Cabo’s golf facilities sustain only minor damage in wake of heavy rains
Los Cabos, Mexico – September 14, 2017 – While the U.S. has been focused on a pair of devastating back-to-back hurricanes that recently hit Texas (Harvey) and Florida (Irma), the tip of the Baja Peninsula took a hit of its own when Tropical Storm Lidia made landfall in Los Cabos on August 31.
While nowhere near as destructive as the hurricanes that impacted the U.S., this tropical cyclone produced torrential rains that resulted in flooding in Los Cabos. The estimated rainfall-anywhere from 12 to 25 inches fell in a 24-hour period-exceeded the amount of precipitation the region receives annually.
Cabo’s golf courses experienced some wash-outs and erosion, but directors of golf surveyed this week indicated that their layouts sustained only minor damage and have in many cases already welcomed back golfers. In fact, several courses were up and running two days after the storm weakened and departed the region. A handful of others, such as Quivira Golf Club, the exposed cliff-hugging course on the outskirts of Can San Lucas, are closed for remedial work and are expected to reopen by early October.
“Golf courses in Los Cabos have proven to be very resilient in the face of adverse conditions,” said Cynthia Ontiveros, golf manager of the Los Cabos Tourism Board. “It’s a credit to the clubs, their superintendents and greens crews that the courses recovered as quickly as they did in the wake of the storm.”
Jason Ballog, general manager at Palmilla Golf Club, reported that the Arroyo nine at the club’s 27-hole facility reopened on Sept. 4. “We’ve had some cart path, erosion, gabion and irrigation issues due to the heavy rainfall,” he said. “Once we can get these areas repaired, we will open another nine holes. It’ll probably be another week or two before we have all 27 holes fully operational.”
Sergio Castillo, director of golf operations for Questro Golf, which includes Club Campestre San Jose, Puerto Los Cabos and Cabo Real, said, “Our three courses sustained minimal damage to the turf and playing surfaces. The only damage we had were a few cart path connection wash-outs,” which prevented the immediate opening of a full 18 holes at each facility following the storm.
Castillo noted that Club Campestre opened nine holes (front nine) on Sept. 5, with all 18 holes opened for play the following day. Similarly, at Puerto Los Cabos, the front nine reopened Sept. 5, with the full 18-hole composite layout by Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus debuted two days later.
At Cabo Real, Castillo pointed out that the course was closed following the storm for a scheduled greens aerification. He added that all three Questro Golf courses were fully opened as of Sept. 7.
According to Luis Rangel, golf professional at Cabo San Lucas Country Club, “our clubhouse and practice facilities area remained intact, and we anticipate a reopening by the beginning of October, with nine holes expected to open for play at that time.”
Saul Buguerio, golf course manager at Vidanta Golf, said his nine-hole course was fortunate to have suffered only minor damage during the storm. “We reopened the golf course on Sept. 4 and are still working to make repairs and continue our post-storm clean-up. We expect to be back to normal as soon as possible.”
Erik Evans, director of golf at Cabo del Sol, a 36-hole complex, characterized the storm as a “very intense rain event,” noting that the Desert Course, set in rolling foothills above the Ocean Course, sustained more wash-outs and erosion than the shorefront Ocean Course due to its steeper terrain. He also said more rain fell in the mountains, which filled the arroyos that dissect the Desert Course.
“Because of the recent bunker renovation on the Ocean Course, which included new drainage, the bunkers held up very well,” Evans explained, adding that six greens on the layout’s oceanfront holes were treated with calcium and flushed of the salt spray that had doused them during the storm. “We’ve had to reroute golf cart traffic because of some cart path wash-outs across arroyos, but overall, the Ocean Course sustained very little damage.” The course reopened on Sept. 8. Cabo del Sol’s clubhouse was barely affected by the storm.
The Desert Course, Evans stated, will remain closed for remedial work through the end of the month to complete a post-storm clean-up and to finalize maintenance tasks, including greens aerification, tee and fairway verti-cutting, and bunker repair work. “We’ll reassess conditions on the Desert Course when the work is done and schedule a reopening date at that time,” he said.
Looking ahead, golfers bound for Los Cabos can expect greener courses due to the record rainfall as well as a more verdant desert landscape alongside the fairways.
About Los Cabos:
Situated at the tip of the 1,000-mile long Baja Peninsula, Los Cabos is home to award-winning hotels, resorts, championship golf courses, rejuvenating spas and world-class sport fishing. With a unique landscape of dramatic desert and dazzling beaches, Los Cabos is an exotic escape within easy reach of most U.S. and Canadian cities. For more information, images and videos from Los Cabos, visit www.visitloscabos.travel, follow us on Twitter @LOSCABOSTOURISM and visit us on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.
Contact:
Media Golf Contact:
Brian McCallen
Golf Public Relations
Los Cabos Tourism Board
Tel: +1 860-572-7942
Email: rep.golf@visitloscabos.travel
www.visitloscabos.travel
Golf Contact
Cynthia Ontiveros
Golf Manager
Los Cabos Tourism Board
Tel: + (52) 624 144 4730
Email: contiveros@visitloscabos.travel
www.visitloscabos.travel
