Dunes featured in LINKS: 12 Best Opening Par Fives in Golf
12 Best Opening Par Fives in Golf By: Joe Passov The Dunes was recently featured in LINKS as one of the top 12 best opening par fives in golf. As he did with the Los Angeles Country Club’s North course, site of the 2023 U.S. Open, George Thomas Jr. preferred to kick off his course designs with a par five. So did post-World War II design great Dick Wilson, who started Bay Hill and Doral’s Blue Monster in that fashion. While a surprising number of acclaimed courses open the round with a par five, only a handful can be considered truly superb holes. Here are the 12 best opening par fives in golf. Read more.
Diamante Putting Course Q & A with Architect Paul Cowley
Architect Paul Cowley has enjoyed more than 25 years in the business of creating new golf courses. As a designer, planner, manager and builder, he has been indelibly linked to all of the golf courses at Diamante, working in collaboration with Davis Love III/Love Golf Design and TGR Design by Tiger Woods. Cowley’s newest creation is a solo effort, the Putting Course at Diamante. We talked to Cowley to get his take on the new layout. Question: You’ve participated in the design of some of the world’s top golf courses. What inspired you to take on designing a putting course? Cowley: As a golf designer, I find all aspects of course design to be challenging and interesting. The Putting Course site at Diamante occupies one of the most spectacular settings on the Dunes course, being situated alongside the tee complex at Hole Number 1 and below the clubhouse and restaurant. The Putting Course has a commanding view of the ocean and the most dominant dune on the course. This setting, combined with three acres of potential grassed area, ensured there was enough room to do something special with the design. Question: You were involved in designing the Dunes Course at Diamante. Why did you return to Diamante for this project? What did you like about the property? Cowley: I returned to help project manage the construction of the second course at Diamante, Tiger Woods’ El Cardonal, and also to make some changes to our Dunes course. The setting at Diamante is incomparable. It’s always great to come back. Question: What are the challenges in designing a putting course? How would you characterize your design approach? Cowley: The challenges in designing a putting course are virtually the same as designing a full-size golf course. The task is to provide a challenging and fun experience that players want to enjoy again and again. The best courses are on the edge of being too hard, never too easy, and always make you think. The challenge is designing in that middle ground. Question: What can golfers expect from this putting course? Cowley: It will be fun and challenging for all levels and a learning tool for all the different aspects of the putting game. It’s not a flat practice green and it will make you think. Question: Do you have a favorite design in your portfolio? Cowley: No–I have four—because they are all different for various reasons. The Dunes course here, the Patriot course at Grand Harbor and the Love course at Barefoot Resort in South Carolina and Orchard Creek in New York. Question: What can golfers expect from this putting course? Cowley: It will be fun and challenging for all levels and a learning tool for all the different aspects of the putting game. It’s not a flat practice green and it will make you think. Question: Do you have a favorite design in your portfolio? Cowley: No–I have four—because they are all different for various reasons. The Dunes course here, the Patriot course at Grand Harbor and the Love course at Barefoot Resort in South Carolina and Orchard Creek in New York. Question: Which other golf course architects do you admire? Cowley: Old Tom Morris, Donald Ross, Alister MacKenzie, Pete Dye, C.B. Macdonald, Tom Doak, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw Question: Summing up, what makes the new Putting Course at Diamante distinctive? Cowley: Two of the most well-known putting courses in the world are The Himalayas at St. Andrews in Scotland and The Punchbowl at Bandon Dunes in Oregon. Both of these courses are similar in that they are under three acres of grass, all of which is cut at green height and they are comprised of 18 holes that are played sequentially to create a course. These courses change when they move the pin locations weekly. Our putting course is also just under three acres of grass, but it is very different in that half of the area is cut at green height to create a continuous loop wherein 15 holes are laid out to create a course. The course consists of three par-2s and 12 par-3s that vary in length from 12 yards (36 feet) to 64 yards (192 feet) and plays to a par of 42. The play direction of the 15 holes is designed to be alternately played in reverse, so that a hole that played uphill then becomes a downhill hole the next time around. These two 15-hole courses are named the East course and the West course, reflecting their direction of play at the first hole. Another difference with this putting course is that it will have scorecards that include a handicap rating for each hole based on difficulty. Similar to a regulation golf course, this makes it possible for players of different skill levels to compete with each other. Personally, I don’t know of another putting course that is similar to this one. In any event, I’m fairly certain this course will rank among the Top 5 Putting Courses in the World—maybe even Top 3!
