: A new stay and play package starting at $129/night includes lodging and one round of golf per day. Accommodations range from $109-$739 depending on lodging option and season.

Real Estate: Paraiso Del Mar’s current offering includes Las Villas (condos) starting around $360k and Las Casas (homes) starting at $407k.

Contact: paradiseofthesea.com or 888-201-2825

 

Diamante

Built on a swath of pristine white beach that connects the Pacific to the Baja coast’s rough desert terrain, Diamante’s exquisite Dunes Course calls to mind some of the world’s best links-style courses. Its 7,300 yards, located just a few miles west of Cabo San Lucas, sink into a landscape of monstrous sand dunes and scraggly wild flora for an experience many players have compared to Bandon or Pacific Dunes, where all you see is water and sand. Credit 20-time PGA Tour winner Davis Love with the design, which is poised to become one of Baja California’s premier courses. The distinctive practice facility features four sunken, stone-walled “hitting caves” where players can practice in relative seclusion while being served beverages and sliders. The club also offers a cantina and 1.5 miles of private beaches. Future plans call for a Dunes Clubhouse in 2011, sports complex, tennis center, variety of restaurants and spa. Current real estate offerings include Golf Villas starting at $300k, Beachfront lots starting at $1 million and Sunset Hill Estates starting at $2 million. For more information visit diamantecabosanlucas.com or call 866-901-1456 (Dunes Golf Club) or 866-901-9058 (real estate).

 

El Cardonal: Tiger Woods Design Golf Course

Construction is already underway on a new championship golf course created by Tiger Woods Design, with completion set for 2014.

For full information on this course, please visit the website.