Golf Course Review by: Billy Satterfield
Rankings:
The Takeaway: True to its roots, Cabo Real has a 90s feel with a manufactured, and nicely groomed, landscape that differs from the newer courses in Cabo with their more natural desert offering. The course is highlighted with plenty of ocean views, some dramatic tee shots, and a stellar finishing hole though the development next to the course creates a bit of a disconnect from the sea. Grade B+
Quick Facts
Designer: Robert Trent Jones in 1994
Cost: $150.00 - $245.00 Click for current rates
Phone Number: U.S. (877) 795-8727 or Mexico +52 (624) 173-9400
Course Website: Official Website - Visit Cabo Real Golf Club's official website by clicking on the link provided.
Directions: Get here! - Km 19.5, Carr. Transpeninsular, Zona del interior, San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur 23405 – MEXICO
Photos: See additional photos of Cabo Real Golf Club
What to Expect: Cabo Real hit the Mexico scene the same year as Cabo del Sol's Ocean course which quickly upgraded golf in the area. Located just east of the very southern tip of Baja California Sur, the course has a groomed resort feel which was typical for the era. The RTJ Jr. design has solid holes throughout but is clearly a step below the top tier courses in the area. That being said, the green fees come at a discount compared to the big boys as well. One thing players will surely enjoy are the ocean views from every hole on the course but you never feel connected to the sea, except on hole 5, due to the distance away and the development that separates the course from the ocean. Several elevation changes exist in the routing with players climbing 500 feet above sea level midway through the back nine. The course is dolled up with flowers on some of the tees as well as palm trees throughout the layout which results in a course that feels more like Hawaii than something you'd expect to find in the desert. The final three holes are great with the finishing hole featuring a unique horseshoe green around a pond where pin placements can get crazy fast the further left they land. Virtually every player will be in a cart while playing at Cabo Real due to the desert sun and large changes in elevation. Part of the Questro group of properties, package deals can be attained when playing Cabo Real, Puerto Los Cabos, and Club Campestre San Jose.
By the Numbers
| Tees | Par | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 71 | 6848 | 73.3 | 139 |
| Gold | 71 | 6513 | 71.9 | 135 |
| Blue | 71 | 6151 | 70.4 | 130 |
| White | 71 | 5711 | 68.0 | 125 |
| Red (Women) | 71 | 4947 | 69.1 | 123 |
Individual Hole Analysis
Signature Hole: 3rd Hole – 205 Yard Par 3 – The jaw dropping 3rd hole descends to a well bunkered green with views of the Sea of Cortez as far as the eye can see with the water fronted by the palatial Hilton Los Cabos Beach and Golf Resort. From tee to green there is an impressive 75 foot drop so you’ll want to take one or two clubs less than the number depending on how the wind is moving. With the entire front of the green flanked by a bunker, the bailout area is presented to the right of the putting surface where a large landing area exists and slopes towards the green. Every pin location is accessible from the bailout are by either air or ground so if you aren’t feeling confident on the tee then trying to save par from right of the green is a prudent play. It really is a visually impressive hole and one of the most memorable in all of Cabo.
Best Par 3: 15th Hole – 211 Yards – With magenta colored flowers fronting the tee box, a theme at Cabo Real, the 15th tricks you with some beauty before revealing this beast of a one-shotter. The green is surrounded by five bunkers that lie in wait to swallow shots that curve off their intended line with pins in the back right suckering only the most confident of players willing to take on the deepest bunker found on the hole. A bailout area is afforded left of the green and features a steep enough hill to kick balls onto the putting surface when the green is mowed short enough to accommodate it.
Best Par 4: 18th Hole – 417 Yards – The finishing hole at Cabo Real is as fun as it is visually impressive. The elevated tee delivers views of the ocean in the background and a fairway that wraps around a lake in the foreground. A small bunker on the right side of the fairway pinches the landing area to its narrowest point and can cause many players to simply take a club that keeps them short of the lake. The safe play away from the bunker on the tee will bring in a more challenging approach shot over the water to a green that horseshoes around the lake to present a variety of interesting pin placements to contend with. A lot of things can happen on Cabo Real’s closing hole, so you might as well make it a birdie and go out on a high.
Best Par 5: 10th Hole – 521 Yards – Nine bunkers come into play on the rolling 10th hole that plays downhill and gently doglegs left towards the Sea of Cortez. Jones placed bunkers on each side of the driving zone of this reachable par five to provide some defense that the length can’t. Golfers that can bomb their ball over the bunker on the left will provide themselves the shortest path to the green and the best chance to set themselves up for an eagle putt. The left side of the fairway is heavily bunkered on the way to the green which is meant to strike some fear in the player that feels the 10th sets itself as a pushover. The green provides a beautiful setting with an infinity edge effect that takes advantage of the salt water views beyond.
Birdie Time: 17th Hole – 361 Yard Par 4 – Coming down the stretch of your round, there are few feelings better than knowing you will have a good birdie chance coming up that will allow you to take another stroke back from Old Man Par. The 17th meets that hope with a short par four with tons of fairway to work with and the option of driving down the short left side or opening up the angle to the green down the right side. Even an iron off the tee can leave you with a wedge into the green and a chance to go pinseeking with your approach shot. With gorgeous ocean views staring back at you and a fairway you almost can’t miss, take a rip off the tee and show some finesse with your short game to card a birdie late in your round.
Bogey Beware: 4th Hole – 490 Yard Par 4 – 490 yards to cover in four strokes? Yep, that is exactly what faces you on the 4th hole and stands as Cabo’s biggest test. A pair of bunkers protect the left side of the driving zone but a big tee shot could carry them and greatly reduce the challenge here. Players that cautiously play out to the right will find themselves with a very long approach shot and difficult chance to reach the green in regulation, especially if the right-to-left sloping fairway manages to push their tee shot into one of the bunkers on the left. For your best chance to avoid bogey, playing your approach shot to the right is recommended as that side of the green is devoid of bunkers and features an area you can feed a ball into the green from. The 4th is a stout challenge to say the least and is a bogey factory.
