CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO | On a Thursday in 2004, American golf course and resort developer Ken Jowdy was driving to an airport in Mexico when he acquired a name from his dealer. Jowdy had been on the lookout for land on which to develop a brand new resort in Cabo for the earlier yr with out a lot success, however his dealer instructed him that there was an 89-year-old Mexican man who had 1,500 acres of land on the Pacific Ocean in Cabo San Lucas.
“I stated ‘I’m leaving proper now and I’ll be again on Tuesday,’” Jowdy stated. “He stated ‘No, if you happen to get on that airplane that property isn’t going to make it till Tuesday.’”
Jowdy was intrigued. He had but to discover the realm by which there wasn’t a lot improvement. So he turned his automobile round and, when he acquired to his vacation spot, discovered that it took his breath away. He noticed the clear ocean views coupled with large sand dunes. Jowdy felt like he’d been transported to Eire. This was what he was on the lookout for.
“I met this man who spoke zero English and I spoke zero Spanish,” Jowdy stated. “By some means inside quarter-hour we shook palms on the deal that turned (Diamante).”
Jowdy closed on the deal in 2006 and Diamante Cabo San Lucas formally debuted to the general public in 2009 with the opening of Davis Love III’s Dunes Course. Now, the resort is a premiere vacationer vacation spot with Love’ course and shortly to be three Tiger Woods-designed programs. Woods’ El Cardonal, which opened in 2014, hosts the PGA Tour’s World Extensive Know-how Championship, the oldest PGA Tour match outdoors of the USA and Canada.
Jowdy closed on the deal in 2006 and Diamante Cabo San Lucas formally debuted to the general public in 2009 with the opening of Davis Love III’s Dunes Course. Now, the resort is a premiere vacationer vacation spot with Love’ course and shortly to be three Tiger Woods-designed programs. Woods’ El Cardonal, which opened in 2014, hosts the PGA Tour’s World Extensive Know-how Championship, the oldest PGA Tour match outdoors of the USA and Canada.
“Internet hosting a PGA Tour occasion just isn’t solely validation for the complete area and Cabo, however validation of every part we’ve accomplished right here,” Jowdy stated. “With a purpose to get a tour occasion it’s a must to have a reasonably good place.”
Earlier than Diamante, folks got here to Los Cabos on trip, however not likely for golf.
“Because the Nineteen Eighties there had been a couple of small golf programs that had been developed, however by no means that had actually ignited like what we’ve in the present day,” stated Rodrigo Esponda, CEO of the Los Cabos Tourism Board. “When golf programs like Diamante got here, the golf actually positioned the vacation spot in a singular approach.”
“There are very proud folks right here and so they need to be sure that the individuals who come down right here take pleasure in themselves as a result of they need them to go residence and communicate proudly of what they noticed right here.” – Ken Jowdy
Jowdy says a lot of Diamante’s success is a credit score to the Cabo San Lucas locals, who’ve embraced the elevated tourism.
“There are very proud folks right here and so they need to be sure that the individuals who come down right here take pleasure in themselves as a result of they need them to go residence and communicate proudly of what they noticed right here,” Jowdy stated.
After the success of the Dunes Course, a pal of Jowdy’s approached him with a query: would he be interested by working with Tiger Woods?
“Clearly the reply was sure,” Jowdy stated.
That began a five-month technique of Jowdy attending to know folks on Woods’ crew, on the finish of which was a gathering between Jowdy, Woods, Woods’ good pal Byron Bell and Woods’ former caddy Joe LaCava. Jowdy and LaCava instantly hit it off once they found they had been each born in Danbury Hospital in Connecticut.
“It turned out we performed sports activities towards one another,” Jowdy stated. “So for the primary half-hour of this large assembly with Tiger was me and Joe speaking about Danbury and Newtown, Connecticut. And Tiger says, ‘Wait, I believed this was imagined to be about me assembly you.’ ”
The remaining is historical past, and El Cardonal opened for play in 2014. The course has large fairways, making it not too troublesome off the tee. However strategically positioned bunkers, small touchdown areas and difficult wind make it a memorable second-shot course.
And, in 2023, one other alternative arose for Diamante. The yr prior, the WWT Championship was held for the ultimate time at Mayakoba. The way forward for the oldest PGA Tour occasion in Mexico was unsure with out a residence. However Diamante stepped up and hosted the match on El Cardonal, the primary time a Woods course hosted a PGA Tour occasion.
“Discovering a spot like Diamante, which has been simply spectacular and it’s such an unbelievable venue, works so nicely for us right here with Cabo as a golf vacation spot,” stated Joe Mazzeo, WWT Championship match director.
“Whenever you first come on property the very first thing that you just see are the unbelievable views out right here at Diamante. And on the course when the wind begins to choose up it turns into a extremely good check.” – Austin Eckroat
Gamers on the PGA Tour play on a number of the finest golf programs on the planet week after week, however 2024 WWT Championship winner Austin Eckroat says El Cardonal is one which stands out from the soar.
“Whenever you first come on property the very first thing that you just see are the unbelievable views out right here at Diamante,” Eckroat stated. “And on the course when the wind begins to choose up it turns into a extremely good check.”
And Diamante continues to develop. The Legacy Membership at Diamante, designed by Woods, is deliberate to open on the finish of 2026. Jowdy compares the course to Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, with 5 lakes, a stream system that connects all of them and waterfalls. It’s an enormous endeavor
“That’s a totally completely different animal,” Jowdy stated. “Right here (at El Cardonal) we moved 350,000 cubic meters of earth and we’re transferring 3.5 million cubic meters over there.”
Jowdy hopes The Legacy Membership hosts a PGA occasion sooner or later, however, within the meantime, El Cardonal will proceed to host the WWT Championship, which will probably be performed this yr from November 6-9.
Images: Everett Munoz
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