Corporate Golf Events in Cabo San Lucas
Despite the rise of new technologies and the virtual environment, face-to-face interaction remains one of the most effective ways to strengthen any company’s business relationships with clients, customers, associates, and employees. Corporate entertainment events introduce new products, increase customer retention rate, create networking opportunities, improve in-work relations, reinforce your image as an industry leader, and much more. The concept of corporate events encompasses company dinners, meetings, conferences, symposiums and even recreational activities for employees. Whatever form they take, this type of activity occupies a very important place in companies’ communication strategies and finding the right place and venue is key to success. Conferences or meetings can prove effective by combining work and play in an attractive setting. Another variant could be the organization of a recreational activity such as a golf championship or a creative workshop, where a company’s employees have the opportunity to strengthen ties, bridge differences and get to know each other on a personal level outside of the office setting. The organization of a special dinner or party may provide an ideal context for the collective recognition, appreciation and celebration of specific successes and objectives achieved by a professional, a team or the whole company. There are a number of factors that go into choosing the perfect destination for a corporate event. With so many wonderful countries, cities and venues to choose from, Cabo San Lucas is one of the top choices for many companies in the USA, Canada and Mexico, especially for those who are looking for a high-end golf event. Nestled at the tip of Baja California Sur, Los Cabos is known for its breathtaking and unique landscape, perfect weather year-round and world-class golf. This laid back Los Cabos lifestyle is easily accessible, making events in the region a stress-free experience from start to finish. The San Jose del Cabo International Airport serves more than three million passengers each year thanks to non-stop and easily accessible connection flights from the continental United States and Canada. Once landed, guests find driving easy on the four-lane Corridor highway. Partnering with an exclusive golf course or country club that makes all guests feel welcome is an essential part of planning any corporate golf tournament. Most corporate golf outings end with a nice lunch, drinks on the green and/or Awards banquet dinner. Ambiance is everything here – and that will be determined by your golf course selection. On 1.5 miles of pristine beachfront along the Pacific Ocean in Cabo San Lucas, you’ll find one of the most spectacular golf course facilities anywhere in the world — Diamante Cabo San Lucas. The resort facilities are available for Corporate Events, Charity Tournaments, and Golf Outings. The beautiful coastal setting and amenities make Diamante Cabo San Lucas a great venue for player tournaments and events. Diamante now offers Corporate Golf Schools – team building workshop with a customized session of Golf Instruction. Diamante Golf Academy can create a program specific to the needs of the players. For more information about Diamante corporate events please email Jeff Scott: jscott@diamantelife.com
Five Reasons Cabo San Lucas is One of The Best Holiday Destinations on The Planet
Located at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas ranks as one of the best tourist destinations not only in Mexico, but also in the world. 1. The Weather If you like your holidays hot and sunny, it is hard to find anything better than Cabo San Lucas. In fact, the sun shines almost all year round, and the average annual temperature is 78 F. Temperatures during November- December, range between 60 F to 85 F. Most of this area’s annual rainfall occurs around September and October, so the chances your holidays will be rained on are pretty low. The average water temperature this time of the year is around the 72 F. It simply does not get any better than this. 2. The Perfect Location Cabo San Lucas is at the very tip of Baja California, on the western coast of Mexico. Because of its popularity as a vacation destination, travel to the area is easy, with regular flights into the nearby airport from the U.S. and cities in Mexico. Flying is the quickest way to get to Cabo (SJD), with flights from San Diego lasting just under two hours. Many airlines offer direct flights to the area from a range of cities in the American West, including most California locations; Phoenix, Arizona; Dallas, Texas; and Denver, Colorado. Now some airlines offer non-stop flights to SJD during high season, so US East Coast residences are now only a few hours away from this sunny destination. 3. Whale Watching Whale watching season in the Pacific Ocean off the Baja Peninsula and in the Sea of Cortez begins in December and carries through the winter months until the end of March. Every December, hundreds of whales come to Baja from the cold waters of Bering Sea to calve, feed, mate and play. Whale watching in Los Cabos is a very unique experience – because you can see up to 5 different whale types, with Grey Whale and Humpback Whale being among the most common one. 4. The Holiday Activities There is something very special about the holidays, particularly in México, where the festive season persists for close to two months. Las Posadas last for nine days, from December 16th through the 24th, and commemorate the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Nochebuena (literally “the Good Night”) is the Spanish word for Christmas Eve. Nochevieja, or New Year’s Eve, is one of the most important seasonal celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries. Whereas Nochebuena is traditionally spent at home with the family, Nochevieja is an occasion for going out. During Holiday season the center of San José del Cabo is beautifully decorated and features a big lighted Christmas tree in the center of the main square. On New Year’s Eve, a colorful display of fireworks will light up Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas. This annual show can best be viewed from nightclubs, restaurants and resorts. Some resorts have their own fireworks that are equally spectacular. Diamante Cabo San Lucas is famous for their NYE fireworks. 5. The Beaches Los Cabos boasts lush and beautiful beaches stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez. Every beach is unique and each offers something for each type of visitor. If you choose to come to Cabo, staying at one of the beachfront resorts is a must because nothing compares to the serenity of lounging on your own beach.
