DIAMANTE LOVE AFFAIR

Driving up the hill, overlooking sand dunes that stretch on for miles, Davis Love III knew instantly that he had finally found the spot where he could build one of the world’s top golf courses. “It was just like pulling up to St. Andrews in Scotland, or to Shinnecock Hills in Long Island,” Love says.

Love, his brother Mark and their design team have transformed Diamante’s rolling dunes into the golf course of their dreams. According to Love, the holes were already there, all they needed to do was plant some grass. “God built about fourteen of these holes and we built the other four,” he says. “It was our philosophy to use the vision and the natural topography of the land. There were 40 to 50 different variations of holes that had been identified. When Ben Crenshaw built the Sand Hills course [in Nebraska], he said there were so many holes there he just had to identify which ones to use and how to get out and back to the clubhouse. That’s basically what we did with the Dunes course.”

What also makes the course so special are the magnificent views from every hole. “You are either playing towards the ocean, along the ocean or away from the ocean,” he muses. “And then, at times, you’re down in the dunes and you pop up and are surprised by the view of the ocean. It’s just such a stunning course.”

Love says the Diamante Dunes course offers a comparable experience to playing a classic Scottish or Irish course with one very important distinction: Cabo offers tropical weather all year round. It also boasts a friendly, laid-back vibe and the sense that everyone is having fun at all times. While taking a short break from the PGA Tour where he is currently one of the most accomplished and popular players in the game, Love says that when in Cabo you can either find him either playing the Dunes course or on the deep seas. “I’ve always heard that Cabo is known as a great golf destination, but you could also find me on a boat fishing for Marlin.”

With a number of acclaimed courses under his belt, the Diamante Dunes course is Love’s design debut outside of the United States. “We have finally found the links land we have been looking for to make our mark,” he says. “It’s groundbreaking to put a course in dunes like this in a resort area like Cabo,” Love adds. “This course is spectacular and will blow away everyone’s perception of resort golf.”